Get the Fiesta Started

San Antonio celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with 56 mostly free events

It's about time to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month.

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People across the country know about Cinco de Mayo, but folks in San Antonio know Dieciséis de Septiembre is where it's at. To celebrate the Mexican independence day — the beginning of Hispanic Heritage month — the City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture and the Diez y Seis de Septiembre Commission are throwing another month of parties, parades, performances, and more.

Fiestas Patrias and Hispanic Heritage month celebrations are starting before the big day, and some of them continue well into fall. But now's the best time of year to go out and explore Hispanic culture-driven events and exhibits, which include surreal art, kids' workshops, and outdoor festivals.

For those who need a refresher, Hispanic Heritage Month is a national month of observation that runs from September 15 to October 15. Dieciséis de Septiembre, or September 16, marks the 1810 date of Mexico's independence from Spain, which immediately pertained to Texans because the territory was part of Mexico at the time.

In 2024, the official kickoff event happens at the Centro de Artes Gallery on September 10, with some visitors representing the organizing committee. Those include executive director of the Department of Arts & Culture Krystal Jones, council liaison to the San Antonio Diez y Seis Commission Phyllis Viagran, Cónsul General of Mexico in San Antonio Dr. Rubén Minutti, Interim Chair of the Diez y Seis Commission Mari Ayala-Sandoval, and finally Dieciséis Parade grand marshall Aaron Peña.

After the 11:30 presentation, the Guadalupe Dance Company will give a special performance. The program, which blends traditional and contemporary dance styles, is part of the the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center and offers classes for dancers of all levels.

Aside from the kickoff, the Fiestas Patrias directory on the city website contains nearly 60 events throughout the festival's duration. Even better, mosts of them are free.

$Mini donkey pi\u00f1ata$ Library visitors can learn to make a mini donkey piñata.getcreativesanantonio.com

Some interesting selections include:

Newspaper Boys: Ayer y Hoy en San Anto, a visual, sometimes abstract history of the boys who delivered the news on foot or on bicycles
20th anniversary screening of A Day Without A Mexican, a mockumentary that imagines like in California after all of its Hispanic population has disappeared
MACRI Talk: Remembering Conquest - How Memories of the US-Mexico War Shaped Civil Rights Struggles, a talk about ongoing Mexican Americans' civil rights struggles since 1848
Avenida Guadalupe Association’s 43rd Annual Dieciséis de Septiembre Parade, with a route through San Antonio’s historic Mexican American district
Mini Donkey Piñata for Adults, a workshop for making a small donkey friend to share candy with
Salsa Cook Off, a chance to show off and try the city's best salsas
Outdoor Family Film Series: Encanto, a showing of the smash hit Disney film
Introduction to Genealogy/Introducción a la Genealogía, a workshop for beginners learning how to explore their family's history through San Antonio Public Library resources
Raza Cósmica: Xicanx Versus Aliens, a live podcast taping that explores the paranormal, aliens, and more though a person of color's lens
Sixth Hispanic Trails Cultural Festival, a festival celebrating food, music, dance, and other contributions from 14 Latin American-Hispanic countries

CultureMap also did a deeper dive into one of the exhibits that opened earlier in September, Dining with Rolando Briseño: A 50-Year Retrospective. This career retrospective focuses on the artist's collage-like drawings and paintings centered on food and Mexican-American culture. He'll be giving a talk as one of the last events during the city's Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, on October 17.

$Dining with Rolando Brise\u00f1o: A 50-Year Retrospective$ Briseño's retrospective will be on display through February 9. Photo courtesy of City of San Antonio Department of Arts & Culture

A full list of events is available at getcreativesanantonio.com.

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après pickle

San Antonio pickleball venue unveils courtside igloos and themed bar

Photo courtesy of Chicken N Pickle

The Texas weather means we can have pickleball year-round, but our igloos are made of plastic.

Pickleball might not bring feelings of coziness to mind, but a San Antonio sports venue is flipping the script for the holidays. Guests at Chicken N Pickle will still be able to play pickleball this winter, but they can also retire into an après-pickle outdoor igloo with themed cocktails and other holiday specials, starting November 22.

The transparent plastic igloo tents are gaining popularity in nightlife, especially at restaurants, bars, and hotels. They give patrons a novel and cozy way to enjoy a "private" room on their night out, and the seasonality keeps it fresh and logistically manageable.

An unexpected fellow on the bandwagon is the College Station-founded chain Chicken N Pickle, which does have a sports bar and restaurant, but the main draw is indoor and outdoor pickleball courts, as well as other games like cornhole, ping pong, and bocce.

At Chicken N Pickle, guests must be at least 21 years old to reserve an igloo — or to jump in on a first-come, first-served basis.

The "Merry and Bright" tent has a more modern Christmas look.Photo courtesy of Chicken N Pickle

Photos from the venue show winter foliage and ornaments outside, creating a festive entry. Inside, there appears to be a small couch, additional seating, a coffee table, and knickknacks that make the space feel like a cozy living room. There are at least two different tent configurations to choose from, and both fit up to eight people.

Of course, sitting in an igloo is more fun with themed drinks, and there are 11 cocktails and martini flights to choose from via the bar's larger holiday pop-up, which also features its own extravagant decorations inside. (Among them: too many mini trees and branches to count.)

Those include creations like Wake Up Frosty with Ketel One, Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur, cold brew, real Madagascar vanilla, and espresso beans; or Northern Lights blueberry-infused Bombay Sapphire Gin, Giffard Blackberry Liqueur, real blackberry, lemon juice, egg whites, blackberries, and edible glitter. Folks less into wintery drinks can also order beer, wine and other drinks.

All the Chicken N Pickle locations have different holiday setups, but they're all full of festive stuff.Photo courtesy of Chicken N Pickle

Reservations in the Holiday Hideaway pop-up all include a charcuterie board and red pepper hummus dip.

Chicken N Pickle is located at 5215 UTSA Blvd. The Holiday Hideaway will be open until December 31, and the igloos will continue accepting guests through mid-February of 2025.

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