News Roundup, July 3, 2025
Let’s start with film!
The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center has announced its 46th Cinefestival SAN ANTONIO full program line up. The fest will take place July 9-13, 2025, showing Chicanx, Latinx and international Latin American cinema, with a strong focus on regional and local filmmaking. It will showcase San Antonio premieres of new feature films: the Mesquite Award nominees for Best Texas Short Film, and a selection of Latinx short films from San Antonio and the U.S. The venues are The Carver Community Cultural Center and Santikos Mayan Palace.
The fest opens with the San Antonio premiere of “Uvalde Mom” a documentary that tells the story of Angeli Rose Gomez, a farm worker and single mom who ran into the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde to save her two sons during a mass shooting. The director, Anayansi Prado, will be present. Closing night will showcase the premiere of the feature documentary “Take it Away,” tracing the life of Johnny Canales who was instrumental in launching the careers of musicians like Selena, Ramon Ayala and Intocable. Other events include: Youth Film Screenings, Master classes, and more. For a full schedule and more info go to
https://guadalupeculturalarts.org/cine-festival/
For a different experience, catch a screening of “West Side Story” starring Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Rita Moreno and George Chakiris. That’s the musical based on Shakespeare’s tale with great music and choreography. (July 5 at 2 p.m.; free for members; $10 for others; McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave, 78209; 210-824-5368; info@mcnayart.org)
The 2025 Cinema Tuesday series is from June 3 to September 2 at the Santikos Northwest theater, 7600 I-10 West, 78230; For more info check the TPR at https://www.tpr.org/
On with the music! The Heart of Texas Concert Band with the River City Ringers and the
Cedar Mountain Chorale – and other guests – will celebrate An Alamo City 4th at Trinity Baptist Church, on July 4 at 3 p.m. (Trinity Baptist Church, 319 E. Mulberry Ave., San Antonio, 78212; suggested donation $10)
Stars & Stripes return as Centro brings 4th of July Parade to downtown San Antonio. This year’s
celebration features a special performance by the 300th Army Reserve Band from Southern California, and includes more than 50 people, including the newly named Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, city council members, veterans’ organizations and community groups.
The Cactus Pear Music Festivals will present its 29th season under a title “29 and Counting.” Concerts take place in San Antonio and Blanco; all concerts are free; For info contact
renee@cpmf.ccsend.com.
The Droptines are an alternative country band born in Concan, Texas. Established in 2019 by frontman/songwriter/musician Conner Arthur, this group blends a range of genres, while tethering each song together with a vernacular specific to the Texas Hill Country. (July 5
at 7 p.m.; tickets $25-$50; Arcadia Live Theatre, 717 Water St., Kerrville, Texas 78028; 830-315-5483; boxoffice@thearcadialive.org)
Shakira is returning to San Antonio after her earlier engagement did not work out due to issues with the stage construction. (July 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Alamodome. The show is part of her “Las
Mujeres Ya No LLoran World Tour; Tickets purchased for the original date will be honored; tickets are $$77.85-$ -698.75, Alamodome.com; doors open at 5:30 p.m.
The City of Helotes will have an Independence Day Celebration on July 3, starting at 6 p.m., with live music, food, fireworks and vendors.; 6-11p.m..; Helotes Festival Grounds 12210 Leslie Rd.,78023
Let’s briefly mention visual arts events that you may have time to see this coming weekend.
Two memorable exhibits at the McNay: Michael Tracy: “The Elegy of Distance,” and “Sport and Spectator” a show for which contemporary artists transformed sports gear and equipment into works of art. The artworks mostly include sculptures made from common sports objects such as basketballs, footballs, helmets, jerseys, etc. The Elegy of Distance explores faith, ritual and immigration. Large scale works made of found objects anchor the exhibit (On view through July 27; 6000 N. New Braunfels, 78209; 210-824-5368)
Artpace San Antonio “is pleased to officially announce the Spring 2025 International Artists-in-Residence. Spring 2025 guest curator, Jami Powel, associatedirector for curatorial affairs and curator ofIndigenous Art at the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College, has selected Laura Beles Drey (Houston), Anita Fields (Stillwater, OK), and Lorena Molina from San Francisco.
Also, from the McNay comes the news that its long- time chief curator – Rene Paul Barilleaux is retiring. The president of the board, David Oppenheimer, remarked that Barilleaux’s “contributions to the McNay Art Museum will echo for generations to come…”
Barrilleaux’s last day at the museum will be Sept. 19, 2025.
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