There's a scavenger hunt running across downtown Tucson right now, and it doesn't wrap up until September 7 — plenty of runway left to get in on it. The Downtown Tucson Partnership's Summer Passport Challenge is a self-guided program built around seven different passport themes, each one a map of downtown stops built around a different interest, with small prizes for anyone who works through one. Here is the July 26, 2026 Things To Do read on how the challenge works, and why late July is still a perfectly good time to pick up a card. 7 — Passport theme options to choose from. Sept. 7 — Deadline to turn in a completed passport. 10 — Activities completed to earn the sticker prize. $100 — Downtown Tucson gift card prize drawing Seven Ways to Do Downtown Per the Downtown Tucson Partnership, the Summer Passport Challenge launched June 1 as a self-guided program with seven separate passport options, each built around a different way to experience downtown: the Downtown Explorer Challenge, Foodie Favorites Challenge, Coffee Crawl Challenge, Arts & Culture Challenge, Summer Nights Challenge, Shop Local Challenge, and Historic Landmarks Challenge. Each passport comes with its own overview and a map of featured locations tied to that theme — the Foodie Favorites and Coffee Crawl cards route through downtown's restaurant and cafe scene, Arts & Culture and Historic Landmarks point toward the galleries and preserved buildings downtown is known for, Shop Local steers toward independent retail, and Summer Nights is built around downtown's after-dark programming. A coffee-focused visitor and a history-focused visitor end up covering entirely different ground downtown, even picking up the same passport format. Passports are free and available in person at Tucson Gallery downtown or as a download at downtowntucson.org. Not a New Idea, Just a New Card The passport format itself has history downtown. A 2015 Tucson Weekly writeup describes a similar bingo-style summer scavenger hunt the paper ran that year, with readers picking up a stamp sheet and working through downtown businesses for prizes donated by spots like the Loft Cinema and the Gaslight Theatre. The current Downtown Tucson Partnership version is a different, separately organized program, but the underlying idea — turn a slow summer into a reason to explore downtown block by block — has clearly stuck around as a local tradition for at least a decade. How the Stamps and Prizes Work Some activities on each passport are marked with an asterisk, meaning they require a stamp from the participating business before they count — collected from an employee on-site right after completing the activity. Per the Downtown Tucson Partnership, completing 10 activities on a single passport card earns a limited-edition Downtown Tucson sticker and a Tucson Gallery sticker pack, redeemable at Tucson Gallery. Turning in a completed card, with the back filled out, also enters participants in a drawing for a $100 Downtown Tucson gift card, with one winner selected after the challenge wraps up in September. Get a Passport (Free, Tucson Gallery downtown, Or download online): Pick up a physical passport card at Tucson Gallery downtown, or download one of the seven themes at downtowntucson.org. Complete It (Some stops need a stamp, 10 stops = sticker prize, Runs through Sept. 7): Asterisked activities require an on-site stamp from the business. Ten completed activities earns a limited-edition sticker and a Tucson Gallery sticker pack. Turn It In (Fill out the back, $100 gift card drawing, One winner in September): A completed card with the back filled out enters you in a drawing for a $100 Downtown Tucson gift card, awarded after the challenge closes. Why Late July Is Still a Good Time to Start With roughly six weeks left before the September 7 close, there's still enough runway to pick a theme and finish it without rushing. The Summer Nights Challenge in particular lines up well with the season — downtown's evening events and later sunsets make an after-dark stop-by more comfortable than a midday one in late July, and it doubles as a built-in reason to be downtown on evenings you might not otherwise plan for. Because the seven themes don't overlap much, picking whichever one matches an existing habit — a standing coffee order, a monthly gallery walk, a preference for shopping local — makes the challenge closer to free credit for things you'd likely do anyway than an extra errand. Quick reference (July 26, 2026): The Downtown Tucson Partnership's Summer Passport Challenge runs June 1 through September 7, 2026. Seven free passport themes are available at Tucson Gallery downtown or at downtowntucson.org: Downtown Explorer, Foodie Favorites, Coffee Crawl, Arts & Culture, Summer Nights, Shop Local, and Historic Landmarks. Asterisked activities require an on-site business stamp. Completing 10 activities on one card earns a limited-edition Downtown Tucson sticker and Tucson Gallery sticker pack; turning in a completed card (back filled out) enters a drawing for a $100 Downtown Tucson gift card, with one winner picked after the challenge closes. Details can change, so confirm current rules at downtowntucson.org before starting. The Takeaway A free passport, seven ways to use it, and six weeks left on the clock — the Summer Passport Challenge is a low-stakes reason to treat downtown Tucson like a to-do list instead of a place you pass through. Pick up a card at Tucson Gallery or online, choose whichever theme matches how you already spend a Saturday downtown, and the stamps take care of themselves. Sources Patch — "A Summer-Long Scavenger Hunt Is Underway in Downtown Tucson: What To Know" — patch.com/arizona/tucson/summer-long-scavenger-hunt-underway-downtown-tucson-what-know — accessed July 26, 2026 (for the June 1 launch, the September 7 end date, the seven passport themes, the Tucson Gallery pickup location, the asterisked stamp requirement, the 10-activity sticker prize, and the $100 Downtown Tucson gift-card drawing). Downtown Tucson Partnership — "Summer in Downtown" — downtowntucson.org/explore/summer — accessed July 26, 2026 (for the passport program overview and online passport downloads). Tucson Weekly — "Prizes, Prizes, Prizes—Get Going on Your Summer Passport" (The Range) — tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2015/07/23/prizes-prizes-prizesget-going-on-your-summer-passport — accessed July 26, 2026 (for the 2015 bingo-style downtown summer passport precedent and its business-donated prizes). All data current as of July 26, 2026; challenge rules, prizes, and participating businesses can change, so readers should confirm current details at downtowntucson.org before starting. This post is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase real estate. Kyle Berglund and Tierra Antigua Realty fully support and comply with the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.