Fourth of July Event Guide

6 best things to do in San Antonio on 4th of July, from festivals to fireworks

Don your most fabulous red, white, and blue attire to celebrate Independence Day at these six holiday happenings in San Antonio. Hop on carnival-style rides at the Official Fourth of July Celebration in Woodlawn Lake Park or enjoy a delicious picnic, complete with all-American eats and drinks at Pearl Park. For a full listing of events, visit our calendar.

Thursday, July 4

Fourth of July Artisan Show
Celebrate America's entrepreneurial spirit with unique goods crafted by local artisans on the River Walk. Shoppers can stroll the picturesque route while browsing speciality gifts and products that can enhance your home, wardrobe, or garden. Participating artisans will be on-site to offer up insights, mingle, and share more information about their craft.

The City of San Antonio’s Official Fourth of July Celebration
Guests of all ages are welcome to experience the City of San Antonio’s Official Fourth of July Celebration at Woodlawn Lake Park. The all-day event includes live entertainment, carnival-style rides and games, workshops, and more. Kiddos can get their chance to hang out with special guest Curious George while adults browse the July Fourth fare and beverages courtesy of local food trucks. Musical performances features sets by DJ Plata, The U.S. Air Force Band of The West, Chulita Vinyl Club, and other surprise guests. Admission is free.

Pearl presents Great American Picnic
Feast on American-inspired fare perfectly paired with craft beverages at Pearl Park. Picnic festivities include rounds of classic lawn games, foodie fun, and live jams by the Peterson Brothers throughout the evening. Prep your palettes for delicious bites by Bud’s Southern Rotisserie, such as barbecue chicken, corn and watermelon, and bacon-wrapped jalapeño sausage-on-a-stick. This event is free and open to the public.

Freedom Fest
It's 4th of July— San Antonio style — at the Historic Market Square. Freedom Fest returns for another full day of food vendors, pieces by working artists, and live entertainment by local bands. All ages are welcome. Admission is free.

Red, White and Bloom
Have a beautiful Independence Day at the San Antonio Botanical Garden by walking the lush grounds before sundown festivities begin. Additional attractions, including The No Name Creek Family and Adventure Garden, will be open to families until 7:30 pm and 8 pm, respectively. Additional highlights include live music, giant lawn games, and a prime location for watching the sky light up red, white, and blue, courtesy of the San Antonio Country Club next door. For tickets, visit the event website.

SeaWorld San Antonio Fourth of July Celebration
Dive into the day's festivities with the entire family at SeaWorld. Park guests can stay after the sundown and experience a colorful fireworks display on the Bayside lawn. The jaw-dropping production combines illuminating pyrotechnics with a triumphant musical score for a twinkling, patriotic tribute everyone will enjoy. Enhance your viewing experience by splurging on reserved seating tickets complete with admission to an exclusive holiday-themed picnic. For tickets, visit the SeaWorld website.

Shop unique local vendors in celebration of Independence Day while strolling the San Antonio River Walk.

Photo by David McFarland/courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Shop unique local vendors in celebration of Independence Day while strolling the San Antonio River Walk.

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The Bard Beckons

San Antonio author's new novel sets Shakespeare and romance in the desert

inarsen.com

San Antonio author Isa Arsén is releasing her second novel, The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf, in January.

San Antonians may have heard of local author Isa Arsén, whose debut novel, Shoot the Moon, garnered great reviews from publications like the Associated Press (AP) and Publishers Weekly (PW). Now she's back with a new novel, The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf.

It will be available to read starting January 7, 2025. San Antonians can join the launch in person at Nowhere Bookshop, an independent, author-owned book store with a coffee, wine, and beer bar.

Both novels by Arsén — who calls herself a a certified bleeding heart — so far are romances, but the premises are very different. Shoot the Moon focused on a physics graduate starting a career at NASA while navigating feelings about a coworker — and time travel. AP called it "a bold and unconventional love story," and PW says "Arsén expertly navigates the back-and-forth of the story’s time-travel events."

For The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf, a press release heralds "darker themes with an atmospheric mid-century novel about two Shakespearean actors in an unconventional marriage finding their place in the world." According to the release, Arsén has spent some time in theater, so her writing is at least partially based on experience.

The plot follows the couple to the desert in New Mexico, where Margaret hopes for an escape from the stresses of everyday life and instead finds an eccentric director, a mysterious affair, and a challenge in figuring out how to move forward together.

Early reviews have flagged this novel as a culturally adept adept story that does justice to magical realism (Booklist), queer relationships (Kirkus Reviews), and of course, Shakespeare (CrimeReads).

“I had to write this book five times before it held any water," said Arsén in the release. "It used to be about opera singers and housewives and a very passive protagonist, which might still have made for an interesting story if that was anything close to what WOLF truly needed to be. This is the one that taught me to quit pulling my punches. ..."[I]ts core has been the same from the beginning: two twice-shy people find their teeth and learn to bite back, refusing to be leashed.”

The Unbecoming of Margaret Wolf will be on sale January 7, 2025, for $30. It is published by G. P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of the Penguin Group.

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