This weekend holds a special day: Feb. 29, a date that only graces us every four years. So take advantage of the year’s extra day with musicals, movies, and live animals.
Free Screening: The Rape of Recy Taylor
Esperanza Peace and Justice Center will screen the documentary film about 24-year-old Recy Taylor, a black woman who was raped by six white men in 1944 Alabama. She spoke up and identified her attackers, and the NAACP sent rape investigator Rosa Parks to Alabama. After the screening, Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid will lead a discussion about sexual harassment against women of color and how the community can fight against it. Admission is free.
Friday, 6-8 p.m.
Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, 922 San Pedro Ave.
Free
Free Movie Screening: The Alamo
Every year from Feb. 23 to March 6, the Alamo commemorates the Battle of the Alamo with special events and programs. On Friday, you can watch the 1960 John Wayne film depicting the Battle of the Alamo for free. The movie starts after sunset. Bring your own chairs, blankets, and snacks, but no alcohol, please.
Friday, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
The Alamo, 300 Alamo Plaza
Free
Santiago Jimenez Jr. and Kelly Doyle Trio
The Lonesome Rose welcomes back conjunto legend Santiago Jimenez Jr. to play on Friday night. Jimenez goes on at 9 p.m. while the Kelly Doyle Trio plays at 11 p.m. Cover costs $5.
Friday, 7 p.m.-1 a.m.
The Lonesome Rose, 2114 N St Mary’s St.
$5
Leap Day with Frogs
Meet some hoppy frogs and other amphibians and reptiles at Confluence Park, provided by educational company Wild About Texas in honor of Leap Day. If you have any questions, you can call the San Antonio River Authority park program coordinator Nicki Apostolow at 210-302-3252 or email napostolow@sara-tx.org.
Saturday, 10 a.m.-noon
Confluence Park, 310 W. Mitchell St.
Free
LibraryPalooza 2020
LibraryPalooza, the author festival for teens, is back. Authors visiting this year include Alan Gratz, Tiffany Jackson, Sandhya Menon, Marissa Meyer, Tochi Onyebuchi and Judd Winick. The event, hosted by Northside Independent School District, is open to the public and free for everyone. Find more information here.
Saturday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Brandeis High School, 13011 Kyle Seale Pkway
Free
Leap Year Babies: Free Admission at San Antonio Zoo
If you were born on a Leap Day, your photo ID gets you free entry to the San Antonio Zoo on Saturday. So celebrate your once-every-four-years birthday with a visit to the zoo.
Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
San Antonio Zoo, 3903 N. St Mary’s St.
Free
Travis 2 Step
Celebrate Texas Independence Day a little bit early at Travis Park this weekend with live music, activities, food and drink, and local vendors. Abbi Walker, Wynn Williams, Sarah Hobbs, Chris Colston, and Dirty River Boys will perform. There’s no fee to attend, but VIP tickets are available for $40 and include complimentary non-alcoholic beverages, beverage tastings, private bathrooms, and a catered dinner. Find those tickets here.
Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Travis Park, 301 E. Travis St.
$0-40
Expo Quinceañeras 2020
If you’re in the midst of planning a quinceañera or need inspiration for one, there’s an expo for you on Saturday. Shop for quince dresses, venues, DJs, party favors, and more at the Wonderland of the Americas.
Saturday, noon-6 p.m.
Wonderland of the Americas, 4522 Fredericksburg Rd.
Free
Remember
Remember the Alamo on Saturday with the world premiere of the musical Remember, which honors those who gave their lives for Texas. The musical features a 60-piece symphony, 11 actors, and a 75-voice chorus, melding together beautiful music, powerful theatre, and beloved Texas history. Find tickets here.
Saturday, 2-3 p.m.
Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Cir.
$29.50 and up
Opening Doors: A Black History Month Exploration of Dance
Enjoy interactive performances and art activities that help bring books to life at this San Antonio Public Library Black History Month event on Saturday.
Saturday, 2-4 p.m.
Carver Branch Library, 3350 E. Commerce St.
Free
Rover Rodeo
Now that the San Antonio Rodeo is over, the puppy rodeo can begin. Cherrity Bar is hosting the Rover Rodeo on Saturday, with three events for dogs and their owners to compete in. A solo dog entry costs $10 and includes a raffle ticket, while a “Thirsty Dog” entry includes a beverage from the bar and two raffle tickets. If you’re just hanging out, no ticket is required, but purchasing one is still encouraged. Find tickets here.
Saturday, 3-6 p.m.
Cherrity Bar, 302 Montana St.
$0-$18
In the Shadows of The Freeway: Growing up Brown and Queer
Lydia Otero, a tenured professor at the University of Arizona’s Department of Mexican American Studies, will read and sign copies of their book In the Shadows of The Freeway: Growing up Brown and Queer. The book combines personal memoir and Otero’s family history with historical archives.
Saturday, 6 p.m.
Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, 922 San Pedro Ave.
Free
Planets in the Park
Meet NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara at the fifth annual Planets in the Park event, hosted by the San Antonio River Authority. Guests can also enjoy a laser robot show, a glow-in-the-dark activity, and star-gazing thanks to local astronomy organizations with telescopes.
Saturday, 6-9 p.m.
Helton Nature Park, 15662 FM 775, Floresville
Free
Be Fierce – Glow Gala
Feb. 29 is World Rare Disease Day, so the Be Fierce Foundation is marking that with a gala at the DoSeum. Wear white or neon to be sure you’ll glow at the party. Admission for children costs $25, while adults pay $30. Children two years old or younger may attend for free. Find tickets here.
Saturday, 7-10 p.m.
The DoSeum, 2800 Broadway St.
$0-$30
Haydn “Lord Nelson” Mass
The San Antonio Choral Society and Trinity University Choirs and Orchestra bring Joseph Haydn’s dramatic “Missa in Angustiis” (nicknamed “Lord Nelson Mass”) to life at Trinity Baptist Church. Soprano Cristina María Castro, mezzo-soprano Jacquelyn Matava, tenor Jos Milton, and bass Chia-wei Lee take on solo parts. General admission costs $16.69, while seniors, military members, and TPR members pay $11.49. Students may attend for free. Find tickets here.
Saturday, 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Trinity Baptist Church, 319 E. Mulberry St.
$0-$16.69
20th Annual Empty Bowls
The annual fundraiser and soup party is back at Southwest School of Art. For each $30 locally-crafted bowl purchased, participants can enjoy soup and bread from local restaurants, catering companies, and hotels. VIP pass holders get early admission to choose their bowls first, and preview party passes allow visitors access to SAMMinistries’ Transitional Learning and Living Center on Thursday evening. Find VIP and preview party passes here. Bowls must be purchased on-site the day of the event.
Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Southwest School of Art, 300 Augusta St.
$30-$100
San Antonio Home & Garden Show
Looking for ideas on how to redo the garden? Need help finding the right kind of bathroom tile? The San Antonio Home and Garden Show returns to the Alamodome this weekend, putting all things home and garden in one place. America’s Test Kitchen host Julia Collin Davison will also speak at the Home and Garden Show on Friday and Saturday. Admission costs $10 at the door, and children 16 years old or younger may attend for free. Find tickets here.
Friday-Sunday
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.
$0-$10
Come From Away
The Canadian musical Come From Away lands in San Antonio, and tells the story of a small town in Newfoundland that welcomed 7,000 stranded airplane passengers after they were diverted from their destinations on Sept. 11, 2001. The production nabbed seven nominations and one win at the 2017 Tony Awards. Find tickets for San Antonio performances here.
Friday-Sunday
The Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St.
$35 and up
