June Celebrations on the River Walk!

Fiesta Noche del Rio

DATES: Every Friday and Saturday, June 10 through August 6

LOCATION: Arneson River Theatre along the San Antonio River Walk

TIME: 8:30pm

TICKET PRICES: Adults: $20 Seniors (ages 60+): $15 Children ages 6 to 14 years: $8 (Children under 6 are free!) Active and Retired Military: $15 Groups of 10 or more: $15 per person Groups of 26 or more: $12 per person

First performed in 1957, Fiesta Noche del Rio, an Alamo Kiwanis production, has entertained hundreds of thousands of River Walk guests every year since with a colorful celebration of music and dancing on the historic Arneson River Theatre stage. The traditional folklorico dance and music have deep roots in San Antonio’s history, and can be traced back to ceremonial and celebratory dances from Mexico’s many different regions and states. Through ticket sales for this dynamic production, the Alamo Kiwanis Club has raised more than $2.75 million for the less fortunate and disadvantaged children in San Antonio since its inception 65 years ago.

Performances begin on June 10 and continue every Friday and Saturday through August 6. Showtime is 8:30pm at the Arneson River Theatre. Purchase tickets at www.FiestaNocheSA.com and at all San Antonio area H-E-B’s customer service centers during the performance season.

Visit San Antonio Debuts Bud Light Pride River Parade & Celebration

DATE: Saturday, June 18

TIMES: Noon to 5:00pm – Celebration at La Villita 4:00 to 5:00pm – Pride River Parade at River Walk Downtown Reach 7:00 to 8:00pm – Pride River Parade at River Walk Museum Reach to the Pearl

This year’s Pride Month celebration in San Antonio will offer something it never has before—a parade and festival on the famous San Antonio River Walk! The inaugural Bud Light Pride River Parade was created by Visit San Antonio to promote the city’s inclusion, encouragement and support of the LGBTQ+ community.

The fun starts on land with the Celebration at La Villita from Noon to 5:00pm. The area will be in full Pride regalia and feature local artisans and makers, food and entertainment. At La Villita’s Arneson River Theatre, visitors will enjoy an afternoon of family-friendly, live on-stage entertainment from DJs, bands, impersonators, dancers and more.

The Bud Light Pride River Parade will have two showings, each with 16 colorful river barges. The first on the Downtown Reach of the San Antonio River Walk will serve as the closing event for the Celebration festival at La Villita. The encore presentation, on the River Walk Museum Reach, provides an additional opportunity to be part of the community.

Learn more about the Pride River Parade and what to do in San Antonio at www.VisitSanAntonio.com/LGBTQ.

River Walk Royalty Court Campaign Kick-Off!

Since 1987, the River Walk Royalty have served as ambassadors for the River Walk, sharing in the mission to promote, protect and preserve the San Antonio River Walk and support San Antonio charities. Each year four King and four Queen candidates raise money to support these efforts. Titles are awarded based on the most money raised for King and Queen, Prince and Princess, Duke and Duchess and Count and Countess, and a Royal Coronation Ceremony occurs at the Mardi Gras Festival, kicking off the Mardi Gras Parade on the river. Royalty make appearances at both River Walk and city-wide events throughout their one-year reign. Contact Maggie.Thompson@VisitSanAntonio.com if you are interested in campaigning to be on the 2023 River Walk Royalty Court!

Estancia del Norte

Charity Teague Confections at Estancia del Rio Hotel Emma

Hotel Havana Hotel Emma

Checking In

By Dawn Robinetteto Hotel Shopping

ESTANCIA DEL NORTE SAN ANTONIO

www.Hilton.com/en/hotels/ satinup-estancia-del-norte-san-antonio

THE HOTEL EMMA

www.TheHotelEmma.com

HOTEL HAVANA

www.HavanaSanAntonioStore.com

THE MENGER HOTEL SAN ANTONIO

www.MengerHotel.com

Choosing a hotel is not just about location or fantastic room options. What if you decided where to stay based on the hotel’s quality of shopping? Not toothbrushes or other necessities that might have eluded your suitcase, but high-end boutiques and gift shops packed with local products and fun finds. San Antonio’s hotels offer so much more than aspirin, bottled water or umbrellas, making “checking in” to hotel shopping something everyone should try. You will discover an array of treasure options, no reservation needed, and even if you do not have a room key, you are still welcome to shop.

For both a hotel and shopping that is worth flying in for, pop into Regalo at Estancia del Norte San Antonio. Just a skip from the airport and a neighbor of North Star Mall, Regalo showcases a dynamic, curated collection of designer fashions, handmade jewelry, giftable specialty foods and one-of-a-kind art pieces that embody a unique and festive spirit. Working closely with local artists, designers and gourmet culinary brands to bring a fresh, interactive array of products, the shelves feature everything from colorful décor, unique greeting cards and limited artist prints to a variety of beautiful Texas plants potted in upcycled vintage containers. You will also discover the cutest Frida Kahlo pillows, earrings and more, and high quality, handcrafted leather boots from the legendary brand M.L. Leddy's. For chocolate that is almost too beautiful to eat, Charity Teague Confections has an array of chocolate bars packaged so you can see the ingredients that flow through them. Snap a picture for Instagram, but definitely bite into Hill Country Lavender, Edible Wildflowers and so much more from this award-winning pastry chef and chocolatier, and visit Regalo often to find the perfect gift for yourself or anyone else on your list.

