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Hispanic Heritage Month festivities kick off with celebrations of Mexico’s independence from Spain, including El Grito in Market Square and a concert by the San Antonio Philharmonic at Lanier High School on Sept. 15.
“San Antonio has deep historic and cultural ties with Mexico and celebrating 16 de Septiembre and Hispanic Heritage Month every year is extremely important for our majority Latino city,” said District 5 Councilwoman and liaison to the Diez y Seis de Septiembre Commission Teri Castillo. “These gatherings honor and celebrate the uniqueness and strength of our shared Mexican culture.”
The city’s monthlong celebration includes a wide variety of artistic expression — from the culinary to the visual and performing arts — all honoring San Antonio’s cultural roots. Locals and visitors will have plenty of opportunities to join the festivities throughout the month.
Don’t see your event on the list? Send us the details to hello@sareport.org.
Centro Cultural Aztlan
Local photographer Jorge Sandoval’s solo exhibition, Fotos y Recuerdos, on view at Centro Cultural Aztlan, is a culmination of 24 years of Sandoval documenting the world around him, with a focus on cultural events and the spaces and lives of people in Mexico and San Antonio. The exhibition runs through Oct. 18.
UTSA
Members of the Idar family will join a roundtable discussion about Mexican American activist and journalist Jovita Idar’s life Sept. 14 at 5:30 p.m. at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Emmy and Pulitzer prize-winning Journalist Maria Hinojosa will give a keynote speech about Idar at 7 p.m. following the roundtable. Idar will be honored this fall on a quarter as part of the American Women Quarters Program.
On Sept. 27, the UTSA Orchestra is joined by organist Colin Campbell of Texas A&M International University and UTSA’s Mariachi Los Paisanos for Rapsodia Mexicana, a concert celebrating Mexican music and the confluence of cultures in South Texas. The free concert starts at 7:30 p.m. at the UTSA Recital Hall.
Esperanza Peace and Justice Center
The Asociación de Hondureños en San Antonio, Texas will host a celebration of Honduran Independence Day on Sept. 15 at Riconcito de Esperanza from 4-7 p.m. The celebration will feature a musical performance by Ceiba ili and the play Joaquina La Arlequina by Cristal Gonzales.
The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center presents Mezclas Acústicas, an intimate acoustic concert series hosted by renowned musician Azul Barrientos, the Esperanza Center’s singer/songwriter-in-residence on Sept. 23 and 24. Her program showcases traditional Mexican songs while highlighting the cultural influences and interconnections between Latin America, Africa and Spain. The concerts start at 8 p.m. and tickets are $7 más o menos.
Market Square
The city’s official celebration of Mexico’s independence will take place at Market Square on Sept. 15, from 6-9 p.m. Presented by the Consulate General of Mexico in San Antonio and the San Antonio-Mexico Friendship Council, the family-oriented celebration is free and open to the public. Programming includes live music, folklorico dancers and food and crafts vendors.
The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum will host a free family day at Historic Market Square and Centro de Artes Sept. 17 at 1 p.m., where the public can hear the debut of a corrido about Jovita Idar by Gino Rivera and see original choreography by the Guadalupe Dance Company.
San Antonio Philharmonic
The San Antonio Philharmonic will perform a free concert in celebration of Mexico’s independence day with a program including classical music from renowned Mexican composers and other popular favorites. The show takes place on Sept. 15, from 4-6 p.m. at the Lanier High School Auditorium. It was planned when the Philharmonic was first setting up its new offices just blocks away from the high school.
“We are proud to declare our presence on the West Side as collaborative partners and neighbors, working together to uplift the entire community through the power of tradition, music and art,” said executive director Roberto Treviño.
San Antonio Public Library
Artist and photographer Paula Ramirez’s exhibition Resistance: Origin & Gender in the Zapatista Movement will be on view at the Central Library downtown starting Sept. 15. The exhibition documents important events in the Zapatista movement and offers glimpses into the daily lives of women in Zapatista communities. Ramirez will be in attendance at the exhibition’s opening reception on Sept. 15 from 4-6 p.m. at the Central Library.
