San Antonio’s Tricentennial celebrates the past and looks to the future

Downtown San Antonio
Downtown San Antonio

San Antonio is remembering the Alamo and the rest of its 300-year-old storied history with celebrations throughout 2018.

Its tricentennial festivities are a way to commemorate the city’s confluence of cultures and to reflect on the past and build the future.

Mission San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo) was the city’s first settlement in 1718, and in 1836, it was the location for a pivotal battle in the Texas Revolution. Texas achieved independence from Mexico after the battle of San Jacinto, and following a period of Texan independence, it became the 28th state to join the union. San Antonio has five missions total, which are the all protected as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Before the missions were built, the Payaya indigenous people occupied the land.

San Antonio celebrated its 250th birthday with a World’s Fair in 1968, and has continued thriving since. It is home to the San Antonio Film Festival, the lively River Walk, and of course, the annual Fiesta celebration.

Celebrate San Antonio’s colorful character, unique art, music, and history while you’re here for CHEST 2018! Go to sanantonio300.org to find out more.

Download the Go See SA App
Before you start your journey through San Antonio, head to the Google Play or Apple Store to download the “Go See SA” app. The app will lead you through curated tours and pinpoint historical sites to visit. Collect virtual medals by completing
tours or visiting sites.

Confluence and Culture: 300 Years of San Antonio History
wittemuseum.org/confluence-and-culture
Experience 300 years of San Antonio history through seven immersive galleries at the Witte Museum. The multifaceted exhibition will take you back in time to the Battle of the Alamo, explain the historical significance of thatched wattle-and-daub
huts, and examine how Spanish influence is evident in the city’s architecture and culture.

This Happened Here: History in Hidden Corners Westside Tour
www.sanantonio300.org/event/this-happened-here-history-in-hidden-corners-westside-tour-2/all/
It’s a San Antonio Westside story tour, organized by the Westside Development Corporation. Selected storytellers on Saturday will tell local tales that “honor the Westside’s history, culture, people, and places.” The tour will lead participants to
essential Westside locations for five-10 minutes for a story and to learn about the destination’s historical relevance. The storyteller’s also will have their stories published in various media outlets.

Uniform 300
www.uniform300.com
Photographer Rahm Carrington and curator/producer Alice Carrington Foultz collaborated on a photographic project, focused on the depicting the diversity of San Antonians. The project will represent San Antonians from all walks of life in 300
portraits following the six pillars of the tricentennial: religion, military, history and education, arts and culture, world heritage, and community service. The two artists explore the idea of a personal uniform in this exhibition as an ode to
personal identify in a world of “homogenization.” “In some cases, this may be a Padre, Soldier, or Charro wearing a prescribed uniform,” the artists state on their website. “In other cases, we may photograph a Spurs super-fan, or a bakery owner,
whereby their uniform is the clothes they wear and the image they portray.”

San Antonio Wind Symphony: Season Opening
The San Antonio Wind Symphony will open its 16th season on Sunday with a lecture and concert focusing on the culture of San Antonio.

Confluence: Art at the Convention Center
Earlier this year, the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center played host to its own tricentenniel celebration. Twenty new artworks were added to the convention center’s art collection to complete the “San Antonio Story, which reflects the city’s
growth and international significance.” You can view the convention center’s art pieces showcasing the city’s history and culture as you stroll between sessions.