You’ve probably figured out on your own that it’s fun to hang out on the Riverwalk, sip margaritas and sing karaoke on a Friday night, but if you’ve been there, done that and already got the T-shirt, here are a few insider suggestions on where to hang out on the evening of February 24th:
Mosey on over to the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo:: Fridays are dollar days at the Rodeo; grounds admission, rides, hot dogs, popcorn and sodas in the carnival area are only $1 each from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (this doesn’t include admission to the AT&T Center, the Rodeo and concert.) The semifinals of Rodeo itself start at 7:30 PM and include bareback riding,steer-roping, saddle-back roping and much more. The entertainers Friday night (also starting at 8:30) are Rascal Flatts, the most awarded Country group of the past decade, The Rodeo is at the AT&T Center; ask at the hotel front desk for advice on how to get there.
Star-Gaze: The Scobee Planetarium and Challenger Learning Center is open to the public on Friday nights. see a planetarium show, watch a movie and star gaze using their It’s physically located approximately 1 block east of the intersection of San Pedro Ave. and West Park Street on the campus of San Antonio College. Look for the big blue glowing tower. Tickets are $5.0 and the show starts at 7:30. The Center was established in memory of the lives of the seven crew members of the Space Shuttle Challenger/STS-51L “Teacher in Space” mission and named after shuttle commander Francis R. (Dick) Scobee and his family. Both Commander Scobee and his wife, Dr. June Scobee Rodgers, were students at San Antonio College.
Watch THE SAGA on Main Plaza: Shows are free at at 9PM, 9:30PM, & 10PM.
Musical Bridges Around the World is hosting an International Music Festival AND we’re in the midst of a city-wide Mozart Festival. The two intersect Friday night at the Mozart Extravaganza, with performers from the Houston Grand Opera Studio in opera hits from Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni and Cosi fan tutte taking the audience on an exploration of Mozart’s lyrical side. It’s Free, at the Empire Theatre () 7:30 PM.
Enjoy a Concert at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts: Friday’s Offerings include Paramount’s Laser Spectacular, the smash hit multi-media laser and light show featuring the music of Pink Floyd at 8:00pm (tickets start at $28); The Mozart Effect with the San Antonio Chamber Choir in the Rotunda at 7:30pm (tickets $25 at the door) and Disenchanted!, a musical based on Grimms fairy tales at 8:00pm (tickets start at $39.50)
The Play’s the Thing! In addition to Disenchanted, you can see:
- Trinity University’s theater department will be staging Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream on the evenings of 22-25 February. It is directed by visiting artist Nona Shepphard, Associate Director of the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. General admission tickets start at $12 and can be purchased online.
- Diane Paulus’ new, circus-inspired production of Pippin features an acrobatic troupe of performers, led by the charismatic Leading Player. The ensemble cast tells the story of Pippin, a young prince who longs to find passion and adventure in his life.It’s at the Woodlawn Theatre (1920 Fredericksburg Rd), and tickets ($18-$29) can be purchased online.
- The Secret Garden, a musical based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, is at the Playhouse in San Pedro Park (800 W Ashby Pl). Tickets start are from $10-$40 and are available online.
- The Department of Fine Arts at San Antonio College are presenting the drama Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley. Tickets , $8-$10, are available at the McCreless Theatre Box Office, 799 W. Dewey Place.
- The University of the Incarnate Word Theater Department is staging Arcadia By Tom Stoppard. Britain’s wittiest playwright collides the world of Jane Austen with today’s cut-throat academicians. Tickets ($8-$12) are available at the box office or by calling 210-829-3800. The box office is in the University’s Elizabeth Huth Coates Theatre Building, located in the southwest corner of the campus facing Hildebrand Avenue, directly across the street from the AT&T building. The official campus street address is 4301 Broadway.
- The Classic Theatre (1924 Fredericksburg Rd.) is staging Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Tickets are $10-$25 and are available online.
- The Roxie Theatre (7460 Callaghan Rd.) is staging the musical “jukebox” comedy, All Shook Up, Inspired by and featuring the songs of Elvis Presley and following the plot lines of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Tickets are $25-$30 and are available online.
Flamenco! There’s flamenco dancing on Friday nights at Carmens de la Calle (it’s downtown, at 320 North Flores). There’s a $15 cover charge. Shows are at 8:30 and 10:00 pm.
Live Music!: One of the best venues for live music in SA is Sam’s Burger Joint (330 East Grayson, across the street from the Pearl); this Friday it’s Skyrocket!, a popular cover band out of Austin. Another great place is The Cove (606 W Cypress), with a Texas beer garden, delicious organic local food, a playground for the kids, a laundromat, car wash and live music every night. From 6:30-8:30 hear The Lavens, a family band playing a mixture of original material and classic covers and from 9:00-11:00pm hear The Mo-Dels, Texas most successful party band! Need more suggestions? Pick up a free copy of the San Antonio Current or visit their web site for their weekly top 10 music selections.
Camp Gladiator will host a FREE mini fitness camp on Friday, February 24 from 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm at HemisFair Park. It’s a fun and motivating environment where men and women of all ages and fitness levels can push themselves to reach their goals. Meet in the center of the park by the in-ground chess board.
CineFestival at the Guadalupe Cultural Center: It opens 8:00 AM on February 24th and runs through March 5. CineFestival is the longest-running Latino film festival in the United States and San Antonio’s original indie film festival. Through it’s 40 year history CineFestival through its programming has played a significant role in the presentation, appreciation, and development of Chicano, U.S. Latino, Mexican, and Latin American filmmakers. The Guadalupe Theater is at 1301 Guadalupe St.(it’s only 1.3 miles from the hotel but for safety’s sake it would be better to drive or take public transportation, especially for the return journey.) The Friday night feature (7:00 pm) is Dolores, which digs into the life of civil rights icon Dolores Huerta, who is often overshadowed by her United Farm Workers co-founder Cesar Chavez.
If you want to see the inside of one of the gilded-age movie palaces, Friday is your chance. At the Majestic Theater, comedian Billy Crystal is on the bill. Visit their web site for ticket information. At the Aztec Theater, you can hear Yacht Rock Revue (a 70s light rock cover band.). For tickets, visit their web site.
In conjunction with a visiting exhibit on Australian Aboriginal art, the San Antonio Art Museum (200 W. Jones) is hosting a lecture, “Of Country and Culture,” by Jennifer Isaacs, a pioneer in moves to gain respect for Aboriginal culture. Her talk, which starts at 7:30 PM, is free with your $10.00 museum admission.
Look for Ghosts: There are ghost tours available, each leaving from the Alamo Plaza area. Dressed in period costumes, your Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours guides will light the way with lanterns through the strange and unusual tales of centuries past, legendary stories, folklore and ghostly experiences. Alamo City Ghost Tours can take you to historic cemeteries, plus 13 “haunted” locations. Ghost Hunts of San Antonio Tour boasts “the latest in modern ghost hunting equipment.”
