👏 Round of applause, we made it to Friday!

🌤️ Today's weather: Mostly sunny, with a high over 100.

🎂 Happy early birthday to our member Toni Riester Wood!

Today's newsletter is 1,110 words — a 4-minute read.

A Night in Old San Antonio (NIOSA) organizers are planning a major redesign of the signature Fiesta event for 2027 as it faces financial pressures and a smaller space for the event.

Why it matters: NIOSA is the largest fundraiser for the nonprofit Conservation Society of San Antonio and has raised millions of dollars over its seven-decade history to support preservation projects across the city.

Driving the news: The conservation society said Wednesday that it is "reenvisioning" NIOSA, streamlining operations and cutting staff as it retools the four-night event.

State of play: The changes come as NIOSA contends with a shrinking footprint at La Villita Historic Arts Village, where the event is held each spring.

• The event is losing 43% of its space amid the city's redevelopment of La Villita, Conservation Society of San Antonio president Betty Bueché told KENS.
• NIOSA no longer has access to the privately-owned Villita Assembly Hall, a change attendees saw at this year's event.
• It could also lose access to Maverick Plaza if construction there continues.

What they're saying: "There is a financial situation," Bueché told KSAT. "We need to retool this so that we can make sure that we have proceeds. We're being very cautious about this."

• Last year, tickets were $20 online, $25 at the gate, for each night, food not included. It's not clear how attendance has changed over the years.

Between the lines: The conservation society said on its social media pages that it wants to "completely rethink" NIOSA and is redesigning the experience "from the ground up."

• Organizers are soliciting feedback from attendees.
• They also said they want to build the "ultimate foodie paradise."
• The NIOSA changes are not related to Project Marvel, the planned downtown sports and entertainment district, Bueché tells Axios.

What's next: Organizers hope to have a proposal for the conservation society's board to consider within the next month or two, Bueché says.

Texas' U.S. Senate race has changed from lean Republican to toss-up, according to the latest rating from the nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report.

Why it matters: The fight for control of the U.S. Senate is extremely tight, and Democrats need to flip at least four seats to become the majority. Doing that will require wins in states that aren't typical battlegrounds.

The big picture: Yesterday, Cook moved the race from lean Republican to toss-up.

• The governor's race also shifted from solid Republican to likely Republican.

Zoom in: The race for the open Senate seat between state Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, and state Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat, has proven competitive.

• Texas hasn't elected a Democrat statewide in more than three decades.
• Recent polls have shown Talarico with a slight edge over scandal-plagued Paxton. Talarico is also a prolific fundraiser, and establishment Republicans have held off on throwing financial support behind Paxton.

Yes, but: National Democrats aren't yet investing in Texas' Senate race. Texas is served by 20 media markets, making the state by far the most expensive among the states in play.

In the governor's race, three-term Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has taken criticism for his prior support for data centers as backlash against them grows in rural areas.

• Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa has branded the state the "wild west of data centers."

The bottom line: It's a terrible political environment for Republicans right now, and Democrats are looking to build momentum.

Go deeper

The City Council voted unanimously yesterday to rename César E. Chávez Boulevard back to Durango Boulevard, a nearly $375,000 change that will require new signs and 295 address updates.

• The change follows allegations that the late labor leader sexually abused girls and women. (KSAT)

🚆 A new analysis says a San Antonio-to-Austin passenger rail line is viable but would cost about $13.5 billion. (KXAN)

🗣️ San Antonio will host a Youth Budget Town Hall tomorrow at 10:30am at the San Antonio Food Bank to give young residents a chance to learn about the proposed budget, ask questions and share their priorities. (City of San Antonio)

🤠 The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo announced its first wave of 2027 entertainers, including Flatland Cavalry, Turnpike Troubadours, BlackHawk and Keith Urban, with tickets on sale now. (SA Rodeo)

Young people raised on swiping, DMing and streaming are doing something bold: going out.

Why it matters: Amid a loneliness epidemic, millennials and Gen Zers are craving IRL connection — enough to show up for meetups built around activities once considered solitary, or "grandma hobbies."

The latest: They're leaving the house to play chess, birdwatch and read in silence together.

"Soft socializing" experiences — where you're with other people but networking is not the main focus — have taken off, per Eventbrite.

By the numbers: There were 151% more puzzle competitions from August 2024 to July 2025, compared to the preceding 12 months, according to Eventbrite numbers (separate from the below "singles" data) shared with Axios.

• And mahjong-focused events are up 94% earlier this year compared to last, according to Evite data shared with Axios.

Meanwhile, dinner parties with strangers have also gained traction.

• We just launched our own dinner series, bringing readers together for our new Axios Social Club. Snag your seat before tomorrow.

👋 Megan and Madalyn here! We recently met up for lunch at The Jerk Shack, the highly lauded fast-casual Jamaican restaurant on the Far West Side.

Catch up quick: Led by chef Nicola Blaque, a prior James Beard nominee, The Jerk Shack has twice earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand award for good value and quality food.

Megan's recommendation: I loved the jerk-fried catfish with grits ($28 for two pieces). Although I had hoped it would be breaded in cornmeal, the fish itself still shined through a thicker batter. The grits were cheesy and fresh.

• Don't skip a side of fried plantains ($5). They have just a hint of sweetness that pairs perfectly with all things savory.

Madalyn's recommendation: The three-piece jerk chicken served with two sides ($20) was a standout. The chicken was juicy and flavorful, but the macaroni stole the show, blanketed in a thick, savory layer of melty cheese that I was still thinking about days later.

Six-word review: Fancy restaurant quality in lowkey setting.

Thanks to our editors Astrid Galván and Bob Gee.

🥤 Madalyn is eyeing this sweet tea claw clip.

🌽 Megan is now reminiscing about the best Fiesta corn in a cup at NIOSA.