Here’s our roundup for the most enticing exhibits, shows and other events scheduled in the Alamo City.
SAN ANTONIO —
Celebrate African culture in Southtown
African arts, customs and colors will be on display at Blue Star Arts Complex Saturday when the 2022 African Market Festival arrives for its sixth year, in conjunction with DreamWeek. On hand will be vendors selling African items, fashion shows, authentic cuisine and live performances
The festival is organized by the Texas-based Òlàjú Art Group, which uses art to spread awareness of issues affecting the African diaspora.
When: Saturday, from 5 p.m. until midnight.
Cost: $10; buy tickets here.
Where: Blue Star Arts Complex (125 Blue Star).
Hear stories from a National Geographic veteran
Bob Poole, a Kenyan-born cinematographer who has fostered a passion for conservation while capturing images of African wildlife for years, will be at the Tobin Sunday afternoon as part of Nat Geo Live’s speaker series.
Pool won an Emmy in 2011 for his work on the “Great Migrations” miniseries, while other projects have seen him following cheetahs, elephants and gorillas. He’s also worked with PBS, BBC and Discovery.
When: “National Geographic Live: Nature Roars Back” is scheduled for Sunday at 4 p.m.
Cost: Tickets range from $20 to $45; buy here.
Where: The Tobin Center’s H-E-B Performance Hall (100 Auditorium Circle).
What else you should know: The show is full-capacity.
Meet one of America’s greatest writers…sort of
Actor J. Damian Gillen will suit up once again as celebrated literature icon and humorist Mark Twain as part of a local dinner theatre series bringing comedy and savory food to San Antonians.
When: Saturday at 6 p.m.
Cost: $35 for tickets bought in advance, $40 at the door.
Where: Little Italy Restaurant & Pizza (824 Afterglow St.).
Enjoy a theater mash-up extravaganza
You’re likely familiar with “The Lion King” and “The Greatest Showman.” You may have even caught both musicals on the stage before. But what about getting a taste of both in one night, at one place?
The aptly named “The Greatest Show,” set for Saturday night at downtown’s Scottish Rite Theatre, pulls inspiration and iconic sequences from both stories, along with “Annie.” San Antonio-based AABCD Dance Studio is collaborating on “The Greatest Show” with NG Productions, from Dallas.
When: Saturday at 7 p.m.
Cost: General-admission tickets start at $25, and can be bought here.
Where: The Scottish Rite Theatre (308 Avenue E).
Learn about a Black icon of the American West
A figure often overshadowed by the dusty-plain mythos of Butch Cassidy, Billy the Kid and Doc Holliday, Mary Fields, or “Stagecoach Mary,” nonetheless secured her place in American history as the first Black female mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service.
The Briscoe will put Stagecoach Mary front and center weekend at “Storytime at the Stagecoach,” where local researcher and dramatist Antoinette Lakey will recount her story, in a collaboration with DreamWeek.
When: Saturday at 11 a.m.
Cost: Free with general admission. Buy tickets here.
Where: Briscoe Western Art Museum (210 West Market St.).
What else you should know: Children under 13 and active military service members are admitted for free.
Plus…
Gillen’s take on Mark Twain will also make an appearance at the Heart of Texas Concert Band’s 2022 children’s concert, which is free to attend Sunday afternoon at Fellowship of San Antonio church. On the way there, you can stop by Gong Cha bubble tea shop, whose drinks our Lexi Hazlett sampled this week.
Over at Woodlawn, a youth production of the beloved modern classic “School of Rock” is revving up this weekend, and if you’re strapped for time it takes less than 15 minutes to watch “Work,” the new short film from San Antonio-born director April Maxey selected to premiere at Sundance this month.
