What to know ahead of Luminaria in St. Paul Square
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A live painting at Luminaria in 2023. Photo: Megan Stringer/Axios
Luminaria, San Antonio's free contemporary arts festival that lights up the night every year, returns Saturday.
Why it matters: This year marks the one-day festival's move from Hemisfair downtown to St. Paul Square just over Interstate 37 on the near East Side.
The big picture: More than 100 artists will share live art installations, music, theater, poetry and more — much of it glowing in the dark or meant to be experienced at night.
State of play: The festival coincides with the UTSA Roadrunners' homecoming game at the Alamodome — and organizers hope the city takes advantage of the proximity for a full day of fun.
- "We thought it'd be a great idea to really showcase arts and athletes, and showcase all that's wonderful about San Antonio," Yadhira Lozano, executive director of the nonprofit Luminaria, tells Axios.
- Lozano hopes that fans leaving the Alamodome after the 2:30pm game will find themselves hungry — and step into the festival, where there will be food and plenty more to see.
Context: While festivalgoers in recent years might remember seeing Luminaria at Hemisfair, it hasn't always been there — and the move to St. Paul Square doesn't mean it won't be back.
- "It's not that we're done with Hemisfair, it's that we're going to see what this year looks like," Lozano says.
- With bars and restaurants opening this year, some developers have been trying to make St. Paul Square into a nightlife district.
By the numbers: Luminaria draws an average of 25,000 to 30,000 attendees, Lozano says.
Zoom in: Tejano musician Shelly Lares, a friend of Selena's, will perform on the Commerce Stage as part of the opening ceremony.
- Be on the lookout for a large laser spectacle show projected on the Alamodome.
- This year's festival will also feature a youth poetry slam.
- There will be stop-motion and cartoon animations and documentary-style films.
- A fine art gallery will host an exhibit on the history of Black music in San Antonio — one way to pay tribute to the festival's new home on the East Side, Lozano says.
- There will be performances from acrobats from Cirque Aria and the San Antonio Philharmonic.
The bottom line: "All of (this) is new because we don't use the same artists all the time," and repeat artists must offer something different, Lozano says.
- "You're never going to get the same experience at Luminaria from one year to the next."
If you go: The festival runs from 6pm-midnight Saturday.
- UTSA students can claim a free homecoming game ticket and purchase tickets for guests.