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!

¡Bienvenidos a la Fiesta!

San Antonio's biggest party of the year begins tomorrow! Fiesta San Antonio is also known as the "party with a purpose," as it has evolved from a small parade into a large-scale fundraising event. Fiesta starts tomorrow, April 16 and runs through April 26.

Fiesta can be a huge event to tackle, so make a plan of what your must-see events are! Event types range from parades to music, royalty to cultural, and of course, don't forget about the food! To help construct your Fiesta agenda, check out a rundown of all the festival's events on the official Fiesta website.

Here is just a tiny sample of the types of events that will take place throughout the 11-day festival:

• Crown the King! Public Crowning of Rey Feo - the 67th crowning of the "People's King" takes place Friday, April 17 at 5:30 PM in the Main Plaza in front of San Fernando Cathedral. Free.
• Texas Cavaliers River Parade - View the lights, floats and live music acts as they travel down the river. Monday, April 20 from 7-10 PM along the River Walk. Admission is $12-$24.
• Fiesta Cornyation  - This satirical live theater show is one of Fiesta's most popular events! Tuesday, April 21 through Thursday, April 23 at Empire Theater. $15-$35.

San Antonio Magazine recommends using VIA Park & Ride to get to most Fiesta events, or it's about a 20-minute drive from The Residences at La Cantera apartment homes. Make sure you keep cash on you too, as many vendors only accept cash as payment! For more Fiesta tips from San Antonio Magazine (especially helpful if this if your first Fiesta) click here.

How many years have you been attending Fiesta events? What are your annual favorites? Share your pictures with us on our Facebook or Twitter pages!

Where to Spend Spring in San Antonio

While we may enjoy mild weather during the typical "winter months," we are certainly glad to see spring descend upon San Antonio, and we're not alone. Thrillist recently named San Antonio to its list of most beautiful spring cities in the country! What makes springtime here so beautiful? Here are just a few of our favorite things about the season:

Fiesta
Fiesta 2015 runs from April 16 - April 26. Fiesta honors the Alamo and The Battle of San Jacinto, in addition to the heritage and culture of the city of San Antonio. The festival also involves more than 100 local nonprofit-sponsored events.

River Walk
The River Walk could easily be deemed the heart of San Antonio. Located downtown, the River Walk is lined with shops, restaurants, and beautiful landscaping. While it's a must-see destination any time of the year, it's especially gorgeous in the spring. Just a 20-minute drive from The Residences at La Cantera will get you to Downtown San Antonio's River Walk.

San Juan and Espada Missions
The missions are located along an 8-mile stretch known as Mission Reach, which includes pedestrian bridges, trails, picnic areas and pavilions. Tours and admission to the park are free to the public. Mission Reach is about a half an hour drive away.

McAllister Park
How does 976 acres of land sound for a day outside? That's what you'll find at McAllister Park! The park is made up of pavilions, a dog park, baseball and soccer fields and 15 miles of trails! The park is home to the San Antonio Road Runners, Harmony Hills Optimist Club and The Friends of McAllister Park. McAllister Park is approximately a 20-minute drive from The Residences at La Cantera apartment homes.

What are your favorite ways to enjoy the spring season in San Antonio? Share your favorite spots and events with us in the comments or on our social media sites!

Porsche of San Antonio 2015 Spring Jazz at the Falls

It's a beautiful day in the La Cantera neighborhood! This evening, take a walk over to The Shops at La Cantera and enjoy a free jazz concert as part of their Spring Jazz at the Falls series! Tonight's artist is local R&B and jazz vocalist, Melina. The concert series continues through next week. For a complete schedule and more information, please see the details below, courtesy of The Shops at La Cantera:

3/28/2015 - 4/11/2015
Time: 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Location: The Falls at The Shops at La Cantera - Located by Bar Louie, Yard House and The Cheesecake Factory
Contact: 210.582.6255
Sponsored by: Porsche of San Antonio and Q101.9

Join us for the Porsche of San Antonio 2015 Spring Jazz at the Falls concert series. All concerts are free and located at the Falls at The Shops at La Cantera. These outdoor events showcase and foster an appreciation for all forms of jazz through free, quality live musical performances.

Saturday, March 28 - Tom Braxton – National Recording Artist, Saxophonist and Composer
Thursday, April 2 - Melina - Local R&B/Jazz Vocalist
Thursday, April 9 - Ken Slavin - Local Jazz Crooner
Saturday, April 11 - Cindy Bradley - National Recording Artist


All concerts are free and held from 7:30 – 9:30. Saturday concerts are held on-stage by The Cheesecake Factory. Thursday concerts are held along the steps of The Falls, running between Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille and Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar.

