Set in the heart of downtown San Antonio, Luminaria aims to illuminate the city with art installations and projects set along the backdrop of the city’s lively nightlife.
Luminaria is a free, annual event showcasing music, theatre, performance, literature, media, dance and visual arts throughout the center of the city—indoors and out.
For one night only, San Antonio is transformed into a giant canvas for over 100 artists to paint into spectacular masterpieces. Expect inventive, edgy, astonishing and interactive contemporary artwork from every artistic discipline.
The festival gets its name from “White Nights,” a similar festival that originated in Paris in 2002. The event has spread across the globe to other cities in Europe as well as in North America, bringing a night of art and creativity to local venues.
Expect to see numerous musical performances—from symphonic to reggae. Multiple styles of dance are also on display throughout the night as well. In fact, last year Luminaria started with a large flash mob breaking out into a dance sequence.
Luminaria will feature over 100 artists with new projects in multimedia, visual arts, music and theatre.
This year, Luminaria is expanding to different parts of the city including all of HemisFair Park, Alamo Street and several theatres around San Antonio.
Kathy Armstrong, assistant director of Luminaria, says, “The exhibition will continue to go into other parts of the city. Unused buildings will also be part of the action as well.”
Luminaria will be divided into four different zones—“White zone,” “Red Zone, “Green Zone” and the “Blue Zone”—to accommodate all of the participating artists.
Some of the featured artists for this year’s lineup include UTSA alumna Bianca Pitman, a professional photographer living and operating within San Antonio; Pop Pistol, a popular local band who has recently released their second full-length album, “Animal Prisms”; Michael Garfield, an eccentric musician known for using all four of his limbs to perform; and Anna De Luna, a local performance artist who has performed for UTSA and other organizations.
“Visitors can expect to see people performing in parks and theatres as well as interactive projects for families such as the San Anto Cultural Arts printing press,” says Armstrong.
Guests can also purchase food and refreshments from three different food stations including food trucks.
“The entire city will be energized with the arts,” says Armstrong.
Luminaria will be held on March 9, 7 p.m.-12 a.m. at HemisFair Park and the downtown area. Limited parking is available to guests at HemisFair plaza as well as downtown parking venues with fees up to $20.
For a full schedule of artists and events, visit LuminariaSA.org.