Head downtown to one of San Antonio’s most historic hotels, the Menger Hotel. Neighbors to the Alamo, when you are exploring the shops that line the Menger’s walkway, it is easy to forget that they are part of the hotel. The shopfronts all face Alamo Plaza and are an easy walk from the Shops at Rivercenter. But the shops also enter into the Menger’s beautiful lobby, giving you access to one of San Antonio’s oldest hotels. A must-shop is the boots, bling, baubles and cute outfits at the Silver Spur, where you can find the perfect outfit to stand out in true Texas finery. If you are looking for real bling, pop in to J. Adelman Antiques, Art & Estate Jewelry, where case after case sparkles and shines with fantastic jewelry as well as sculptures, paintings and décor. Then roam to Davy Crockett’s Cabin to score a memento and unique gifts that spotlight one of the heroes of the Alamo. If you can tear yourself away from shopping, walk through and gaze at the hotel lobby, a true San Antonio treasure.

Roaming away from downtown but staying on the river, make sure your hotel shopping leads you to Hotel Havana. With Mediterranean Revival architecture, rich Spanish Colonial history and calm Caribbean temperament, stepping into Hotel Havana is like stepping into another world. The selection of items at Hotel Havana’s lobby boutique centers around Pan-Latin culture and inspiration with an old world feel, with items paying tribute to the rich history and namesake from Cuba, though also included is a focus on local Texan and San Antonio-made goods. The shopping mirrors the relaxed vibe that quietly flows through the hotel, with goods sure to make you smile. Exclusive brand collaborations offer products made specifically for the hotel, such as custom-made Kimono Robes designed in-house and Nopalera beauty products, as well as branded apparel and totes. You will also find unique jewelry, leather items from local favorite Bexar Goods and candles that will keep your relaxed vibe going long after you have left the hotel.

Next, wander along the river’s Museum Reach and land at Hotel Emma. The centerpiece of the Pearl, everything at Hotel Emma is carefully curated, including Curio, a high-end boutique that features a selection of artisan-made products that are either handmade or produced on a small scale. Like many of San Antonio’s hotel shops, Curio showcases goods that reflect the South Texas culture, giving the shop an authentic vibe. With custom-made Dos Carolinas “guayarobes," gorgeous etched glasses and a dazzling array of jewelry, Curio has an eclectic array of goods that always please. Take home something from Emma’s Provisions, a chef-driven selection of a few pantry staples born at Emma that have local flavor. Or claim a gorgeous bauble or two with Boho-chic jewelry and statement pieces that add just the right touch to any outfit. Curio also offers terrific additions for the home, including

Menger Hotel

Shops. Food. Fun.

With over 100 locally owned shops, you’ll find cultural curios and artifacts, hand-crafted leather goods, and a diverse collection of traditional apparel.

514 W. Commerce St. MarketSquareSA.com

Hotel Emma’s signature scents. These custom, locally made scents are simple, yet intoxicating, and a favorite of Emma’s guests. The scents greets you as you step into the hotel and you automatically feel at home. Get carried away with “Milagros” in spring and summer and “Recuerdos” in fall and winter.

Another Hotel Emma shopping destination is Larder—a mix of fresh food and provisions sure to please. Tucked away in the brewery’s old fermenting cellars, Larder carries local groceries, wine, beer, baked goods, flowers, house-butchered meats and freshly-prepared foods. Thanks to its well-stocked shelves, you can enjoy nibbles of life’s little luxuries, or find the perfect selection for great culinary gifts or additions to your own pantry. From the fantastic flavors of Emma’s Provisions and the heavenly caramels handcrafted by San Antonio’s Wildflower Caramels to the deep, savory flavor of Texas Black Gold Garlic, there is San Antonio-made flavor tucked away in the meticulously organized shelves of Larder. A few vendors from Pearl’s beloved farmers market are also featured, giving you an opportunity to grab something between weekend markets as well.

WRITER’S BIO

An award-winning communications expert who enjoys sharing new discoveries and revisiting old favorites in her adopted hometown, Dawn Robinette loves to tell stories. You can read more of her work at Alamo City Moms, San Antonio Woman, San Antonio Magazine and Texas Lifestyle Magazine.

@marketsquaresa Weekend Entertainment open daily

06/30/22

Deep Roots

San Antonio Celebrates

Juneteenth By Susan Yerkes

In 2021, the Fourth of July got company when President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act after the House and Senate passed it. The new law made June 19 America’s second official Independence Day — a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

The date, June 19, has its roots in Texas. On that day in 1865 the Union General Gordon Granger sailed into Galveston Bay and publicly read out President Abraham Lincoln’s Executive Order Number 3, ordering the emancipation of all slaves, and “an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property, between former masters and slaves.” Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation two years before, but Texas was a Confederate state, and like other rebel states, maintained legal slavery until the end of the Civil War. It took some time for the news to spread, but by 1866, African Americans in Texas began to mark the 19th of June, known as Freedom Day, Emancipation Day or Jubilee Day, with community events— parades, cookouts, prayer gatherings, historical and cultural readings, and musical performances. One of the biggest celebrations was in San Antonio.

