Dillinger Days January 23, 2010

Saturday, January 23, 2009: Free All Day Festival Downtown

TUCSON, Ariz. ---Dillinger Days returns to downtown Tucson the on Saturday January 23nd,2009 in celebration of the capture of John Dillinger’s notorious gang. In January 1934, the Tucson Police Department, with help from the Tucson Fire Department, were able to do what countless law enforcement agencies around the country had been unable to do—capture the notorious Public Enemy #1 and his gang, and they did so without firing a shot! Dillinger Days, one of Tucson’s most entertaining annual celebrations, provides a fun way to honor this unique bit of Tucson history, celebrate a nostalgic era, and honor the brave men and women who protect our city on a daily basis.

On Saturday, January 23rd, Congress Street, Toole Avenue, and Hotel Congress will be transformed into 1934. Three lively historically accurate re-enactments will relive the Dillinger gang’s last bank robbery in Chicago prior to its arrival in Tucson, the series of events leading to the gang’s capture in and around Downtown, and the fire that destroyed the third floor of Hotel Congress. The free festival, which begins at 11am, also includes live period music with an outdoor dance floor, a classic car “fashion show,” historic walking and trolley tours featuring sites relating to the gang’s capture, a special exhibit at the Arizona Historical Society Downtown History Museum at 140 N. Stone Ave., as well as interactive games and contests, old-time photography shoots, 1930s-themed carnival activities, book-signings in the Hotel Congress lobby and vendor booths at Maynards and the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum located at the historic train depot. Participants are encouraged to dress in 30’s garb and be “extras” in the re-enactments and to participate in a period costume contest.

Plans are also in the works for screenings of Johnny Depp’s 2008 motion picture “Public Enemy” at The Screening Room located at 127 E. Congress.

Hotel Congress is located at 311 E. Congress St.,. For more information on Dillinger Days call 622-8848 or visit the website at www.hotelcongress.com