For a decade a Tucson theater project has been turning the memories of the city's oldest Mexican American neighborhoods into live performances. This week it celebrates that milestone with its biggest festival yet.

The Barrio Stories Festival runs Thursday through Sunday on the Alva B. Torres Plaza at the Tucson Convention Center, with gates open late morning through midafternoon. Ten plays will rotate across the four days along with music, poetry, food and hands-on workshops.

Stories from the neighbors themselves

Director Marc David Pinate launched the Barrio Stories Project with Borderlands Theater in 2016. The idea was simple. Interview people who grew up in Tucson's barrios, then shape what they remember into short plays and perform them for the same communities.

Lilianna Espinoza began as a volunteer with the company and is now its outreach coordinator. She said the goal is to hand the history back to the neighborhoods and to make sure it is not forgotten, since much of it has already been erased as old blocks were torn down.

This year's lineup blends new works with favorites from past seasons drawn from Barrio Anita, the West Side and the border town of Nogales. Thursday's main stage features plays by Elaine Romero and Martín Zimmerman, plus short 10-minute pieces in the middle of the day. Pinate has two plays of his own in the mix, including one called Mujeres Poderosas.

Music, poetry and fresh tortillas

The festival reaches well beyond the stage. Descendants of the families who settled the Tucson Presidio will show visitors how to make Sonoran flour tortillas on Thursday and Saturday mornings. A local poet reads each day around lunchtime and a mariachi showcase closes every afternoon, with groups ranging from elementary school students to seasoned professional bands.

A photo exhibit looks back on 10 years of productions. Visitors can join workshops on collecting oral histories and making adobe bricks while kids create crafts in an art tent over the weekend.

Organizers ask for a $25 donation but say no one will be turned away. Students on class field trips get in free. Espinoza said theater has long been too expensive for many families and that telling these stories is a form of healing everyone should be able to share.