Dinner and a Show

7 spectacular San Antonio spots to enjoy dinner and the 41st annual Ford Holiday River Parade

The Ford River Holiday Parade is a San Antonio seasonal staple.

San Antonio River Walk/Instagram

The 41st annual Ford Holiday River Parade and River Lighting Ceremony is back, y'all — why not make it a full night out with dinner and drinks? We've rounded up the best spots to sip and dine while watching the colorful display. Check out these seven local riverside hotels and restaurants.

Biga on the Banks
Head chef and James Beard award nominee Bruce Auden has curated a sumptuous three-course prix-fixe menu for guests, with options like pozole verde de pollo, beef ribeye, and more. Call Biga at 210-225-0722 for reservations or visit biga.com.

Hotel Contessa
Check out a parade pre-party at the Hotel Contessa, complete with live music, face painting, and vendors. The hotel's in-house restaurant, Ambler Texas Kitchen + Cocktails, will also offer light bites and cocktails for the parade. Purchased reserved seats for the parade at the Hotel Contessa via eventbrite.com.

Omni La Mansion Del Rio
Enjoy a four-course meal at Ostra (the Omni's in-house restaurant at the Mokara Spa), or across the river at Four Brothers (the main in-house restaurant) before grabbing your reserved seat for the parade. Guests can choose to purchase a seat to the parade only, but if you buy a ticket to one of the meals, you also get a reserved seat included with the price and a complimentary cocktail (we love the sound of a Four Brothers holiday sangria!) Purchase tickets to either dinner or a reserved seat via eventbrite.com.

On The Bend Oyster Bar
Enjoy live jazz, a full private buffet, great views of the river parade, a private VIP party, and more at On The Bend Oyster Bar. There are still plenty of tickets left for premium riverside seating at On The Bend that'll give you a great view of the parade. Purchase tickets at eventbrite.com.

The Thompson Hotel
The Thompson Hotel's signature restaurant, Landrace, will serve a decadent multi-course meal from the restaurant's head chef, James Beard award finalist Steve McHugh. Save up your post-Thanksgiving appetite for courses like roasted squash soup and slow-roasted prime rib. Guests can enjoy the parade from reserved seating at the Thompson after the meal. Purchase tickets to the dinner and reserve your seat at eventbrite.com.

The Westin
The Westin Riverwalk has a full parade reception dinner and premium seating available in three different pricing packages. Enjoy menu options like the charred aleppo spiced New York strip loin, unlimited select beer and wine options, and a reserved seat to the parade with the VIP All Is Bright package. There are also lower priced tiers for kids and guests who just want access to the reception dinner. Purchase tickets at eventbrite.com.

Hotel Valencia
If you're looking to make a true night of it, book a one-night stay at the Hotel Valencia to enjoy their Ford Holiday River Parade Seat & Parking package. Each booking includes luxury accommodations for two, two tickets to the parade in front of the Hotel Valencia in the first or second row, complimentary Wi-Fi, and complimentary valet parking for one night (this applies to one vehicle per reservation). Book your Hotel Valencia holiday parade staycation here.

city life ford holiday river parade holidays 2022 restaurants and bars

Movie Review

Disney continues sequels streak with the beautifully animated Moana 2

Photo courtesy of Disney

Moana (Auli'i Cravalho) in Moana 2.

When Moanacame out in 2016, Walt Disney Animation Studios (the non-Pixar side of the studio) was in the midst of a creative boom, having released Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Big Hero 6, and Zootopia over the previous four years. In the eight years since, though, the studio has — outside of the stellar Encanto — been in a rut, with studio mergers, a reliance on sequels, and the pandemic all combining for subpar products.

Unfortunately for Disney and fans of the first film, Moana 2 does not break that streak. Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) has become the go-to wayfinder for her tribe on the fictional Polynesian island of Motunui, traveling long distances on her own thanks to her special connection with the ocean. As the film opens, she’s continuing her mission of exploring other islands in the region in hopes of finding other people besides her own tribe.

A message from her ancestors gives Moana fresh hope, and she recruits tribemates Loto (Rose Matafeo), Moni (Hualalai Chang), and Kele (David Fang) to join her on a voyage to an island that may or may not exist. Naturally, along the way they meet up with the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson), who’s run into his own issue, being held captive by the bat-obsessed enchantress Matangi (Awhimai Fraser).

On the positive side of the ledger, the animation is as beautiful as ever, with the water and other scenery especially impressive. And the returning actors, including Cravalho, Johnson, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, and Rachel House, all bring nice touches to their performances. The songs, while not as dynamic as those from the original film, provide nice showcases for Cravalho, Johnson, and others.

But the film, which started off as a streaming series for Disney+ before being reworked into a movie, has almost none of the same feeling as the first film. The main plot is not very interesting, mostly because the obstacles thrown in Moana’s way are odd. The filmmakers’ choice to bring in three crewmates for Moana is also strange, as each of the characters acts more like a comic relief figure than an integral part of the story.

Moana and Maui remain the best parts of the film, but because they have to compete with other characters for attention, their collective impact is lessened. Matangi seems like she’s supposed to be the villain of the film, but her presence winds up being confusing. The filmmakers try to force some emotion into the film by giving Moana a clingy younger sister, Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda), but like most of the other new elements, she too falls flat.

With any sequel, the hope is that it will recreate the magic that made the first film so beloved. Moana 2, while not as egregiously bad as some other Disney follow-ups, does not offer nearly enough to be compared favorably to its Oscar-nominated predecessor.

---

Moana 2 is now playing in theaters.

movies film