News Roundup, July 2, 2021
Independence Day celebrations abound this weekend throughout San Antonio and the surrounding towns, with parades, games, food trucks and fireworks. And there’s an arts component to all of them since all feature music bands and patriotic music.
The city’s “official” festive party, sponsored by the San Antonio Parks Foundation in partnership with the City’s Parks and Recreation Department, will once again take place at the Woodlawn Lake Park, Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p. The US Air Force Band of the West will perform at 7:30 p.m. Other performers include the local Selena Tribute Act, Bidi Bidi Banda, and other artists who were not yet confirmed at the time of this writing. As in previous years, fireworks conclude the festivitie. The event is free.
Celebrations are also taking place in Leon Valley, Helotes, Schertz, Boerne and New Braunfels.
A more solemn type of event will take place Saturday, July 3, when the Armed Forces River Parade, representing six branches of the military, takes over the 2.5 miles of river along the River Walk, as patriotic music plays from the floats. (July 3, 11 a.m.; free)
The 4th of July will also be celebrated at the Alamo with period games, demonstrations of weapons, medicine, crafts, and other activities. Visitors get a chance to sign a giant Declaration of Independence. Cool! (July 2-4, 9 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.; free.)
A special concert showcasing great American composers, will take place at the Trinity Baptist Church Sunday afternoon, featuring three San Antonio musical organizations: The Heart of Texas Concert Band, the San Antonio Choral Society and the River City Ringers, plus two distinguished soloists. The program includes music by the Gershwin brothers, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers, John Williams, Stephen Paulus, and others. (3 p.m., Trinity Baptist Church, 319 E. Mulberry Ave., 78212; free) To read more about this promising concert, refer to our story from June 29, on this site.
The 4th of July weekend is also the traditional time for the aptly named Fourth of July Artisan Show, scheduled for July 2 – 5, on the River Walk near the Chamber of Commerce. Presented by Hiltons of San Antonio, the event will feature more than 40 artisan booths, displaying and selling pottery, textiles, jewelry, woodwork, paintings, beadwork and more. (Friday-Sunday 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Monday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.; to find out more go to www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com.)
And speaking of the River Walk, the always festive Fiesta Noche del Rio entertains visitors with lively music and dance, combining Mexican folkloric numbers with flamenco performances, colorful costumes and youthful energy. (Performances take place Fridays-Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. through Aug. 7; Arneson River Theater in La Villita; tickets: $8 – $20; www.fiestanochesa.com)
Music and dance will keep the Woodlawn Theater’s stage hopping and popping as well, with “On Your Feet,” the musical about the lives of superstars Gloria and Emilio Estefan. (Fridays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m.; no show July 4; tickets $18-$30; www.woodlawntheatre.org/on-your-feet)
And there’s a lot more music at various live music venues around town. The famed rapper, Snoop Dog, will wow his audience Friday, July 2, at the Sunken Garden Theater (6 p.m.; 3875 N. St. Mary’s St.; tickets $55, through the Tobin Center, tickets@tobincenter.org)
On the same day, the Whiskey Myers Band, is scheduled to appear at the John T. Floore’s Country Store, the hugely popular country/Americana music place in Helotes. This act will be preceded by Grant Gilbert at 8 p.m., and Shane Smith & the Saints at 9 p.m. (Floore’s Country Store, 14492 Old Bandera Rd., Helotes; 210-695-8827; www.livearfloores.com)
Visual Arts are always alive and mostly well in San Antonio, and offering something new on a regular basis. In addition to its main exhibit “The Sitter,” Blue Star Contemporary is now opening three additional, albeit smaller exhibits, featuring the work of San Antonio artist Doerte Weber, Santa Fe-based artist Terran Last Gun, and Joanna Keane Lopez from Albuquerque. (Blue Star Contemporary, 116 Blue Star, 78204; https://bluesrarcontemporary.org)
An interesting new exhibit is currently on view at the McNay Art Museum. Called “Optical Dazzle” it features Op Art from the museum’s permanent collection. What’s Op Art? You may ask. Well, this exhibit is a good opportunity to learn about it, but succinctly described it’s an art of optical illusions, both appealing and somewhat confusing to the eye. Included are screen-prints by the American artist Richard Anuszkiewicz, and paintings by Julian Stanczak and Susie Rosmarin, as well as a sculpture by the Venezuelan artist Jesus Rafael Soto. (McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels, 78209; www.mcnayart.org)
The Overtime Theater is opening “Flash!!!!,” an adaptation of the 1932 Flash Gordon radio episodes, directed by Christopher Steinmetz. “It’s the retro-futurism comedy with something for everyone” says the press announcement. So, join Flash and Dale as they battle various galactic villains. (Fridays-Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sunday July 11 at 7 p.m., through July 24; 5409 Bandera Rd., Ste 205, 78238; Tickets $15; www.overtimetheater.org)
The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center has announced the lineup for its 42nd CineFestival, which will take place at the center July 7 -11. And this one will be an in-person series of screenings that you can actually attend. The fest opens with a special screening of “Juanito’s Lab,” directed by San Antonio filmmakers Guillermina Zabala and Enrique Lopetegui, and featuring local musician Juanito Castillo. Fifteen years in the making, the film is a documentary about the life of Castillo, who was born blind. However, he is an exceptional musician, proficient in 14 instruments, and “widely considered to be the heir to Esteban Jordan, ‘the Jimi Hendricks of the accordion.’”
Overall, there will be 11 feature films made in or closely related to Texas, and of these, 7 have San Antonio connections. In addition, 42 short films will also be shown, by both Texan and other filmmakers, including an international group. The festival will close with “Love and Baseball” directed by former San Antonian, Steve Acevedo.
CineFestival is one of the projects funded by the National Endowment for the Arts across the U.S. to help the arts bounce back to health following the pandemic. The city of San Antonio and other entities have also provided support. (Screenings will take place at the Guadalupe Theater, 1301 Guadalupe St., 78207. Tickets and passes can be purchased at all events, as well as at www.guadalupeculturalarts.org, where you can also learn more about the festival.)
And speaking of film festivals, there’s good news from the SAFILM-SAN ANTONIO FILM FESTIVAL, as well. It, too, will be returning to live, in-person screenings and events. “We are returning to our roots,” said SAFILM founder Adam Rocha. “It’s time to bring back the intimate screenings, safely, like we did in the old days, and celebrate our filmmakers who were cheated from showcasing their work to a REAL audience (in 2020)” The festival is scheduled for Aug. 5-8.
Things are looking up!
And here’s a little Independence Day history that you may not know, courtesy of The Numismatist magazine. Check it out: https://www.money.org/act-of-independence.