I’ve heard a few students around campus talk about how boring San Antonio is and how all the action is in Austin. San Antonio is anything but boring, this city is rich with history and culture. There are other local coffee places here than the “coffee giant” Starbucks and a variety of authentic Mexican restaurants are scattered throughout the city. The nightlife of bar crawls and clubbing all serve different crowds individually.

This column will be dedicated to the events pertaining to the arts and general life in this beautiful city we live in. I have been exploring different parts of San Antonio for years and always seem to come across endless points of interest and would like to share them with you.

The first event I attended for this column was the first annual Mission Pachanga Local Music Festival that took place on September 10 this past Saturday.

The inaugural World Heritage Festival was put together this year by the Rivard Report, National Parks Service, San Antonio River Authority (SARA), The Alamo, National Parks Conservation Association, Bexar County, Los Compadres and Las Misiones. This year is the first anniversary of the San Antonio Missions being recognized as a World Heritage Site. During the four days of celebration from September 7-11, numerous events took place such as a press conference, a “Tour De Las Misiones” bike ride, a Mission 5k run/walk with a tour, Mission Pachanga and a celebratory mass on Sunday. All of these events were held in hopes of raising donations to preserve the San Antonio Missions.

I attended the free event Mission Pachanga Local Music Festival which was held at the Mission Park Pavilion down the street from the Mission Marquee Plaza (formerly the Mission Drive-In Theatre). Musicians in the lineup such as Doc Watkins, owner of the newly built jazz club All That Jazz, played in the pavilion surrounded by families of all ages. The indie-rock quartet Black Market club, hip-hop artist Greg G, six-man band Fishermen’s, Latin alternative troupe Femina-X, indie orchestra fused with latin roots band Volcan, and Girl in a Coma’s front woman Nina Diaz all performed at the pavilion.

With so many local artists playing from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., the entertainment was non-stop. Food trucks and drink stands were set up around the pavilion for those who didn’t want to miss the excitement of the bands playing on stage. Merchandise for the bands and artists were being sold on the sides of the pavilion, and t-shirts for the World Heritage Festival were being sold by Snake Hawk Press. The company, created by UTSA alum Cruz Ortiz, takes a wooden carving of a design and sends it to a t-shirt press to create the unique shirts they sell.

Next year, be sure to check out the Mission Pachanga lineup and stop by to donate whatever money you can to help preserve the San Antonio Missions.

What would you guys like me to write about? What kinds of places are you interested in hearing about in San Antonio? Write a letter to the editor and let us know what kind of places or events you’d like to read about!