Weekend Event Guide

Here are the top 7 things to do in San Antonio this weekend

Festivals, home and garden fun, and a few thrills are on the entertainment agenda for the next several days. Stop by the San Antonio Fall Home + Garden Show or celebrate Parktoberfest at Brackenridge Park. Check out the top seven things to do in San Antonio this weekend. For a complete list of events, visit our calendar.

Thursday, September 26

Broadway in San Antonio presents MJ the Musical
The story and artistry of the King of Pop comes to life on the Majestic Theatre stage. This Tony Award-winning new musical focuses on Michael Jackson’s making of the iconic 1992 "Dangerous World" Tour. Audiences will journey through the star's creative mind through a selection of classic hits, storytelling, and his signature dance moves. Shows will run through September 29.

Gruene Hall presents The Wallflowers in concert
Rock band The Wallflowers performs live at New Braunfels’ Gruene Hall for one show only. The group, led by singer-songwriter Jakob Dylan, comes to the San Antonio area in support of their 2021 album, Exit Wounds. A limited number of tickets are available.

Friday, September 27

Photo by Matthew Murphy

Experience MJ the Musical at Majestic Theatre this weekend.

San Antonio Fall Home + Garden Show
The San Antonio Fall Home & Garden Show returns for its 38th year with a sprawling marketplace and tons of exhibits. Attendees to the three-day show at the Alamodome will get the chance to hear from special guest and HGTV star Rico Leon. Additional highlights include presentations from renowned local and national home pros, vendors, opportunities to connect with industry experts, and more.

Terrorland Haunted Adventure presents Expedition Terror
Test your courage with a trip through Terrorland as part of spooky season. Guests embark on a hayride journey into the frightening confines of Terrorland, complete with foggy wooded lowlands, haunted hillside trails, and scary surprises at every turn. Following opening weekend, Expedition Terror continues through November 2.

David Cross: "The End of The Beginning of The End"
Comedian and actor David Cross brings his stand-up tour to San Antonio's Stable Hall for one night only. He is known for his appearances in a variety of films and television shows including Arrested Development, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Pitch Perfect 2.

Saturday, September 28

San Antonio Parks Foundation presents 41st Annual Jazz'SAlive
Jazz’SAlive, San Antonio’s official jazz festival and one of the largest festivals of its kind in the country, is back for another year of music at Civic Park at Hemisfair. The two-day event will feature a lineup of jazz talent including headliner Patrice Rushen, headliner The Lao Tier Band featuring Elliott Yamin, Kate Kortum, Dan Ryan, Chieli Minucci, Nina & The Gypsies, St. Mary’s University Jazz Orchestra, and others across two stages.

Sunday, September 29

Brackenridge Park Conservancy presents Parktoberfest
Enjoy the outdoors and the autumn season in with German-inspired flare at Brackenridge Park. Parktoberfest highlights include live German music, free beer samples from local breweries, and a variety of German foods. Admission to this event is free and open to the public. For a list of other local Oktoberfest celebrations, go here.

events entertainment things to do san antonio weekend events weekend activities top 7 concerts festivals halloween home and garden event planner

Garden Glow

San Antonio Botanical Garden glows with new winter lantern show

San Antonio Botanical Garden/Instagram

The exhibit featuring larger-than-life lantern sculptures opens November 29.

The San Antonio Botanical Garden is lighting up with a new concept called Illuminate for its annual holiday season light exhibition. Visitors can stroll through the garden after dark, guided by immersive light displays celebrating "the beauty of nature and cultural artistry," according to a press release. Illuminate will be open from November 29, 2024, to January 12, 2025.

Past efforts were called Lightscape, but Illuminate is created in collaboration with Tianyu Arts & Culture, a producer of Chinese lantern and other light shows. This partner is based in the United States, but it is a subsidiary of a company in China's Sichuan Province, giving it a strong claim to authenticity. A similar show called Tianyu Lights Festival has debuted in Dallas-Fort Worth this season.

Because the company specializes in lanterns, this show is different than a classic holiday lights display. Whereas a more standard show would draw 2D figures using individual string lights, these works are 3D sculptures made of translucent material and lit from the inside.

San Antonio Botanical Garden Illuminate Some of the sculptures affect how people interact with the space.San Antonio Botanical Garden/Instagram

The subject matter is also entirely different. Santa is nowhere to be found, and these works instead focus on flowers, insects, fish, birds, and other wild animals. Some of the lights also decorate the architecture that divides garden sections.

An FAQ section of the website says the self-paced walk is "a little over a mile long." There will be vendors onsite for food and drinks, and the Garden Gift Shop will be open.

Tickets (starting at $23 for adults and $18 for kids) are available for entry times every 30 minutes from 5:30-9 pm. Once a party enters, they can stay until closing time. Illuminate is for visitors of all ages, but minors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Parking is also available for an additional charge.

visual art immersive holidays