The San Antonio Central Library will host a Jovita Idar Symposium on Sept. 16 to share personal reflections the life and impact of Jovita Idar. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro will speak about what the quarter means for South Texas communities. The event is free with registration.
MORE ON HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
Avenida Guadalupe
The Avenida Guadalupe Association’s 42nd Annual Dieciséis de Septiembre Parade takes place Sept. 16 at 9 a.m. The procession begins at the corner of Brazos Street and Guadalupe Street and continues west through San Antonio’s historic Mexican American district. Viewers are invited to set up early along El Parian and Plaza Guadalupe.
The Pearl
Visitors and locals can partake in an array of art, culinary and cultural festivities throughout the Pearl property this month. Viva Dieciséis kicks things off with musical performances, a grito contest, lotería and more on Sept. 16 from 5-9 p.m at Pearl Park.
Starting Sept. 20 from 5-9 p.m., the Mercadito Cultural, a weekly Wednesday night market, will feature chefs, artisans and performances that showcase the richness of Hispanic culture, including live performances by Mariachi Las Alteñas each week.
Urban-15
Urban-15’s “Accion!” Virtual Film Festival features 15 films by young filmmakers from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Brazil, Columbia, Argentina, Chile, the U.S. and Spain. Selected from Urban-15’s 2007-2023 Josiah Film Festivals, the films will be streamed for a week on a continuous 24-hour loop beginning at midnight on Sept. 16 through midnight on September 23.
Ballet Folklorico Festival
After a three-year break, Ballet Folklorico Festival returns to celebrate its 30th anniversary with a dance and music showcase at the Arneson River Theatre on Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m.
For 30 years, the San Antonio-based dance company has presented traditional Mexican regional dances expressing the cultures of Chiapas, Jalisco, Pueblo and Veracruz and other regions, along with the Indigenous, European, Caribbean and African influences that have informed those dances.
“We really are trying to reflect all of this mosaic of Mexican culture,” said Dennis Medina, master of ceremonies for Ballet Folklorico Festival performances.
While the dance company performs regularly at Market Square and in many San Antonio festivals and events, the Sunday showcase will present every student of the company from ages 8 to 80, Medina said.
The two-hour celebration will feature a concession offering snacks and beverages. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under.
La Villita Historic Arts Village
The Diez y Seis Mariachi Festival at La Villita Historic Arts Village highlights middle and high school mariachi groups from San Antonio and the surrounding area. Taking place on Sept. 30, from 12-9 p.m., the festival also features food and crafts vendors.
Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center
The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center presents Nuestras Voces: Retelling our Stories, a dance production featuring the Guadalupe Dance Company and Mariachi Azteca de América. The performance will highlight the stories of Mexican American leaders through choreography fusing traditional and contemporary styles.
Catch the production on Oct. 13 at the Guadalupe Theater. The performance starts at 8 p.m. and tickets, starting at $15, can be purchased on the Guadalupe Center’s website.
San Antonio Charro Association
The San Antonio Charro Association’s Anniversary Charreada takes place Oct. 14 and 15, from 1-6 p.m. at Padre Park. The Federación Nacional de Charros granted a license for a San Antonio chapter in 1947, making it the first in the United States. This year’s competition features 15 teams of charros and onsite food and beverage vendors. The charreada is credited as a forerunner of the more familiar American rodeo but remains artistically and technically unique.
“Fiestas Patrias is a time to honor the many accomplishments, contributions and cultural impact of the Hispanic population in the nation,” said Diez y Seis de Septiembre Commission Chairwoman Mari Sandoval-Ayala. “This is a time for the entire community to join in.”
Sociedad Cultural Hispanoamericana de San Antonio
Head to Wonderland of the Americas on Sunday, Oct. 15, for the Hispanic Trails Cultural Festival. Programming includes a talent show, live music, folkloric dance, food vendors and arts and crafts representing the cultures of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Spain. The festival runs from 12-8 p.m. and admission is free.