NEW FOR 2015 – THE VIP SHOPPING PASS!
Pick-Up your VIP SHOPPING PASS at The Shops at La Cantera tent by The Limited each concert night in order to get special Spring Jazz at the Falls retailer discounts and enter to win mall gift cards and retailer prizes! There is a limited number of VIP Shopping Passes available each night, so make sure to check-in at the tent early on event night!

VIP Shopping Pass Participating retailers include: Kendra Scott, Brooks Brothers, The Limited, Z Gallerie, Ann Taylor, BRIO, Burger Fi, Grimaldi’s, Kona Grill, Va Bene, Picture People and Manrique Custom Vision. 

FREE Admission 
Schedule is subject to change. 
No outside coolers allowed. 
Chair placement allowed starting 1 hour prior to show.

Please visit our sponsors! 

Porsche of San Antonio
Q101.9

Weekend Shows in San Antonio March 26-29

The weekend is almost here, which makes it the perfect time to enjoy some live music in the San Antonio-area. Unfortunately, the concert series at The Shops at Dos Lagos hasn't started just yet, but there are plenty of options to fit a wide variety of musical tastes, from hip-hop to rock. San Antonio Current gives us a glimpse into some of the weekend's concerts:

Thursday, March 26
Freetail Piñata Protest Release
Freetail Brewery celebrates the release of the Piñata Protest Red Wit beer with a performance by the self-described “mojado punks,” FEA, and the Bolzen Beer Band. Active since ’09, Piñata Protest released their best effort yet in 2013 with the El Valiente EP, containing 19 minutes of fierce punk and two-step accordion rhythms. Uproarious trio FEA began from the cooled ashes of Girl In A Coma, with Jenn Alva and Phanie Diaz taking the hiatus as an opportunity to put out vicious Chicana punk. From Lincoln, Nebraska, the Bolzen Beer Band lives for party-friendly polka punk. Like a distant Germanic cousin to Piñata Protest, the Bolzen Beer Band rides the backbone of the oompah polka rhythm, bringing irreverent glee to their musical heritage on songs like “Smuggler’s Polka.” RSVP only, 8pm, Empire Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary's, (210) 226-5700

Friday, March 27
We Leave at Midnight, Chris Maddin
Recently signed to SA label Texas Is Funny, We Leave at Midnight’s self-titled 2012 debut is an exercise in clean-cut rock ‘n’ roll and Brian Wilson harmonies projected through a sepia lens. Chris Maddin — operator of Filmstrips, Tiago Splitters and Blowing Trees — seems to recreate his songwriting approach every few years, honing in with each successive project. With Walker Lukens. $5, 9pm, 502 Bar, 502 Embassy Oaks, (210) 257-8125

Friday, March 27
45 Friday
Jason Chronis, of Austin bands Voxtrot and Tele Novella, joins DJs Rae D. Cabello and Travis Buffkin for Faust’s bi-weekly exploration of soul and Texas music. In addition to his indie rock cred, Chronis boasts a choice collection of Texas soul, garage and R&B. 10pm, Faust, 517 E. Woodlawn, (210) 257-0628

Friday, March 27
Blithe, Moths
SA punk quintet Blithe borrows its name from a lovely and overlooked adjective that Merriam-Webster defines as “of a happy lighthearted character or disposition.” This must be an instance where the band name sounds better than its meaning, ’cause there’s little about Blithe’s EP False Sense of Entitlement that feels lighthearted or carefree. The inaugural release reeks of anxiety, pounding over flickering dance-punk rhythms and tightly-wound guitar riffs. Houston’s Moths creates beautiful and longform expositions in droning rock and thrash metal, casually stepping between genres. With Collective Dreams, Pinko. Free, 10pm, Bottom Bracket Social Club,1609 N. Colorado, (210) 267-9160

Friday, March 27
Future Museums
With Tapestry of Time and Terrain, Austin’s Future Museums cut an EP of lovely, underwater textures. But like many submerged sounds, it’s difficult to figuring out the source. Their guitars, keys and computers blend together with gestaltic beauty. With Pussywillows, Hypersleep. $3, 9pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary's

Friday, March 27
Shamon Cassette
New York rapper Shamon Cassette throws back to the boom-bap era, but keeps his rhymes interesting with lifelike imagery, flexing a mind “everlasting like a Levi rivet.” With Chisme, Nag Champa, Galacticat, Pleasurefaces. $3, 9pm, Hi-Tones, 621 E. Dewey, (210) 573-6220

