The freeway system down there is fine so you have the option of finding a room in a town down the freeway and commute. When I go to Quartzite I stay in Palm Springs and drive. A bit of a drive but much more pleasant than Quatzite. While Tuscon is fine other towns have their charm also.

Thanks Frank. I'll give that a try.

1) hotels will get last minute cancellations so check around the places close to the venues you’re interested in
2) Airbnb may still have some single rooms in homes available
3) it really depends on what you mean by “reasonable”! Many years ago I stayed in Casa Grande because the cheapest place I could find was over $400 a night. However I’ve hear others find reasonable places at the last minute.

Thanks Rosanna, by "reasonable" I meant close enough to venues that commuting is an acceptable alternative and parking is available nearby.

About half of the venues I go to have free parking - for others it's typically $5.

You can also explore the option of taking free shuttles that criss-cross the town to the various venues, but you have to spend time waiting for them and making a lot of stops - which cuts into your shopping time!

More info:

https://jogsshow.com/tucson-gem-show-shuttles/

Here's a list of this year's shows. The highlighted ones are the ones I always attend.

If I have time, I also visit:
JOGS
Whole Bead Show
To Bead True Blue & Tucson Bead Show
22nd St. Show
The Best Bead Show

And of course don't forget to visit Nicole and Francesco in Green Valley (see previous BCN post on their show).!

Note: a resale license is required to get into GL&W Gem Mall and Holidome (both are on the same site now). Otherwise if you know one of the vendors you can ask for a visitor badge.