ALL THAT JAZZ

Jazz all-stars swing into San Antonio for free music festival

Arturo Sandoval will headline 2026 Jazz'SAlive.

Photo by Joseph Gray's Photography

For its 43rd year, San Antonio’s Jazz'SAlive is getting brassier. The two-day festival is swinging back into Hemisfair’s Civic Park on September 25-26 with two of the genre's biggest wailers — trumpeter Arturo Sandoval and trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis.

The San Antonio Parks Foundation produces the free festival for an estimated 15,000 guests. The huge undertaking follows the nonprofit's commitment to equity, culture, and community and has served as a showcase for Civic Park since 2023.

Sandoval will be making the Alamo City stop as part of his 2026 World Tour. The Cuban-American musician began studying jazz trumpet and has since racked up an enviable string of honors, including a Presidential Medal of Freedom, a Kennedy Center Honor, 10 Grammy Awards and an additional 19 nominations.

Joining him will be an heir to the first family of jazz. Marsalis has toured with legends like Ray Charles and Max Roach with his Uptown Jazz Orchestra, but his most lasting influence may be in introducing jazz to the next generation. He has written 16 musicals meant to introduce young audiences to the genre and has reached more than 10,000 students through his "Swinging with the Cool School" workshops.

The rest of the lineup spans a wide stylistic range, drawing performers from across the globe:

Yuko Mabuchi — a Japan-raised pianist blending classical training with jazz, R&B, and Latin influences
Magos Herrera — a Mexico City-born, New York-based vocalist and leading voice in contemporary Latin American jazz
Blaque Dynamite (Mike Mitchell) — a Grammy-nominated drummer who's played alongside Herbie Hancock and Erykah Badu
USAF Dimensions in Blue Jazz Combo — a small ensemble from the Air Force Band of the West
BillyRay Sheppard — a smooth jazz saxophonist

This year, Jazz'SAlive is inviting guests to be part of the music-making with two interactive experiences. San Antonio's David and Cameron Montalvo will lead a world percussion drum circle open to all ages. The Carver Community Cultural Center's Creative Cruiser Mobile Art Lab, featuring artist Kwanzaa Edwards, will let festivalgoers paint mini wooden guitars and design their own album covers.

The festival takes place from 4-11 pm on September 25 and 11 am-11 pm on September 26. Admission is free, but VIP tickets for a special experience curated by NOLA restaurant’s Pieter Sypesteyn and Susan Kaars-Sypesteyn are $250 for individuals or $1,750 for a table of eight. More information and schedules can be found online

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SPURS OF THE MOMENT

Here's how to meet San Antonio Spurs standout Dylan Harper

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

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Victor Wembanyama might be the subject of a few San Antonio murals, but another Spurs star is proving to be just as popular with local fans. According to Boomtown Sports Cards & Pokeshop, Silver and Black faithful are already lining up to snag tickets to an October 15 signing event with Dylan Harper.

For those who have been hiding in the Alamo’s basement, Harper was one of the breakouts of the NBA Finals, earning All-Rookie First Team honors and generally impressing everyone who follows basketball. He also gave the world some of the best reaction shots in all of professional sports.

Although it's easy to have a parasocial relationship with the NBA’s meme king, it's not so simple to get face time. Only 225 tickets will be sold to the fall event, and they must be purchased in person at 10350 Bandera Rd, starting at 10 am on Saturday, August 28.

Once a place in line is secured (perhaps through a well-aimed elbow to a jaw), fans will have to pony up. Prices run $150 for a photo and $200 for signed sports gear. A photo op with the point guard also costs $150, and is limited to four people, so maybe leave your second cousins at home.

The event, organized with sports collector company Fanatics, is drawing high interest according to Boomtown, who says it received hundreds of phone calls and messages. In a Facebook comment, the shop admits some fans may be let down.

“I am terribly terribly terribly sorry that some of you may not get an autograph from Dylan Harper, but this is all built, organized, and executed by Fanatics,” wrote a Boomtown rep. “And we have a very short time with the athlete because he has a very tight schedule. If he was free for 8 hours everybody would get an autograph.”

But for the lucky few, getting in queue may be worth the hassle. At a recent auction, unsigned Wemby and Tim Duncan cards brought in more than $500,000.Harper still has a long career ahead of him, so it’s anyone’s guess what a signed rookie card will eventually fetch.

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