San Antonio Cultural Arts Black History Mural

Carver Community Cultural Center Juneteenth Festival

click on this:

CARVER COMMUNITY CULTURAL CENTER

www.TheCarver.org

ELLIS ALLEY

www.ViaInfo.net/2016/02/19/via-recognized-stateaward-ellis-alley-restoration/

JUNETEENTH FESTIVAL AND PARADE

www.JuneteenthSanAntonio.org

SAN ANTONIO AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY ARCHIVE AND MUSEUM

www.SAAACAM.org

STERLING HOUSTON FESTIVAL www.SterlingHoustonFestival.com/

ST. PHILIP’S COLLEGE

www.Alamo.edu/spc/ “San Antonio was the second largest city in Texas in 1865—Galveston was the largest then—and African Americans came here from all over the area to celebrate the 19th of June,” the city’s Juneteenth Commissioner, Byron Miller, said. Gradually the annual celebration grew and was carried into other states. In 1980, Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Texas, more than 40 years before Congress made it a federal holiday.

“Juneteenth is and has always been acknowledged and respected by Texans of all races,” according to the Juneteenth Commission’s website. “Even during the days of segregation and Jim Crowism, Texas employers found enough charity in their hearts on Juneteenth to give their employees the day off. Retired Southern Pacific railroad employee, Reverend J. C. Glosson—now in his 90s—recalls that white employees complained because ‘Blacks got two 4th of July celebrations—Juneteenth and 4th of July.’ Others loaned their horses and carriages to Black employees for the parade, and in San Antonio, San Pedro Park was opened up to African Americans.”

“Over the years the celebrations gradually moved to more rural areas of Texas,” Miller said. But in the 1990s, as the deep roots of this area’s African American community became more deeply researched and widely recognized, Miller and others organized the San Antonio Juneteenth Commission to promote and celebrate the holiday.

Woolworth Building lunch counter was desegregated on March 16, 1960, along with six other downtown stores

Cameo Theater where many famous African American artists performed in the '30s and '40s

Night Life Today San Antonio’s Juneteenth Festival is again the second largest in Texas. That might be surprising to some, since according to census records the African American population of the city has never risen much above seven percent. It is less surprising if you know that the city’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. March is the largest of its kind in the U.S., attracting hundreds of thousands of participants each year. Diversity is alive and well in San Antonio, and African American traditions and history are growing in prominence and wide participation. Today Juneteenth is celebrated in various ways here all month long, with plenty of opportunities for everyone to take part.

The Carver Community Cultural Center, built in 1918 as a segregated venue for the Black community and restored in the ‘70s, kicks off the month with a June 3 show featuring The Suffers, an award-winning 10-piece band that rocks Gulf Coast Soul. On June 4, the Carver hosts the first event of the Sterling Houston Festival, a multi-disciplinary series of plays, readings and panels produced by several of the city’s most prominent arts organizations, and culminates with a June 19th performance of Houston’s play Le Grifon. The San Antonio African American Cultural Archive & Museum (SAAACAM) has several June events that shine a light on history and tradition. A Night at the Missions baseball game with San Antonio’s triple-A baseball team celebrates the contributions African Americans made to the sport and ends with a brilliant fireworks display. One of SAAACAM’s coolest events, a Black History River Tour, is set for June 24. The museum’s exhibition space in La Villita is just yards from the site where the city’s first formal school for African American children was opened in 1897 in the St. Philips Methodist Episcopal Church. Today, St. Philip’s College, now with campuses on the East and Southwest sides of the city, is a nationally recognized part of the Alamo Community Colleges District.

The official Juneteenth Festival runs from June 17-19 at Comanche Park, with three days of family-friendly fun, including national rock, soul and R&B musicians, a Sunday Gospel Church in the Park and a wide range of other activities, vendors, food trucks and stands. On Saturday the 18th at 10:00am, the Juneteenth Parade takes a three-mile route from Sam Houston High School to the park.

You will find many interesting sites to visit in pursuit of Black culture here, from Dignowity Hill, the city’s first elite suburb, to new public art installations celebrating diversity in Martin Luther King, Jr. Park and Sullivan Park, or the hip Essex Modern City outdoor gallery. St. Paul Square, just east of downtown by Sunset Station and the Alamodome, houses new attractions in a historically Black center of churches, clubs and theatres. Do not miss tiny Ellis Alley, a nearby row of neatly restored homes, now on the National Historic Register.

San Antonio’s rich African American heritage is celebrated in many ways here, and all are welcome.

WRITER’S BIO

Susan Yerkes is an award-winning journalist and travel writer based in San Antonio.