Fiestas Patrias

by Celia Hayes

So – the rough translation is 'patriotic festival' – to observe and celebrate the independence of Mexico from Spain, and my daughter had happened to hear that there would be a more or less 'free' event scheduled at the Freeman Coliseum complex this weekend – so, what the heck? I've lived in the Texas borderlands for fifteen years, and grew up in another borderland – Southern California, where  . . .  to put it mildly, the Spanish and Mexican cultural influence is so strong, and so permeates the atmosphere so richly that you take it in without even realizing it, and only realize how powerful it has become when you go to someplace without it. As my daughter wondered, upon participating in a nationwide…

The Cowboy Way

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I never quite understood the appeal of the cowboy, when it came to the whole western-frontier-nostalgia-gestalt, even after coming to live in Texas and write whole books about the frontier, and Texas. How did that frontier archetype manage to sweep all others before it, in dime novels, movies and television shows... given that the classic "cowboy" functioned only in a very specific time period - for about twenty-five years after the Civil War. Even though the Western cattle industry seemed to be co-located with spectacular scenery, and the frontier as it was offered all kinds of…

Gingerbread Houses

My mother was fairly adventurous about food and recipes, back in the day. One of her culinary adventure involved a subscription to the Time-Life series "Foods of the World." While we never really got into experimenting with Moroccan cuisine, the more accessible and familiar varieties got a good work-over.

One of the wild successes from this series was a recipe and patterns for making gingerbread houses, which was came from the volume on the cooking of Germany. We did gingerbread houses for some years thereafter: most as gifts, and very elaborate. It is possible to make the house entirely of gingerbread, and held together with icing only - but the directions must be followed exactly.

Created Tuesday, 19 June 2007 09:37

Guadulupe Cultural Arts Center

Written by Randy Watson

 The city of San Antonio is known for many things - great food, wonderful colonial architecture, and a rich history - but its burgeoning dedication to the arts is quickly making it one of the most important cities for Latino artists in the United States. San Antonio is home to some of the finest museums in the state, and has long been home to artisans, craftsmen, and artists of all sorts. The city\'s Latino community makes up the backbone of the community, and the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center is one such organization that certainly does its part to keep San Antonio\'s art scene thriving and relevant.

The center was formed in 1980, and since then has…

Created Thursday, 12 April 2007 02:00

Fiesta San Antono Notable Events

Written by Randy Watson

The Fiesta® San Antonio is a ten-day celebration with no shortage of events to choose from.  Whether you attend the party the entire 10-days or you only enjoy a portion of the festivities, you are sure to have a spectacular time.

The Official Opening Ceremony starts at 9am on the morning of Friday, April 20.  The free event is hosted by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and the Alamo Heroes Committee.  You can enjoy singing and dancing as the Fiesta officially begins.

After the opening ceremony, you can head downtown to an all-day free event, the Fiestas Fantasias at Market Square.  Enjoy an eclectic mix of live entertainment on five…