“A Night In Old San Antonio®” (NIOSA®) is a four-night festival in the heart of downtown San Antonio that celebrates the city’s diverse cultural legacy for more than 80,000 revelers annually. The festival will unfold on the grounds of the La Villita National Historic District — the 18th century Spanish neighborhood that now serves as arts village, bounded by the San Antonio River and Alamo, Nueces and Presa streets (approximately five acres).
Through the magic of 250-plus food, drink and atmosphere booths; more than 20 live musical acts, children’s games, decorations, souvenirs and costumed volunteers, NIOSA brings the city’s heritage alive in 15 areas:
Arneson Theatre (amphitheatre built in 1941 into the natural curve of the city’s river bank),
Chinatown, Clown Alley, French Quarter, Froggy Bottom (pays tribute to the cultural contributions of African-Americans),
Frontier Town, Haymarket (celebrates the produce and livestock markets near San Fernando Cathedral during the city’s Spanish Colonial period),
International Walkway (showcases different ethnic groups that developed San Antonio’s unique heritage),
Irish Flat, Main Street USA, Mexican Market, Mission Trail (honors the early years of the city’s San Antonio Missions),
Sauerkraut Bend, South of the Border (Northern Mexico influences), and
Villa España (celebrates City’s Spanish and Canary Islanders heritage).
Sponsored by and benefiting the
San Antonio Conservation Society (one of the nation’s oldest and most active historic preservation organizations), the 65th presentation of NIOSA will be held Tuesday through Friday evenings,
April 23-26, 2013 during the city’s 11-day
Fiesta San Antonio® celebration.
NIOSA is one of the top — if not
the top — fundraisers for historic preservation in the nation and truly lives up to its motto as a “Celebration for Preservation.” Funds raised enable the Society to continue its mission of preserving historic buildings, objects, places and customs relating to the history of Texas and all that is admirably distinctive to the state. Out of the roughly $1 million in profits from NIOSA, the Society spends nearly $350,000 annually supporting restoration and preservation of historic properties and parks throughout the city and neighboring counties, plus more than $400,000 annually supporting education and advocacy programs and projects such as the Heritage Education tours, seminars, community tours, scholarships, the resource library and the house museums. Additionally, the Society has also donated $600,000 since 2000 to historic restoration projects in La Villita, HemisFair and historic neighborhoods throughout the city through special funds set up with the City of San Antonio.
Gate tickets are $12 for adults and $2 for children six to 12 years; children five years and under are free. Discount advance tickets are available online at
www.niosa.org and at locations around San Antonio around March 1; visit the website for specific locations.