Weekend Event Guide

Here are the top 5 things to do in San Antonio this weekend

Gary P. Nunn performs Saturday at Chaparral Festival.

Gary P. Nunn Facebook

There’s no shortage of live entertainment in Alamo Cityf. Enjoy live music during the Balcones Heights Jazz Festival or listen in on an intimate conversation with Amy Sedaris at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. Check out the top five things to do in San Antonio this weekend. For a full listing of events, visit our calendar.

Thursday, July 14

Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club presents Anjelah Johnson-Reyes
Stand-up comedian Anjelah Johnson-Reyes takes up a short residence at Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club with fresh material and a barrage of show dates. Best known for her viral video, Nail Salon, Johnson-Reyes has appeared in multiple commercials and has become a widely known internet personality. Shows are scheduled through July 24. Get ticketing information here.

Friday, July 15

Balcones Heights Jazz Festival
The city’s most beloved jazz festival returns for its 28th season. The festival includes two shows at Wonderland of the Americas Mall on July 15 and July 29, respectively. This weekend’s headliners are Rob Zinn and Jeff Ryan. They will be joined by opening act Tony Saunders. For a full performance schedule and to purchase tickets, go to the festival website.

An Evening with Amy Sedaris
Entertainer Amy Sedaris comes to Tobin Center for the Performing Arts for an intimate chat about her career and the newest developments in her life. Sedaris is best known for her Emmy-nominated comedy series, At Home with Amy Sedaris, on truTV. This live conversation will be moderated and will include a post-show Q&A. Get your tickets here.

Gary P. Nunn in concert
Texas music legend Gary P. Nunn will perform live in concert for two nights at Gruene Hall in New Braunfels. Since his debut on the country music circuit in Austin in the 1970s, Nunn has established himself as an icon in Austin, Texas, the progressive country music genre, and beyond. Select tickets for both shows are still available.

Sunday, July 17

RuPaul's Drag Race Werq the World Tour
Experience the official RuPaul’s Drag Race World Tour when it makes its stop in Majestic Theatre for just one night only. This brand-new production will follow some of the show’s most beloved queens on a journey through time and iconic periods in history. Audiences can expect appearances by Drag Race stars like Kameron Michaels, Rose, Vanessa Vanjie, Yvie Oddly, and all finalists from the upcoming 14th season. Visit the ticketing website for more information.

Amy Sedaris comes to the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts for an intimate conversation.

Amy Sedaris/Facebook

Amy Sedaris comes to the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts for an intimate conversation.

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Garden Glow

San Antonio Botanical Garden glows with new winter lantern show

San Antonio Botanical Garden/Instagram

The exhibit featuring larger-than-life lantern sculptures opens November 29.

The San Antonio Botanical Garden is lighting up with a new concept called Illuminate for its annual holiday season light exhibition. Visitors can stroll through the garden after dark, guided by immersive light displays celebrating "the beauty of nature and cultural artistry," according to a press release. Illuminate will be open from November 29, 2024, to January 12, 2025.

Past efforts were called Lightscape, but Illuminate is created in collaboration with Tianyu Arts & Culture, a producer of Chinese lantern and other light shows. This partner is based in the United States, but it is a subsidiary of a company in China's Sichuan Province, giving it a strong claim to authenticity. A similar show called Tianyu Lights Festival has debuted in Dallas-Fort Worth this season.

Because the company specializes in lanterns, this show is different than a classic holiday lights display. Whereas a more standard show would draw 2D figures using individual string lights, these works are 3D sculptures made of translucent material and lit from the inside.

San Antonio Botanical Garden Illuminate Some of the sculptures affect how people interact with the space.San Antonio Botanical Garden/Instagram

The subject matter is also entirely different. Santa is nowhere to be found, and these works instead focus on flowers, insects, fish, birds, and other wild animals. Some of the lights also decorate the architecture that divides garden sections.

An FAQ section of the website says the self-paced walk is "a little over a mile long." There will be vendors onsite for food and drinks, and the Garden Gift Shop will be open.

Tickets (starting at $23 for adults and $18 for kids) are available for entry times every 30 minutes from 5:30-9 pm. Once a party enters, they can stay until closing time. Illuminate is for visitors of all ages, but minors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Parking is also available for an additional charge.

visual art immersive holidays