SAN ANTONIO – The streets of downtown San Antonio are expected to be busy this weekend due to major events and ongoing construction.
Two big, free festivals are taking place Saturday and Sunday — the Tejano Music Awards Fan Fair at Hemisfair’s new Civic Park and the Bud Light St. Patrick’s Festival across the street at La Villita.
Two St. Patrick’s Day river parades are also scheduled for Saturday, and the Dyeing of the River Green is scheduled three times over the weekend.
All the events are free, family-friendly and open to the public, meaning thousands of people are expected to head downtown for their end-of-spring-break fun.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled a quick guide for navigating downtown traffic this weekend, starting with construction.
Construction downtown
Drivers and pedestrians can expect detours and closures along South Alamo Street near Hemisfair and La Villita.
Alamo Street is open to northbound and southbound traffic in that area, but there are lane closures as the strip from East Market Street to East Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard is being reconstructed.
It is one of several projects in the area: Construction is ongoing at The Monarch at Civic Park and Kimpton Santo along Arciniega Street.
Cesar E. Chavez is open to eastbound and westbound traffic at its intersection with Alamo Street, but the road is open to one lane in each direction.
Street and sidewalk closures may also be encountered near Alamo Plaza and on Broadway, Commerce and Santa Rosa streets.
See below for a full list of downtown closures according to the city’s Public Works Department.
City-owned parking garages
City officials often ask downtown visitors to use a ride share, or walk or bike to prevent traffic during major events. If you are driving, here are some city-owned parking garages in the area:
- Houston Street Garage at 111 College St.
- Convention Center Garage at 850 E. Commerce St.
- Martinez Lot at South Alamo and Martinez streets.
- Houston/Nolan Lot at E. Houston and Elm streets.
- City Tower Garage at 100 N. Main Ave.
- St. Mary’s Garage at 205 E. Travis St.
Click here for a list of other parking garages.
Weather
After the possibility of hail on Friday afternoon, the potential for much-needed rain will continue through the weekend.
A small severe threat is forecast for Saturday and Sunday, according to KSAT meteorologists. As a precaution, at least one big event — the Fest of Tails at McAllister Park — has already been postponed.
As of 10:20 a.m. Friday, neither the Tejano Music Awards Fan Fair or St. Patrick’s Day festivities have been canceled or postponed.
Keep up with the latest forecasts, radar and alerts on the KSAT Weather Authority page. You can also download KSAT’s weather app for customized, accurate forecasts in San Antonio, South Texas or wherever you are.
Tejano Music Awards Fan Fair
“The biggest weekend in Tejano music” started on Thursday and continues through Sunday. It will include live music from more than 150 Tejano and conjunto artists across four stages.
Some of the artists include Jennifer Pena, Siggno, Stefani Montiel, Destiny Navaira, Asalto, Lucky Joe, Monica Saldivar, Conjunto Cats, Sunny Sauceda y Todo Eso, Gary Hobbs and more. Click here for a full schedule.
The family-friendly event is free and open to the public, and lawn chairs will be allowed.
The stages will be set near the Magik Theatre, the Tower of the Americas walkway, the Mexican Cultural Institute, and the new Civic Park.
The festival opens at noon and ends at 11:30 p.m.
St. Paddy’s Day festivities
Downtown San Antonio is gearing up for St. Patrick’s Day.
Visit San Antonio says the River Walk will be dyed green on Saturday and Sunday for the annual tradition.
The Dyeing of the River Green, sponsored by MadDogs, will take place on Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon along Museum Reach and 1-3 p.m. along the downtown stretch of the river. Also, on St. Patrick’s Day, the downtown portion of the river will be dyed again from 1-3 p.m.
The river has been dyed green, and jokingly renamed the River Shannon, every year since 1968.
The Bud Light St. Patrick’s Festival will take place at the Arneson River Theatre and La Villita from 1-6 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. It’s free to attend and family-friendly.
On Saturday, there will also be a St. Patrick’s Day river parade from 2-3 p.m. along the Museum Reach and 5-6 p.m. along downtown. Both parades are free to attend.
Click here for more information. People can also monitor the River Walk website and social media for schedule changes and weather updates.