Although it doesn’t feel like it, Monday marks the first day of autumn, and the Japan-America Society of San Antonio is hosting its annual Aki Matsuri fall festival on Saturday. There’s two days of music and entertainment at the San Antonio Parks Foundation’s annual Jazz’SAlive, and the San Antonio Zoo starts its Halloween fun early. Read on for more ideas on how to spend your weekend.
San Antonio Quilt Show
Check out beautifully made quilts at the annual San Antonio Quilt Show. There will be silent auctions as well as a quilt to be raffled off during the show; raffle tickets cost $1 each or $5 for six. Find more information about the show here.
Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
San Antonio Event Center, 8111 Meadow Leaf Dr.
$8
Free Movie Screening: Selena
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a free screening of Selena at Mission Marquee Plaza, starting at 8 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m., and Zumba starts at 6:30 p.m. Bonus points for dressing up as Selena Quintanilla. Pets are welcome and food and drink will be available for purchase.
Friday, 6 p.m.-10 p.m.
Mission Marquee Plaza, 3100 Roosevelt Ave.
Free
Friday Night Jazz with BillyRay Sheppard
Soak up some live jazz while indulging in southern cuisine and cocktails. Tickets are $10 each. Find tickets here.
Friday, 7 p.m.
The South Chicken and Waffles, 5739 Callaghan Rd. Ste. 100
$10
La Historia Chicana: The Life and Art of Jesse Treviño
Biographer Anthony Head will discuss his recent book on artist and Our Lady of the Lake University alumnus Jesse Treviño’s work, followed by a conversation with Treviño himself. RSVP here.
Friday, 7 p.m.-9 p.m.
Our Lady of the Lake University, 411 SW 24th St.
Free
Michelle Hall Kells on Activist Vicente Ximenes
Vicente Ximenes was one of the leaders of the Mexican American civil rights movement, eventually serving as an appointee in the Lyndon B. Johnson administration. University of New Mexico Professor Michelle Hall Kells writes about the activist’s achievements through the lens of rhetoric. Kells will read from and discuss her book, Vicente Ximenes, LBJ’s Great Society, and Mexican American Civil Rights Rhetoric, on Friday at the Guadalupe Theater. Admission is free, but please RSVP with Laura Vasquez at lvasquez@xa-sa.com.
Friday, 7 p.m.
Guadalupe Theater, 1301 Guadalupe St.
Free
Free Movie Screening: Coco
Watch Pixar’s colorful take on the Land of the Dead in the 2017 film Coco. Bring blankets, lawn chairs, snacks, and anything else you might need for an outdoor movie.
Friday, 8:30 p.m.
San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave.
Free
Roarin’ 20s Jazz Club Pop-Up
As part of Jazz’SAlive, the Dirty River Dixie Band is playing at a 1920s-themed jazz club pop-up at the St. Anthony hotel’s Sky Terrace. Put on your best 1920s garb and get ready to swing dance the night away.
Friday, 10:30 p.m.-1 a.m.
St. Anthony Sky Terrace, 300 E. Travis St.
Free
36th Annual Jazz’SAlive
The San Antonio Parks Foundation puts on the free annual outdoor music and culture festival Friday and Saturday. Activities range from brunch, an instrument petting zoo, and of course oodles of live music. Find a full schedule here.
Friday, 5 p.m.-11 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m.
Travis Park, 301 E. Travis St.
Free
Free Museum Day
Free Museum Day is hosted each year by Smithsonian Magazine, and participating museums offer free admission to any guest who wishes to visit. The Briscoe Western Art Museum and the San Antonio Museum of Art have both joined in the free fun. Find a full list of participating museums here.
Saturday
Free
Explore San Antonio
The Professional Tour Guide Association of San Antonio turns 25 and is offering free tours around San Antonio. Tour guides will conduct tours at 17 locations starting at 9 a.m., and space is limited to 20 guests per tour. Some tours are already full, so register for a tour here.
Saturday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Free
11th Annual Historic Homeowner Fair
The Office of Historic Preservation wants to help teach you how to maintain your aging home. Learn how to best landscape your home from a San Antonio Water System representative, and get a lesson on how to repair wooden windows from a master craftsman. Find a full schedule and more information about the fair here.
Saturday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Pearl Stable, 307 Pearl Parkway
Free
Learn the Art of Bonsai
If you’ve ever been curious about how to care for a tiny tree and nurture it through the years, there’s a free seminar for you. The event includes a bonsai exhibit, demonstration, lecture, and raffle.
Saturday, 10 a.m.-11 a.m.
The Garden Center, 10682 Bandera Rd.
Free
Nature Talk: Monarch & Migration
Master naturalist Brent Wiles teaches about the monarch butterfly and its migration journey each year. Activities for kids included.
Saturday, 10 a.m.-noon
Butterfly Learning Center at the Voelcker Historic Homestead, 1021 Voelcker Ln.
