SAN ANTONIO — The bad news: It's been cool and overcast this week, prime stay-inside weather. The good news: The weekend should bring warmer temperatures and plenty of reasons to go do something fun with the family.
There's a variety of events on tap in San Antonio for the first weekend of November, including the city's official celebration of Diwali, First Friday art exhibits and a chance to leave Earth for a little while to explore the stars....kind of.
Learn about a San Antonio activist during First Friday
A new Blue Star arts installation, “Rainbow Dancing During Pandemia,” will pay homage to and educate visitors about David Zamora Casas, a staple of the local arts community for nearly four decades. The exhibit turns the complex’s Jojo Dancer Studio and Gallery into an “intimate portal” placing Zamora Casas’s work front and center.
The public will be able to visit “Rainbow Dancing During Pandemia” for free during First Friday as well as during a Saturday artist’s reception. After that, visits will be by appointment only.
When: Friday and Saturday, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. both evenings.
Cost: Free.
Where: Jojo Dancer Studio and Gallery, at Blue Star Arts Complex (125 Blue Star).
What else you should know: You can follow Zamora Casas on Instagram at @davidzamoracasas.
Travel to the stars at Scobee
Looking to “leave" your home base on Earth for a while? You can bring the whole family with you with explorations of one of our galaxy’s most fascinating phenomena.
Chris Packham, an astronomer and professor at UTSA, will lead a pair of Friday-evening presentations on the interstellar wonders that loom overhead at the Scobee Education Center, where the planetarium is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Come early for a tour of the Moon, planets and constellations, and make it a cosmic doubleheader with the late show at 9:30 p.m. on black holes.
When: Friday, at 8 p.m. for the show "The Sky Tonight" and at 9:30 p.m. for "Black Holes." The shows will run between 40 and 50 minutes.
Cost: $4 for children under 18 and seniors 65+, $5 for adults 18+. $4 for those who provide military ID, and for teachers who provide school ID. Tickets go on sale an hour before each show starts, and families are expected to arrive early; there is a 101-seat capacity. Find more information here.
Where: Scobee Education Center, at San Antonio College (1819 North Main Ave.).
What else you should know: Kids under 6 won't be permitted.
Celebrate India’s biggest annual holiday in the heart of the city
A whole spectrum of Indian culture be on display at Hemisfair Saturday evening with the return of Diwali SA.
Diwali commemorates the Festival of Lights, which typically lasts five days, and symbolizes triumph over evil and despair. San Antonio will mark its 13th annual celebration with dance, music, entertainment and food at the no-cost event.
When: Saturday, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Cost: Free.
Where: Hemisfair.
What else you should know: You can find more information here.
Explore the story of America’s Black cowboys
Though popular media have almost exclusively told cowboys' stories through white lenses, Black men, women and children were also living on ranches, tending to cattle and making a life for themselves in the West.
A new exhibit at the Witte explores that perspective. “Black Cowboys: An American Story” opens Saturday for a five-month run, and will feature artifacts, photos and documents to “offer insight into legendary cowboys, a clearer picture of the Black West and a more diverse portrait of the American West,” according to the museum’s website.
When: Opens Saturday, will be available during museum hours.
Cost: The exhibit is included with your Witte ticket. You can find admission prices here.
Where: The Witte Museum (3801 Broadway St.).
Relax at an outdoor concert
Agarita’s Humble Hall has returned this fall, bringing classical and contemporary music to San Antonio’s parks thanks to the efforts of its four-piece chamber ensemble. Agarita seeks to put a twist on the traditional concert experience by breaking down barriers and making their art more accessible to a wider swatch of the community.
The group is working to bring its music and casual education to all 10 San Antonio districts. This weekend’s concerts will see Humble Hall making stops on the southeast side and in the King William area.
When: Sunday, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The concerts last about 45 minutes.
Cost: Free.
Where: The Sunday morning concert will be at Pearsall Park (5102 Old Pearsall Rd.) and the afternoon show will be at Roosevelt Park (331 Roosevelt Ave.).
What else you should know: All ages are welcome to the concerts, and you're encourage to bring a blanket or lawn chair.
Anything else going on?
Down go the Halloween decorations, up go the Christmas lights...hey, you might think it's too early for music, but don't tell the folks at Santa's Ranch in New Braunfels. Starting Friday, they're in full holiday-season mode.
Of course, the big focus in New Braunfels is the long-awaited return of Wurstfest; KENS 5's Lexi Hazlett got a sneak peek at what you can expect at the beloved beers-and-brats festival. While on the way there, why don't you make a pitstop over in Schertz and grab a cup of joe at The Grind?
No matter what you do this weekend, you need to keep your lineup of outfits lookin' sharp. And no San Antonio closet is complete without a taste of the Spurs' new La Cultura apparel line; check it out here.
And, hey, if you'd rather treat yourself to the latest arrival on the big screen, the newest Marvel adventure arrives in theaters this weekend. Check out what KENS 5's David Lynch had to say about "Eternals" before heading to the cinema.