Family Fun in the Sun

A guide to San Antonio's best family-friendly fun all summer long

From face painting to mobile libraries, Movies by Moonlight brings all sorts of activities to Travis Park.

Courtesy photo

The school year may have wrapped up last week, so if you’re a parent, your job as family activity director has just begun. Beginning now through August, you will likely hear “I’m bored” followed by “what are we doing today?” more times than you’d like, but the longer days, absence of homework, and later bedtimes give you an opportunity to explore your city as a family.

And the Alamo City has no shortage of family fun activities. Whether you're looking for free fun or want to splurge, this guide will keep your family entertained all summer long.

Movies by Moonlight at Travis Park
Part of the Downtown Tuesday initiative (which includes free parking at many City of San Antonio garages and lots), Slab Cinema’s Movies by Moonlight series offers free outdoor family-friendly films every Tuesday in June and July at Travis Park. Food trucks and activities begin at 7 pm, and movies start after sunset. Snacks, lawn chairs, and blankets are welcome.

Movies by Moonlight 2019 lineup:

June 11 — Zootopia
June 18 — Mary Poppins Returns
June 25 — Little Mermaid
July 2 — Smallfoot
July 9 — Enchanted
July 16 — Up
July 23 — How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
July 30 — Wall-E

2019 Regal Summer Movie Express
If cooling off with a matinee is your family’s thing, check out Regal’s one-dollar movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10 am, running now through September 4. Participating theaters include: Regal Cielo Vista & RPX, Regal Huebner Oaks & RPX, Regal Northwoods, Regal Live Oak & RPX. The Summer Movie Express will feature Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, Despicable Me, The LEGO Batman Movie, Paddington 2, The Secret Life of Pets, Sing, Minions, Madagascar, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, and other favorites of the carefree, school-free younger set.

TIKI DISCO Sound Cream Sunset Sessions at Pearl Park
Get ready for an all-ages dance party every Wednesday night in June from 5:30-9 pm at The Historic Pearl. Hosted by Sound Cream Airstream, this series offers four weeks of tropical vibes to set the summer mood. Start with an early dinner at The Bottling Department Food Hall, then head out the doors to the adjacent park and splash pad for tunes curated by a lineup of DJs that includes:

June 5 — DJ Nandez (SATX)
June 12 — DJ Chorizo Funk (Austin)
June 19 — The Soul Spot (SATX)
June 26 — Lloydski (NYC)

Hemisfair
This park in the heart of San Antonio is best experienced during the morning or evening hours of a balmy summer. Start with the huge playscape at Yanaguana Garden, ideal for energetic young climbers, or hop on a swing. Scooters and smoking were recently banned here, so the park is even more pleasant for families. Play cornhole, a giant game of Connect Four, or even chess before cooling off at the splash pad. Treat good behavior with a frozen dessert from Paleteria San Antonio, and if you’ve got kiddos under four, take them to Story Time and Book Garden at the Schultze House every Tuesday at 10 am. After story time, check out the free leave-a-book, take-a-book library on-site.

Free museum entry
San Antonians are fortunate to have a wide array of museums to choose from for family fun, offering both an education day — and a chance to cool off indoors. Plus, if you go when museum admission is free, you’ll leave more room in your summer budget for swimming pool entrance fees and ice cream.

The Witte Museum — Free admission every Tuesday from 3-8 pm
The DoSeum - San Antonio’s Children’s Museum — Family free night is the first Tuesday of every month, from 6:30-8:30 pm
The San Antonio Museum of Art — Free admission on Tuesdays from 4-9 pm and Sundays from 10 am to noon. (Children 12 and under are always free.)
The Briscoe Western Art Museum — Free admission on Tuesdays from 4-9 pm. (Children 12 and under are always free.)
The McNay Art Museum — Free admission for adults the first Sunday of every month and every Thursday from 4-9 pm. (Kids 19 and under always receive free admission.)

LEGOLAND Discovery Center at The Shops at Rivercenter
Take a special trip this summer to San Antonio’s own LEGOLAND indoor playground. The space boasts 10 Lego-themed play zones for kids of all ages. But perhaps the most talked about and photographed part of this new attraction is the MINILAND San Antonio, the city’s most iconic spots — including the Alamo and River Walk — rendered in miniature form with Lego bricks, of course. Admission for children two and under is free. Online tickets are $19 for the day ($22 for walk-up tickets), and annual passes are $55 per person.

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Movie Review

Jesse Eisenberg redefines the comedy duo trope in A Real Pain

Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg in A Real Pain.

Comedy film duos have a long history, from Laurel and Hardy in the 1920s and ‘30s to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler in movies like Baby Mama. But the majority of duos have either been friends or work partners; relationships that can be close, but not as close as family. The new film A Real Pain aims for the comedy that a great duo can bring, but hits deeper because the two lead characters are related to each other.

Benji (Kieran Culkin) and David (Jesse Eisenberg) are first cousins who decide to take a trip to Poland to visit the childhood home of their grandmother, who has recently passed. Their personalities could not be more different, with David buttoned-down and reserved and Benji extremely social, if a little wild. This contrast is on display from the moment they leave on their trip, affecting almost every aspect of their journey.

The two meet up with a diverse tour group in Poland, including guide James (Will Sharpe), recently divorced Marcia (Jennifer Grey), married couple Mark (Daniel Oreskes) and Diane (Liza Sadovy), and Eloge (Kurt Egyiawan), an African man who has converted to Judaism. As the group visits various historical sites, David confronts contrasting feelings about Benji, who goes from charming to abrasive seemingly at the drop of a hat.

Written and directed by Eisenberg, the film is about both the family we have and the history of those who came before us. With Benji and David being Jewish and their grandmother having escaped from the Nazis in World War II, the themes hit harder than they might in other situations. Eisenberg takes care to honor his Jewish ancestors both in the way he has Benji and David talk about their grandmother and the places they visit.

But even though emotions are heightened due to the significance of the trip, the film is far from a dour affair. Benji keeps things interesting at almost all times with a series of impulsive decisions, many that are entertaining for both the tour group and the audience watching the film. He is one of those film characters that is great to watch on screen, but would likely be too much to handle if you were confronted with him in real life.

The relationship between Benji and David is a complicated one; the two obviously have love for each other, but they rarely see eye-to-eye on the best way to approach certain situations. This tension keeps the film grounded, and Eisenberg does a great job at showing the push-and-pull the two cousins have with each other. The little moments, especially when Benji and David go their separate ways, say a lot as the characters try to reconcile where each is at in their respective lives.

Eisenberg has always been an understated performer, so this role is almost perfect for him. Culkin, fresh off his Emmy-winning role in HBO’s Succession, is an ideal foil for Eisenberg, as he has a manic energy that he can control or not control at will. It’s also nice to see Grey in action again, as she brings just the right touch to her supporting role.

The drama in A Real Pain comes from the life experiences of its two main characters, which are on full display despite the story only doling out details in small doses. The film is subtle yet powerful, a testament to Eisenberg’s filmmaking ability and the actors never trying to make too much of their scenes.

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A Real Pain opens in theaters on November 15.

movies film

Family Fun in the Sun

A guide to San Antonio's best family-friendly fun all summer long

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Jesse Eisenberg redefines the comedy duo trope in A Real Pain

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