Culture of San Antonio

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The San Antonio River Walk Riverwalk10.jpg
The San Antonio River Walk

The culture of San Antonio reflects the history and culture of one of the state's oldest and largest cities straddling the regional and cultural divide between South and Central Texas. Historically, San Antonio culture comes from a blend of Central Texas (Hill Country) and South Texas (Southwestern) culture. [1] [2] Founded as a Spanish outpost and the first civil settlement in Texas, [3] San Antonio is heavily influenced by Mexican American culture due to Texas formerly being part of Mexico and, previously, the Spanish Empire. The city also has significant German, Anglo, and African American cultural influences. San Antonio offers a host of cultural institutions, events, restaurants and nightlife in South Texas for both residents and visitors alike.

Contents

Annual culture events

Downtown San Antonio at Christmas time SA night lights.jpg
Downtown San Antonio at Christmas time

Cuisine

Because of its ethnic and cultural diverse mix, San Antonio has a wide range of cuisines. One can find Mexican, African American, Italian, French, Spanish, Thai, Filipino, Vietnamese, Greek, Latin, German, Indian, Central and East Asian, Middle Eastern and Pacific Islander food throughout the city. [10] San Antonio's long history and proximity to Mexico has endowed the area with an extensive variety of authentic Mexican and Tex Mex restaurants. [11]

Military

San Antonio has been a military city in the United States for more than 100 years. The U.S. Armed Forces have numerous facilities in and around San Antonio; [12] [13] [14] Fort Sam Houston, which has Brooke Army Medical Center within it, is the only one within the city limits. Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base, Kelly Air Force Base, Camp Bullis, and Camp Stanley are outside the city limits.

Museums

Blue Star Art Complex BlueStarArtComplex.jpg
Blue Star Art Complex
The McNay Art Museum McNayArtMuseum.jpg
The McNay Art Museum
San Antonio Museum of Art FirstLoneStarBrewery.JPG
San Antonio Museum of Art

Nightlife

The River Walk, or Paseo del Rio as it's known in Spanish, is the city's central entertainment district. It is home to several nightclubs, pubs, bars and restaurants. Also in Downtown, there are several lounges, restaurants and bars.

Downtown San Antonio at night Downtownsanantonionight.jpg
Downtown San Antonio at night

The Strip (north of Downtown) houses a concentration of clubs and bars catering to the LGBT community. [17] Located on Main Street near San Antonio College, they include Sparky's Pub, Luther's Café, The Silver Dollar Saloon, Pegasus, and HEAT. A block from The Strip are The Saint and Essence. In the St. Mary's Strip, several bars and restaurants can be found, as well as the Josephine Theater, which since 1995 has been home to the Josephine Theatrical Company, a non-profit resident theater group. The theater originally opened in 1947 as an Art Deco style neighborhood movie house.

San Antonio's largest university, the University of Texas at San Antonio, is located on the far northwest side of the city.

On the first Friday of every month, the area immediately south of Downtown known as Southtown or the King William District hosts an art walk known as First Friday. Galleries, art spaces and vintage stores participate, and street vendors sell art and jewelry, with live music played in the streets. Events vary from month to month, and no charge is made for admission.

Second Saturday is usually on the following weekend after First Friday but sometimes falls on the very next day. Second Saturday is a monthly showcase of the area commonly known as SoFlo (an abbreviation for the South Flores street where it is located) also known as the Lone Star District (named after the cross-street LoneStar Blvd. where the Lone Star Brewing Company once stood.) The area is a few blocks South of the Blue Star District. Once a year in the Fall, the S.M.A.R.T fair is an annual festival held to support the various arts in San Antonio. [18]

Performing arts

In the foreground the Lila Cockrell Theater and its Juan O'Gorman mosaic Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas, and in the background the Tower of the Americas Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas.jpg
In the foreground the Lila Cockrell Theater and its Juan O'Gorman mosaic Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas, and in the background the Tower of the Americas

Tourism

Tourism has affected the city's culture, as San Antonio houses many tourist attractions, such as the San Antonio Aquarium, San Antonio Zoo, SeaWorld, and Six Flags Fiesta Texas. San Antonio's Spanish influence can be seen in the many historic sites across the city, such as the Alamo Mission, Mission Concepción, San Antonio River Walk, Mission San Francisco de la Espada, and Cathedral of San Fernando (San Antonio). [19]

See also

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References

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  11. Martinez, Etienne. "Mexicans in the U.S.A: Mexican-American / Tex-Mex Cuisine". Lightmillennium.org. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  12. "Joint Base San Antonio". www.jbsa.mil. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  13. "SA Bases". www.sanantonio.gov. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  14. "18 Things You Didn't Know About Military City USA". www.kwsanantonio.com. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  15. Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum, New York Times.
  16. Witte Museum, New York Times.
  17. Arredondo, Camelia; Juarez, Joe (October 23, 2023). "City Council taking steps to protect, fund Main Ave strip through proposed cultural heritage designation". KSAT. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  18. South Flores Arts District upbeat, lively Archived March 31, 2010, at the Wayback Machine , San Antonio Express News, January 25, 2008.
  19. Associated Press. World heritage status for The Alamo Mission, Japan industrial sites, Conroe Courier, July 5, 2015.