Saturday, March 28
Joe Ely
With an adjunct gig singing backup for The Clash and his tenure with Los Super Seven, cowboy rock ‘n’ roller Joe Ely already has an unrivaled resume among Texas Music Hall of Famers. With his 1982 recording B4 84, Ely separated himself from his Lone Star peers with a musical and technological anomaly: an album made on the Apple II computer, recorded over a decade before the idea of personal computers took off. $20, 9pm, Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene, (830) 606-1281

Saturday, March 28
Satalights, The Purtells
Austin’s Satalights create psych pop with overlapping melodies and deep textures. The Purtells muse through a vocoder, bringing an android excitement to indie pop in San Antonio. With Empire Machine. 9pm, 502 Bar, 502 Embassy Oaks, (210) 257-8125

Saturday, March 28
Sir Mix-A-Lot
“Baby Got Back,” Sir Mix-A-Lot’s ’92 platinum single, tapped into a zeitgeist moment of ass worship, with entire generations of women memorizing the tune (or at least its first verse). Unfortunately for Mix-A-Lot, he couldn't keep the moment going, falling into the cultural detritus of VH1 nostalgia hours. $20, 9pm, Industry, 8021 Pinebrook, (210) 366-3229

Sunday, March 29
Troller, Marie Davidson
Troller’s self-titled, 2013 release on Holodeck Records is an astonishing example of drone, noise and pop. Montreal-based Marie Davidson performs in a sing-song Québécois reminiscent of Serge Gainsbourg. With Ssleeperhold, Calico Club. $3, 9pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary's

This Saturday kicks off San Antonio Beer Week, which runs through Sunday, March 29! The goal of Beer Week is to promote local and independent craft breweries in our area, and to grow the greater San Antonio beer community. Complete with a kick-off party and closing ceremony, each day of the week offers different events, from tastings to brunch! Which Beer Week events should definitely be on your agenda? San Antonio Current recommends the following:

Saturday, March 21: Take a stroll to Main Plaza for the San Antonio Beer Week Kickoff Party. Blue Star Ice House will stage a tap takeover with no remorse for your liver or wallet. San Antonio's own Cryin' D.T. Buffkin & the Bad Breath will start the festivities with powerful drinking songs driven by smoky vocals. The party will conclude with "San Antonio | The Saga" at 9 p.m., pairing eclectic visuals with your buzz. Free admission, 4:30-9pm, 115 S. Main Plaza,mainplaza.org.

Sunday, March 22: Get your grub on at Alamo Beer Company as they host Lüke's John Russ for a crawfish boil. The crawfish will be sold by the pound in the new brewery's spacious beer garden. Free admission, 1-6pm, 202 Lamar St., alamobeer.com.

Monday, March 23: Busted Sandal Brewing calls Knife and Fork Gastropub home for this beer pairing dinner. Owner/chef Javier Orozco will match Busted Sandal's Fire Pit Wit, 210 Ale, Slippery Rock IPA, El Robusto Porter and a randall-ized beer infusion to be named later with five courses. $65, 7-10pm, 20626 Stone Oak Pkwy. #103, knifeforkgastropub.com.

Friday, March 27: Do you find the craft beer scene too intimidating? Don't know where to start? The Hangar will be hosting a special beer tasting for only $5, a chance to get die-hard Bud Light drinkers up to speed on the best local breweries. Taste-test 10 beers from around South Texas, with light snacks provided and entry into a raffle ticket drawing. You'll be a believer in craft beer by night's end.$5, 7-9pm, 8203 Broadway, thehangarsa.com.

Saturday, March 28: Now that you've been converted into a craft beer believer, take a tour of one of San Antonio's finest breweries, Branchline Brewing. They will be holding a special version of their monthly tour and tasting with several batches of limited beers made available for the occasion. Admission gets you four pours of Branchline Brewing Co.'s best brews, after which you'll walk (or stumble) away with a SABW T-shirt. $15, noon-6pm, 3363 Metro Pkwy.,branchlinebrewing.com.

Sunday, March 29: SABW's closing ceremonies will test your willpower like nothing else during the week. South Texas' elite brewers will bring their most creative beers in a festival-like setting at the Pearl Brewery. There will be live music and a variety of food from local gastropubs, filling your ears and belly. Admission grants you six 4-ounce sample tickets and a snazzy SABW 2015 tasting cup.$30-$35, 3-7pm, 303 Pearl Pkwy., atpearl.com.