Free
Conjunto Festival
Enjoy the sounds of Boni Mauricio y los Maximus, Los Escorpiones Del Norte, and more artists at Traders Village’s Conjunto Festival on Saturday. Music is free, and parking costs $4. Find more information here.
Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Traders Village San Antonio, 9333 Southwest Loop 410
Free
Oktubrefest
Oktubrefest reflects San Antonio’s blend of German and Spanish cultures in its name: Oktober is German for October, while the Spanish word is Octubre. The festival will serve fusion treats such as Bavarian tacos and chorizo and wurst, and of course plenty of beer. Children 12 years and younger may attend for free. General admission costs $15, while VIP costs $60. All VIP guests must be 21 years and older. Find ticket information here.
Saturday, noon-7 p.m.
Sunset Station, 1174 E. Commerce St.
$0-$60
Los Chiles: Sabrosos, Deliciosos, y Picosos
The San Antonio Public Library continues to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a show from culinary expert Blanca Rivera on Saturday. Rivera will serve pico de gallo and put on a mole demonstration using delicious chiles.
Saturday, 2 p.m.-4 p.m.
Central Library, 600 Soledad
Free
Hill Country Shrimp & Music Fest
Fried shrimp, boiled shrimp, shrimp for days. Head over to Boerne’s Agricultural Heritage Center on Saturday to stuff yourself silly with shrimp dishes from local food trucks. There will be live music all day as well as kid-friendly activities. General admission tickets cost $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Find GA and VIP tickets here. Kids 12 years and younger can attend for free.
Saturday, 2-10 p.m.
Agricultural Heritage Center, 102 City Park Rd., Boerne, Texas
$0-$100
Foam Glow
Are standard 5K races getting a little old? Check out the Foam Glow 5K on Saturday, which promises to drench runners and walkers in colorful foam and blacklight to make the colors pop. The premise is simple: start out wearing white, end up a rainbow at the end of the race. There’s a glowing after-party for all participants, too. Registration is $40. Find more information about the event here.
Saturday, 5 p.m.-10 p.m.
Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, 5757 US Hwy 90
$40
Aki Matsuri Fall Festival 2019
The Japan-America Society of San Antonio (JASSA) is hosting its annual fall festival on Saturday at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. Guests can enjoy Japanese food, drink, and tea ceremonies. There will be games for kids and martial arts demonstrations. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, Mayor Ron Nirenberg, and Judge Peter Sakai will speak along with JASSA President Nobuaki Yokoo and Hideo Fukushima, Consul-General of Japan in Houston, starting at 6 p.m. JASSA members can purchase their tickets here. Online tickets for non-JASSA members have sold out, but tickets will be available at the door.
Saturday, 5:30 p.m.-11 p.m.
San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Pl.
$13-$16
Hoppy Endings Comedy Night
Looking for a low-key Saturday night? Freetail is hosting another night of free comedy, with regulars and favorites from the Blind Tiger Comedy Club.
Saturday, 8 p.m.-10 p.m.
Freetail Brewing Co., 2000 S. Presa St.
Free
Fall Plant Sale
As fall approaches, find some new plants for your home. While you can browse the plant sale for free, the Botanical Garden requires a ticket to enter. Members may enter the sale early, starting at 9 a.m. Find more information here.
Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Pl.
Free
Zoo Boo
Does your kid want to wear their Halloween costume all the time? They’re in luck, because the San Antonio Zoo is starting its “Zoo Boo” event on Saturday with trick-or-treat stations, pumpkin painting, and costume parties. Zoo Boo happens every Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 27, and on Halloween from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Zoo Boo is included with admission and free for annual pass holders. Find tickets to the zoo here.
Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
San Antonio Zoo, 3903 N. St. Mary’s St.
Included with admission
Wheelchair Dance Workshop
The Infinite Flow wheelchair-dance ensemble of Los Angeles is hosting a free workshop for anyone interested at Morgan’s Wonderland Event Center on Sunday. The workshop does not include access to Morgan’s Wonderland.
Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Morgan’s Wonderland Event Center, 5223 David Edwards Dr.
Free
Big Texas Comic Con
The Big Texas Comic Con boasts artists and celebrities from TV and film: Brian Baumgartner, Phyllis Baker, and Leslie David Baker from The Office; Jaleel White (Steve Urkel on Family Matters); and Ron Perlman (Hellboy) will be stopping by. Single-day passes and three-day passes are available. Find tickets here.
Friday-Sunday
Henry B. González Convention Center, 900 E. Market St.
$11-$61
Storm Area 151
Animal Care Services is getting in on the UFO fun, spoofing a Facebook event called “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us” that’s scheduled for Friday morning and holding a weekend-long adoption event titled “Storm Area 151.” (Animal Care Services is located off of State Highway 151.) Adoption fees are lower this weekend, too: Dog adoptions cost $15, and cat adoptions are $5. ACS adoptions include vaccines, sterilization, and microchipping. The adoption center is open 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Friday-Sunday
Animal Care Services, 4710 State Hwy 151
$5-$15
