San Antonio hosts the largest Day of the Dead event in the nation
The San Antonio River Walk comes to life with SPIRITLANDIA’s Day of the Dead River Parade | Photo provided by Visit San Antonio
The largest Day of the Dead celebration across the US is happening right here in San Antonio. The 4th annual event — and newly named — SPIRITLANDIA, takes place Thurs. Oct. 27-Sun., Oct. 30 from 6-11 p.m. each evening at La Villita and the River Walk.
This year’s celebration puts San Antonio on the map in a new way. Tonight’s river parade will be the first-ever nationally televised Day of the Dead event, hosted by “Access Hollywood” star Mario Lopez. You can purchase tickets to watch the night parade live and in person, or watch the one-hour television special, which will be streaming on Peacock on Tues., Nov. 1 in both English and Spanish.
Throughout the four-day festival, downtown San Antonio will come to life with a music festival, elaborate costumes, a grand altar, giant Day of the Dead skulls hand-painted by local artists, and free activities for the entire family.
Founded by local celebrity chef Johnny Hernandez, SPIRITLANDIA will also feature a Culinary Village in La Villita. Word on the street is we’ll even see some of La Gloria’s infamous margarita trucks at the event.
The Alamo After Dark | Thu., Oct. 27 | 8-9 p.m. | The Alamo, 300 Alamo Plz, San Antonio | $75 | Walk in the footsteps of soldiers during an exclusive, evening guided tour.
Fall Festival & Pumpkin Patch (with Alpacas!) | Thu., Oct. 27 - Sun., Oct. 30 | 10 a.m.-7 p.m. | Black Barn Alpaca Farm, 3915 US Highway 181 S, Floresville | $10.00 - $50.00 | Take a short drive to Floresville for some unique fall fun including a pumpkin patch, carnival games, hay rides, and petting alpacas.
Haunted Hike (King William) | Thu., Oct. 27 | 7:30-8:45 p.m. | San Antonio | Free | Explore the River Walk’s haunted history as we stroll down the King William stretch of the San Antonio River.
Tarot and Tequila Night | Thu., Oct. 27 | 7 p.m. | The Bang Bang Bar, 119 El Mio Dr, San Antonio | Free | Celebrate the spooky season with mystical vendors selling crystals, jewelry, and spell jars.
Friday
Friday Big Texas Comicon | Fri., Oct. 28 | 2 p.m. | Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, 900 E Market St, San Antonio | $26.00 | Interact with some of your favorite celebrities, get one of a kind autographs, and shop at some of the most unique vendors and artists in South Texas.
Saturday
Día de los Muertos at Hemisfair (Muertos Fest) | Sat., Oct. 29 - Sun., Oct. 30 | 10 a.m.-11 p.m. | Hemisfair, 630 E. Nueva Street, San Antonio | Free | Muertos Fest returns to Hemisfair for its 10th anniversary, merging traditional Día de los Muertos elements with local art, food, live music, and entertainment.
Dairy Days! | Sat., Oct. 29 | 9-11 a.m. | Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy, 1021 Voelcker Lane. San Antonio, TX 78248, San Antonio | Free | Visit the Historic Voelcker Homestead at Hardberger Park for family-friendly activitiesand a live milking demonstration with the Southwest Dairy Farmers.
Sunday
BOO Brunch | Sun., Oct. 30 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | The Good Kind Southtown, 1127 S St Mary’s St, San Antonio | Price of purchase | Enjoy a Halloween-themed brunch at The Good Kind along with family-friendly trick-or-treating.
Monday
Yoga on the Creek | Mon., Oct. 31 | 6-7 p.m. | Legacy Park, 103 W. Houston Street, San Antonio | Free | Center your body and mind at this free community yoga class in downtown San Antonio.
We have amonthly 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.
NEWS NOTES
Weather
82º | Sunny | 0% chance of rain
Civic
Early voting began on Mon., Oct. 24, and tomorrow is the last day to request an absentee ballot by mail. Your request must be received (not postmarked) on Fri., Oct. 28. In-person early voting ends on Fri., Nov. 4, and Election Day is Tues., Nov. 8. 🗳️
Eat
Brisket nacho lovers are rejoicing at the reopening of the family-friendly Alamo Heights eatery, The Pigpen. After closing in March 2020 due to the pandemic, owner Chris Conger is bringing back old favorites along with a number of new menu items. 🍽️ (MySA)
Drink
The San Antonio Spurs and Estate Coffee Co. are combining forces to bring local love to an entirely new level with a specialty coffee blend. Named "¡Por Vida!,” the roast will be available for purchase on Estate’s website or at its shop starting this Friday. ☕ (San Antonio Express-News)
Development
A new project on the Eastside will turn an old Handy Andy store into a mixed-used development near the AT&T Center. The Andy features 160,000 sqft of residential and workspace lofts. Six units are already leased, and a larger 20,000-sqft unit is ideal for a larger commercial tenant. 🏗️ (San Antonio Report)
Trending
“Game of Thrones” fans can find their own slice of Westeros in a small San Antonio neighborhood on the city’s Northside. Several street signs feature GOT-inspired names including Westeros Path, Winterfell, and Arya Way. 👑 (KENS-5)
Holiday
Morgan’s Wonderland will host its More Delightful Than Frightful Halloween celebration from 4:30-8:30pm on Mon., Oct. 31. Guests are invited to come in costume for complimentary trick-or-treating, music, and games at the 25-acre, ultra-inclusive theme park.
Plan Ahead
The holidays are just around the corner, and the city is about to burst with festive lighting installations. Along with annual events like Lightscape, here are ten more places to view holiday lights this year. 💡 (KSAT-12)
Arts
The Contemporary at Blue Star’s 32nd Annual Red Dot Sale is coming up on Wed., Nov. 9., serving as the gallery’s signature fundraiser event. Tickets to the event are on sale now, and the showcase will be on view to the public through Jan. 8, 2023. 🖼️
Shop
Looking to relieve muscle soreness without dropping $150+ a month on a deep tissue massage? Enter: the RENPHO massage gun. It has 17,000+ five-star reviews and is on sale for $99 (down from $249) for a limited time.*
Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.
Festival
Events
A food and wine festival as big as Texas
Eat your heart out at the Tasting Texas Wine + Food Festival | Photo by Visit San Antonio
The world-renowned James Beard Foundation is joining forces with Visit San Antonio and Culinaria to bring the Tasting Texas Wine + Food Festival to Travis Park over the next four days. Each day features distinguished and up-and-coming chefs from across the Lone Star State.
Tickets are all inclusive and cover food and beverages with the following packages still available:
The Weekender | $480
Southern Hospitality event
Admission to The Collective
Celebrate Agave event featuring Rick Bayless, Mexican food, and tequila samplings
Music, entertainment, vendors, and more
Just The Collective | $240
Three full days of tastings at Travis Park
The Smoke Zone with cooking demos
Music, entertainment, vendors, and more
THE WRAP
Today’s issue was written by Amy.
Editor’s pick: I’m admittedly not the most knowledgeable Spurs fan (or a big sports person in general), but I’m a big coffee lover — and fan of Estate Coffee Co. My favorite place to enjoy their roast? Every Friday morning during Artpace’s free rooftop morning mixer.
Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.
Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.
