star-spangled celebration

San Antonio is the 9th best U.S. city to celebrate Independence Day

Texans love to celebrate their independence.

Though the saying goes, "Everything is bigger in Texas," that might not necessarily be true about the state's Fourth of July celebrations. A new report by personal finance website WalletHub says there are eight U.S. cities that do it better than San Antonio.

Despite earning high recognition for the holiday's popularity in the city, San Antonio only came in at No. 9 in WalletHub's "Best and Worst Places for 4th of July Celebrations." Dallas (No. 8) was the only Texas city to rank higher than San Antonio, while Austin ranked No. 21. That may come as a surprise to some who live in the capital city.

The report compares the 100 biggest cities in the nation across 18 metrics like affordability, variety of attractions and activities on July 4th, weather favorability, and safety.

California cities dominate the top 10, with Los Angeles and San Francisco taking the top two spots, respectively, and San Diego coming in at No. 6. The remaining cities that round out the top 10 are New York City (No. 3), Las Vegas (No. 4), Seattle (No. 5), San Diego (No. 6), Orlando (No. 7), and Milwaukee (No. 10).

San Antonio's worst rank was for safety (No. 90), with additional room for improvement on affordability (No. 27), and variety of recreational activities (No. 30).

Here's a look at how other Texas cities stacked up:

No. 15 – Houston
No. 26 – Plano
No. 31 – El Paso
No. 29 – Fort Worth
No. 50 – Irving
No. 51 – Arlington
No. 69 – Laredo
No. 82 – Lubbock
No. 90 – Garland

Despite San Antonio's ranking, Texans still love to celebrate their independence (or simply take advantage of having a random day of the week off) by hosting cookouts, checking out fun parades, and launching a ton of fireworks from their backyards. Even the National Retail Federation predicts Americans will spend $9.5 billion on food for the Independence Day holiday. One report surely won't put a damper on the festivities.

The full report can be found on wallethub.com.

san antonio WalletHub reports independence day 4th of july holiday

Ready for Harvest

New farmers market and yoga classes stretch into St. Paul Square

Photo courtesy of St. Paul Square

St. Paul Square is historic, but keeping up with the times.

San Antonians have a fresh way to pick up groceries and artisan goods at St. Paul Square with the addition of a new farmers market. It will be free to attend in the central courtyard every Sunday from 9 am to 2 pm.

Shoppers will be able to browse produce, handcrafted goods, and ready-to-eat treats by farmers, bakers, and artisans, according to a release. Suppliers will come from San Antonio and other places in South Texas.

This recurring event is just called the St. Paul Square Farmers Market. It's attributed directly to St. Paul Square, which is not just a neighborhood destination but an organization developing the historic district. Part of the purpose of the new programming is to support local businesses, as well as drawing in visitors.

The area was founded in 1778, and now includes all kinds of modern and retro attractions like the popular Francis Bogside bar, several eateries, 1902 Nightclub, and live music venue The Espee.

Donation-based yoga classes on Sundays from 9-11 am give even more to to do at The Espee's courtyard (1174 E. Commerce St.). They'll be led by Bendy with Lenny, and guests joining in will get to choose between a gentler slow flow in the earlier slot, and a higher energy class in the later slots.

“Our team is excited to introduce a series of new programs this winter aimed at enriching and uplifting our local community," said St. Paul Square managing partnerDon Thomas in the release. "We invite residents from across San Antonio to join us at St. Paul Square this Sunday to kick off the series and enjoy supporting local businesses as we enter the holiday season.”

The debut St. Paul Square Farmers Market takes place November 17 at17 Heiman Street.

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