EVENT NEWS

Snag free tickets to San Antonio’s exclusive Canary Islands showcase

Officials from Lanzarote are hosting two days of events for San Antonians.

Photo courtesy of Turismo Lanzarote

One of San Antonio’s sister cities is giving locals a rare chance to soak in Spanish culture without fidgeting through a 12-hour flight. A visiting contingent from Lanzarote has released a few select tickets to its exclusive trade event on September 4-5, giving locals a chance to experience cooking demos and taste wines and bites from the Canary Islands.

Lanzarote 360º was previously invite-only, meant to strengthen the Spanish city’s ties with local importers, tour operators, distributors, and restaurateurs. But government officials decided to mix things up with a few non-industry guests — and maybe inspire a few international trips.

On September 4, downtown’s Thompson Hotel will transform into a culinary showcase featuring artisanal products from the volcanic islands. Guests can try award-winning Spanish wines, sea salt from Salinas de Janubio, and gourmet bites from producers like Bernardo’s Gourmet Products, and Quesería El Faro.

Then, Spanish officials will host a party at The Alamo on September 5 featuring drinks and live music. During the first hour of the event, attendees will have access to The Alamo Church for a private walkthrough and tour.

Although Lanzarote has only officially been a San Antonio sister city since February, the connection between the two municipalities has an almost 300-year history. In 1731, 56 Canary Islanders — 44 hailing from Lanzarote — established San Antonio as the first civil settlement in Texas. Many of the architectural styles and cultural traditions carry on to today.

"San Antonio and Lanzarote share a common legacy,” said San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones via a release. “This event honors that past, but above all opens a future of collaboration, tourism, culture, and commerce between our communities."

The Thompson Hotel tasting will be held from 11 am-4 pm on September 4, and The Alamo event starts at 7 pm on September 5. Those interested in attending should sign up quickly; only a select few RSVPs have been reserved for the general public. Lanzarote 360º is a free event.

lanzarote spain canary islands sister cities event planner tastings events

goodbye 2025

San Antonio crowned best Texas city for New Year's Eve celebrations

Photo by Kateryna Hliznitsova on Unsplash

Let's all wish 2025 a hearty goodbye.

San Antonio is shining far above the rest of Texas on a new list ranking the best U.S. cities for celebrating New Year's Eve.

WalletHub ranked San Antonio the No. 1 best city in the Lone Star State to bring in the new year, and it ranked No. 28 nationally.

The annual study compared the 100 most populous U.S. cities based on 26 metrics across three main categories – entertainment and food, costs, and safety and accessibility – analyzing the popularity of the New Year's Eve holiday celebrations, fireworks shows, restaurant meal costs, and more.

Orlando, Florida, landed the top spot as the best place to celebrate New Year's, beating out popular destinations like New York City, New York (No. 3) and Las Vegas, Nevada (No. 2). Seattle, Washington (No. 4) and Los Angeles, California (No. 5) round out the top five.

San Antonio's entertainment and food scenes ranked as the 16th best in the country for New Year's Eve, and the report also determined it is one of the more affordable places to celebrate the holiday, as the city ranked No. 37 in the costs category. San Antonio also has the fourth cheapest price of a three-star hotel room over New Year's nationwide, the report found.

The city's safety and accessibility – which covered factors including walkability, the share of delayed flights, neighborhood security, among others – ranked 90th overall. As many San Antonians are already aware, it's always safer to book a rideshare than to drink and drive.

"The best cities for New Year’s celebrations have clear skies and some of the best fireworks displays around," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "The top cities also offer an abundance of highly-rated, affordable dining options, along with a vibrant nightlife and plenty of activities to make your transition into the new year a memorable one."

WalletHub says local businesses in popular destinations like New York City "are notorious for hiking up their prices when big crowds are in town" for major holidays like New Year's Eve. Budget-conscious tourists are abandoning their grandiose plans in search of affordable places that still provide just as much fun as the bigger cities.

"The last thing you want to do in the final hours of 2025 is wreck your finances over one night of festivities," the report's author wrote.

Here's how other Texas cities stacked up in the report's rankings of the best places to celebrate New Year's Eve:

No. 32 – Plano
No. 37 – Austin
No. 46 – Houston
No. 53 – Dallas
No. 62 – El Paso
No. 65 – Arlington
No. 67 – Fort Worth
No. 74 – Irving
No. 75 – Corpus Christi
No. 80 – Garland
No. 91 – Laredo
No. 94 – Lubbock

wallethub san antonio rankings new years eve holidays