June Events

June is here! If April showers bring May flowers, then May flowers bring… June festivals and so many events for you to enjoy. June is jam packed with exciting events for you to enjoy. You won’t have an excuse to stay in the house.

Movies by Moonlight
Every Tuesday in June

For the entire month of June you can enjoy movies out on the lawn. Every Tuesday in June at Travis Park, there will be a different movie playing. Starting with Big Hero 6, everyone is invited to bring a picnic basket and a blanket and watch a great movie under the stars. Bring the whole family!


Mamma Mia!
June 9th-14th

For a week you can see the ninth-longest running Broadway musical. Mamma Mia is at the Majestic Theater! The story of a girl searching for the identity of her father before she heads to the altar. But what happens when three men step up and claim to be her father? You won’t want to miss out on the laughs.


The Texas Folklife Festival
June 13th-14th

The 44th annual celebration of the great state of Texas takes place over 2 days this June. Over 40 cultural groups come together to represent their home. Take part in the music, the food, the arts and crafts and most importantly, the fun.


Dog Days of Summer 5K
June 14th

Bring your furry friend to join you on this mutt strut about town. Keep your pups on a leash at all times but feel free to let them run with you. All humans must pick up any droppings left behind. Proceeds from the race benefit the Guide Dogs of Texas.


Missions vs. Rockhounds
June 25-28

There are 4 opportunities to catch the Missions play the Rockhounds in this 4 game streak home series. Each night has something different in store for fans: Thursday is dollar night, Friday will feature a cap giveaway, Saturday will see a firework after-show and on Sunday, the first 500 kids will go home with sticker packs.

You won't want to miss out on any of these exciting events and festivals coming up in the month of June. There are things for people of all ages even your four-legged family members. What events are you excited about this month? Let us know on our Facebook.

Road Trips: How to Deal with Snags Along the Way

Summer is one of the most popular times for travel. Everyone is loading up the cars, strapping in their kids and setting off for weekend getaways. 657 million long distance summer trips were taken during the time between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend in 2001. No doubt that number has increased in recent years. Whether it be on the road or by air, there will be a lot of people on the move this weekend for Memorial Day. With the increase in traffic for the holidays, you need to be more careful on the roads.


1. Stay Connected

Be aware of what’s going on around you. Listen to local radio stations to keep track of any traffic jams occurring in the area. Apps like Waze let travellers work together to find the best routes to avoid traffic and save gas and time. SitorSquat will find you the nearest bathrooms along with other users’ reviews on the cleanliness of each one. That’s an amazing resource for long trips and weak bladders. When it’s time for a fillup you’ll want to find the cheapest gas station. Use GasBuddy to help find the most affordable gas stations in the area.


2. Avoid Hunger Pangs

Long car rides or airplane rides can be incredibly unpleasant if your stomach is rumbling the whole time. Airline food and food found in the airport shops can be pretty hard on your wallet. To avoid breaking the bank, pack your own snacks. Best Health Magazine compiled a list of the best snacks to bring on long trips. However, if you’re stuck in the airport without snacks and you’re feeling hungry, the Travel Channel can tell you the best airport restaurants to look for and what to get while you’re there.


3. Pack Earplugs/Headphones

Does the driver’s choice of music grate on your eardrums? Is that baby 2 rows back ever going to stop crying? Earplugs and headphones are the perfect way to tune out distractions on long trips. Blocking out the noise is the best way to ensure you have a peaceful and restful nap in the backseat or on the plane. Consider an eyemask too!


4. Be Prepared

Batteries die. Tires can pop. Detours can get you lost. Make sure you’re prepared for all of these things. Keep a phone charger in your car to make sure your phone battery is full in case of an emergency. Pack jump cables in the trunk in case of a car battery dying. Also, make sure to have a flashlight in case you break down at night in a poorly lit area. Tools to change a tire and a spare tire are imperative! If you’re not sure of your route, bring along a GPS or use a map application for your smartphone. Getting lost on the way is a time waster and can be dangerous if you run out of gas in the middle of nowhere. Preparation is the most important step of a road trip.


5. Just Breathe

The guy that just cut you off, the 2 hour traffic detour, the cancelled flight, the lost luggage: those are all minor snags. Staying calm is the only way to handle them. Freaking out on the woman at the desk or your family won’t bring the plane any faster or fix your flat tire. The best part of these mishaps is that they’ll make the best stories when you get back from your trip.


Happy travelling! What’s your worst travelling experience?

