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Catapult Falls to open 2023 at SeaWorld San Antonio

A 3D rendering of Catapult Falls, in which passengers ride in boats through a mostly submerged track to the elevator tower.

You don’t need a swimsuit to ride, but we recommend leaving your phone. | Rendering via SeaWorld San Antonio

In 2023, San Antonio’s already award-winning water park scene will break a few new records.

SeaWorld San Antonio’s Catapult Falls — the world’s first launched flume coaster, and the first flume coaster with a vertical lift in North America — is beginning construction for the 2023 season.

In case you don’t have your PhD in amusement parks and “launched vertical lift water flume roller coaster” means nothing to you, we’ll break it down word by word. Or just read on to drop in.

Launched coaster: Instead of relying on gravity to accelerate the car (or boat, in this case), launched roller coasters take you from idle to top speed in no time flat. Scared of the anticipation from inching up the hill? Launches speed you into the action before you have time to worry. Catapult Falls’ launch will send you on your way at 30 ft per second.

Vertical lift: A state-of-the-art elevator will take you up 55 feet straight up — about the height of a six-story building — before dropping you into the flume.

Water flume coaster: A flume ride drops you through a chute into a watery splashdown. The faster the ride + steeper the drop, the bigger the splash. Catapult Falls will drop you a world-record 53 degrees at 37 miles per hour. The resulting cascade of water will help cool you off on those hot Texas theme park days.

Aerial rendering of Catapult Falls. — A “splashzone” by the launch will cool you off even if you’re not onboard.

Put it all together

Catapult Falls will launch you along the track at 30 feet per second to a vertical lift elevator, which takes you up to the world’s steepest drop on a flume ride + ends in the ultimate splashdown. Now don’t you sound smart.

Be the first in the chute

2023 Season + Annual Passes are on sale. Grab yours starting at $275 and get unlimited admission to SeaWorld and Aquatica — starting now for the rest of 2022.

Click here to have your event featured.

Today

Comal Master Gardener Series | Wed., Oct. 5 | 1 p.m. | Westside Community Center, 2932 S. IH 35 Frontage Rd., New Braunfels | Free | Learn special gardening tips and tricks from some of the amazing Comal Master Gardeners. 🪴
Revolver Comedy with Raul Sanchez | Wed., Oct. 5 | 8 p.m. | Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, 618 NW Loop 410, San Antonio | $10.00 | See the “Funniest Person in Texas” competition winner perform.

Thursday

San Antonio Poetry Jam | Thu., Oct. 6 | 7:30 p.m. | Upstage Comedy Lounge, 4441 Walzem Rd., San Antonio | $20.00 | The hottest spoken word poets hit the stage for a night of thought provoking vibes! 🎤
Wine & Whiskey Walk | Thu., Oct. 6 | 5-8 p.m. | Village at Stone Oak, 22610 US Highway 281 North, San Antonio | $30 | Sip for charity + stroll the property while enjoying wine and whiskey tastings, food pairings, raffles, and entertainment. 🥃

Friday

San Antonio LGBT International Film Festival | Fri., Oct. 7 - Sun., Oct. 9 | 11 a.m.-11 p.m. | The Public Theatre of San Antonio, 800 W. Ashby Pl., San Antonio | $20.00 - $40.00 | Pride San Antonio will showcase films for, by, or about the LGBTQ community. 🏳️‍🌈
Oktoberfest | Fri., Oct. 7 | 9-11 p.m. | 422 Perieda St., San Antonio | $8 | Enjoy beer, brats, classic German drinking songs, stein hoisting competitions, and genuine German Gemütlichkeit.

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

How Dating.com can help improve your quality of life

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Dating.com has brought countless happy couples together. (Disclaimer: Models in the ad are for illustrative purposes and are not customers of Dating.com.) | Photo by Dating.com

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Weather

90º | Sunny | 0% chance of rain

Development

We’re just under one week from the grand opening of a new stretch of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park. On Fri., Oct. 14 at 6:45 p.m., the 250-foot-wide “water wall” will be lit, marking the halfway point of the $300 million renovation. 🏞 (San Antonio Express-News)

Closing

Starline Costumes will close after 50 years. According to the announcement post, store owner Julie Keck is retiring in early 2023. For Starline’s final Halloween season, hours are extended to 6:30 p.m., inventory is discounted, and rental costumes may be purchased for the price of one rental. ✨ (KSAT-12)

Coming Soon

Elsewhere released new renderings for its upcoming Northside bar, Elsewhere Too. Included in the plans: a Victorian greenhouse, 370-sqft bar, and 175-ft Ferris wheel. 🎡 (MySA)

Arts

The Alamo Trust received hundreds of Spanish colonial + Indigenous artifacts from two Bexar County collectors. Formerly used as reference objects in the paintings of Donald Yena, the donation is accompanied by six paintings inspired by the artifacts. 🖼 (San Antonio Report)

Holiday

Yesterday evening saw the beginning of Yom Kippur, the “Day of Atonement” and holiest day of the Jewish calendar. Those who observe will refrain from eating or drinking until nightfall today. May you have an easy fast.

Number

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A thrilling game of Crossed Words

"SATXtoday Crossed Words" on a red background

With games as exciting as this, who needs amusement parks? | Graphic by SATXtoday

Ready for another game? Click here to play.

Today’s hint: 55 feet is tall for a flume, but barely a third the height of this other SeaWorld coaster.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Dayten.

Editor’s pick: I have a soft spot for poetry jams. In a past life, I ran an undergrad literary magazine. My favorite well-into-fall poem is Howard Nemerov’s “The Dying Garden.” (Or if you’re trying to hold onto those last summer rays, “From Blossoms” by Li-Young Lee is my all time fav.)

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Get ready for Fright Fest.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Ivan Briones, Dayten Rose, Emily Shea, Ashlea Hearn, Josh Kranzberg | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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