Tucson Januar-MEME: A Tucson Instagram Meme Challenge for January

Tucson Januar-MEME is a community-wide Instagram meme making event in Tucson, Arizona, hosted by @oldpueblocuriosities, running from January 2 through January 30.

This Tucson-based creativity challenge invites locals to make and share funny, lighthearted, Tucson-themed memes, art, photos, jokes, and videos throughout the month of January using the hashtag #tucsonjanuarmeme.

If you live in Tucson, love Tucson, or just enjoy Tucson humor, add your creation to the mix!

What Is Tucson Januar-MEME?

Tucson Januar-MEME is an Instagram-first meme and art challenge focused on Tucson culture, desert life, and everyday moments in the Old Pueblo. Participants respond to simple prompts by creating original, human-made content meant to make people laugh.

This is not a contest. There are no winners or prizes. The goal is to create for fun, connect with the Tucson community, and start the new year with humor.

Why am I organizing this?

For the fun of it all.

I believe Tucson has a lot of untapped hilarity. The kind that lives in camera rolls, sketchbooks, notes apps, group texts, and half-finished jokes. Tucson Januar-MEME is a way of bringing that humor out into the open and sharing it with the wider Tucson community.

I also wanted a way to start the year feeling light. No pressure, no productivity goals, and no perfection. Just creativity for creativity’s sake, shared laughs, and a reminder that making things together can be joyful.

This challenge will be fun on its own, but it gets exponentially funnier the more people who join in. If you know someone who’s funny, observant, or quietly hilarious, let them know we need them this month.

What Should I Share?

Anything you think might give someone else a laugh.

Examples include:

  • Original art or comics
  • Classic memes
  • Funny Tucson photos
  • Text jokes
  • Short video clips or reels

If it’s Tucson-related and humorous, it belongs here.

You can participate using any of the following:

  • Photos
  • Text posts
  • Digital art
  • Sketches
  • Classic meme formats
  • Instagram reels or short videos

All submissions should be human-made.
I encourage you to use your noggin' rather than rely on generative AI. 

Where and How to Share

To participate in Tucson Januar-MEME on Instagram:

  1. Create a Tucson-themed meme or creative post
  2. Share it on your main feed or Instagram story, or send it directly to friends
  3. Include the hashtag #tucsonjanuarmeme
  4. Write “Tucson Januar-MEME” in your caption
  5. Tag @oldpueblocuriosities so entries can be collected and reposted

If you want your submission shared by @OldPuebloCuriosities, or if you’d like to participate anonymously, send a DM to @oldpueblocuriosities with your creation.

Tucson Januar-MEME Prompts (January 2–30)

Prompts are released every other day during January:

  • January 2: Cactus with personality
  • January 4: Hold on, that doesn’t go there
  • January 6: Take me to Mt. Lemmon
  • January 8: Javelinas doing things
  • January 10: Water!!!!!!!
  • January 12: Driving around town
  • January 14: A Tucson food or delicacy
  • January 16: Rattlesnakes
  • January 18: Take a hike
  • January 20: Ouch! That hurt
  • January 22: Advice for tourists
  • January 24: A dry heat
  • January 26: Fourth Avenue memories
  • January 28: Gems and minerals
  • January 30: The most Tucson thing ever

Help Spread the Word

This Instagram meme-athon works best when more Tucson creatives get involved. Share the challenge, use the hashtag #tucsonjanuarmeme, and invite your funniest friend, coworker, or group chat to participate.

Follow @oldpueblocuriosities on Instagram to see featured posts, reposted entries, prompt reminders, and Tucson-inspired humor all month long.

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