National Bike Month Events Near San Antonio

May is National Bike Month! Each hour that you spend exercising extends your life expectancy by 2 hours! Opting for a bike instead of a car is not only good for your health but it’s good for the Earth’s health as well. Last week we celebrated by ditching 2 wheels and riding our bicycles to work for Ride Your Bike to Work Week. If you want to participate, here are some local events celebrating the cyclist:


Once a month, you can swap your bike with others for a day at Frankenbike. This month at Alamo Bike Shop, sell your bike gear or parts to others looking to improve their bikes. After, head to Taps y Tapas to enjoy some delicious tapas and beer while listening to live music by Stoic’s Descent and streaming music from Richard Parrilla and Merge 98FM. 

Every Thursday from 4 to 7, gather at Tuckers for some music from DJ Tech-neek and some bike talk with other cyclists. Happy hour is from 4 to 7.


Bike World organizes rides every Thursday night and Saturday morning departing from different bike shops in the area. Make sure you have bike lights for the Thursday night rides as these events do occur at night! Check their event page each week to find out what location to meet at.


Zombies riding bikes? Sounds spooky! Every Monday the Zombie Bicycle Club meets for a ride around town. Led by “Chicken Fried Zombie” aka Matt Martinez, the ZBC meets outside the Blue Star Bike Shop. Rides may include stopping at local bars.


Mark your calendars: this event doesn’t take place for a few months but you won’t want to miss out. This free event clears the streets of San Antonio of cars to make room for walkers, bicyclists and runners. On September 27th for 5 hours, Siclovia lets you participate in exercise classes, ride your bike or go for a jog all in the middle of the streets.

For more information and events head to Bike Texas.

San Antonio's Culinaria Festival: Foodie Paradise

This week is San Antonio’s Culinaria Festival: a celebration of foods and flavors that you won’t want to miss for the world! Bringing some of San Antonio’s best chefs together to craft flavorful cuisine, Culinaria will thrill your taste buds and leave you asking for seconds.

Kicking off on Wednesday, San Antonio’s finest chefs will be preparing their finest dishes for their guests. However, a dinner isn’t complete without its perfect partner: wine. Wednesday’s restaurant and winery pairings include Bliss featuring Elden Burgundy Selections, Boiler House featuring Bending Branch Winery & Freetail Brewing, and Southerleigh featuring Cupcake Vineyards. Continuing Thursday, enjoy dishes at Arcade Midtown Kitchen featuring Becker Vineyards, J Prime Steakhouse featuring Atalon Vineyards, and Stella Public House featuring Bastianich Wines.

From 6 to 9 on Thursday, make your way to H-E-B Alon Market for some food on the go. Food trucks from the area will be gathered to cook you up some delicious dishes. H-E-B Wine Garden will be providing a selection of wine and beer to make the dinner complete. Expect to see B Daddy’s BBQ, Cheesy Janes, Church’s Chicken, Crepe Nation, Duk Truck, Lick, Sabor, Colombiano, Say She Ate, Sir-Wacha, Slider Provider, Tailgate Bistro and Where Y’at.

You won’t have to head very far for Friday’s event because it’s located on our rooftops! The Residences at La Cantera will be hosting the Best of Mexico with the best that Mexico has to offer: tequila! Join us for happy hour and sip some tasty tequilas while learning more about Mexico’s most famous beverage.

On Saturday, make your way to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and prepare to travel through the tasting districts on a tastebud vacation. Start in the cocktail district for some interactive cocktail demonstrations and carnival games or maybe the culinary district where Chef Andon Whitehorn will be fusing the tastes of Japan and Native America together for one tantalizing combination. Once you’ve made it through the rest of the districts, you’ll want to head to the cinema district to recline with a glass of wine and take in a drink-themed movie. (Or nap. Whichever.)

Culinaria will knock your socks off every day with a different event and tasting. San Antonio’s best chefs are gathered to overwhelm your senses and take you around the world with all of their flavors. This is the can’t-miss event of the month. From May 13-17. For information on more events head to Culinaria’s website.

Pamper Mom This Mother's Day

Think of all the amazing things your mom has done for you over the years. Mother’s Day is the day to pay her back! These restaurants are offering special Mother’s Day brunch menus to really appreciate the special lady in your life.


Crumpets

From 11-3, treat your mom to some delicious brunch options at Crumpets. Brunch includes Appetizer, House Salad, Entrée selection, Assorted Breads, Dessert, Coffee or Iced Tea and Wine or Champagne. With options like veal scaloppini and Mediterranean salads, you can’t go wrong!


Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar

From 10-3 pamper your mom with a choice of lobster bisque, modern caesar salad or fresh seasonal fruits. Follow that with an amazing dish like baked brioche French toast or a blue crab omelette. You can’t leave a wine bar without sampling one of their 100 wines. So sip on a glass of wine while you enjoy your dinner.


Blue Ridge at Omni Grove Park Inn

From 12-4 savor the tastes of the brunch buffet at the Blue Ridge in the Omni Grove Park Inn. There are so many choices it’s impossible to decide where to begin! From composed salads to smoked fish to savory biscuits and an immense dessert selection, you won’t know when to quit! Children under 5 eat for free.


The Little Aussie Bakery & Cafe

The 100% gluten free menu is made entirely from scratch. With Australian and European influences you’ll send your tastebuds on a trip! Try some the traditional eggs and bacon done “Down Under Style”, or quiche and salad. Follow that up with a chocolate extreme brownie.

From Fiesta to TejasFest!

Although another Fiesta may have come and gone, this certainly doesn't mean we have nothing to look forward to, so do not despair! Fiesta has been around for years, but in just a couple of days a new festival will be making its debut - TejasFest!

What is TejasFest?

Sponsored by the San Antonio Clubhouse, TejasFest is a cultural festival comprised of all things that make Texas unique - including food, music, art and dance! The festival takes place on Saturday, May 2 from 10:00 AM through 6:00 PM and is free to attend! The day's events will take place at Maverick Plaza at La Villita. From your home at The Residences at La Cantera, it is approximately a 25-minute drive. All proceeds from the festival will benefit the San Antonio Clubhouse, which provides assistance for adults with mental illness.

Who will be there?

The day will feature performances from the U.S. Army Color Guard, Guadalupe Dance Academy, Clifton Castle and Larry Campos Band, Mariachi Nuevo Estilo, Conjunto Las Padrinos and Conjunto Puro Corazon. After the free festival activities wrap up at 6 PM, for $12, visitors may purchase a ticket to see Bravo Combo from 7 to 10 PM.

Food vendors at the festival include: Teka Molino, Joe's Kettle Korn, Cheesy Jane's, Aracely Graza's BBQ Plates, The Cajun Taco, Camila's Taco al Carbon, Clubhouse Concessions and Mike Guevara's Funnel Cakes. After you're done feasting from all the delicious food options, visitors can take in art from Scarlette Dove and The List Ink. 

Visitors can also enter a few Tejas-themed contests throughout the day, including Best Tejas Dressed Pet, Best Tejas Boots and Best Tejas Outfit! There will also be some activities for the kids throughout the day, as well.

Gather your friends, pets and Tejas-themed garmets for a day of food, culture and fun! Will you be attending the first ever TejasFest? Share your thoughts with us on The Residences at La Cantera's Facebook and Twitter pages! We look forward to hearing your opinions!

Sources consulted:

TejasFest Official Website

San Antonio Magazine

Go Green at La Cantera

Happy Earth Day! It's so easy to go about our daily lives without thinking about how much water or energy we use, but it's actually pretty simple to incorporate more aspects of "green living" into our routines. Just by living at The Residences at La Cantera, you are living a green lifestyle!

The Residences at La Cantera's Green Initiative
While building The Residences at La Cantera, great care and precautions were taken to ensure that construction was done in a way that reduced construction waste and kept our natural surroundings intact. These includes the creation and implementation of an erosion control plan and protecting existing significant trees on the property. Master carpenters even tailored the building's dimensions to match standard lumber dimensions. Duct work was closed off during construction and exterior walls were built with air and weather barriers.

Water conservation is an area that was strongly taken into consideration during construction and beyond. Your apartment home is equipped with an Energy Star dishwasher and refrigerator, and high-performance shower heads and faucets. Even the condensation from your air conditioner is recycled! A condensate system collects the water, cleans it and uses it irrigate the adjoining park and property grounds.

This is just the beginning of how our "green" homes were constructed! For more details, visit our website.

What Can You Do?
What measures can you take as a resident to conserve water and reduce your energy output?

• Waste not - Use energy-efficient light bulbs and unplug "energy sucking" appliances when they're not in use.
• Take advantage of our outdoor spaces! Exercise outdoors in our 3 acre park or read a book on your balcony under natural sunlight.
• Use public trash cans - We maintain the grounds as best as we can, but if you see trash on the ground, pick it up if you can!

Just by living at The Residences at La Cantera, you have taken some steps to live a more environmentally-friendly life! By making a few additional small changes in your daily routine, you can maintain your green lifestyle!

What are your favorite ways to "go green?" Reusable bags and cups? Recycling? Share your tips with us on our Facebook or Twitter pages!