This weekend, November 5 and 6, is the first full weekend of the month and as always Bank of America cardholders can take advantage of free admission at participating museums. On the first full weekend (Saturday and Sunday) of every month Bank of America cardholders get free access to more than 150 of the nation’s finest arts, cultural and educational institutions in 33 states and 101 cities. Museums on Us® is designed to give customers some cultural benefits and increase the community’s access to the arts. Some of these institutions range from art, children’s and history museums to science centers. (Bank of America, 2016)

Nationwide museums include:
Orlando Science Center – Orlando, FL
Shedd Aquarium – Chicago, IL
Portland Art Museum – Portland, OR
The Henry Ford – Dearborn, MI

All they have to do is present their Bank of America/Merrill Lynch credit card or debit card and a valid photo id. The offer is only for the cardholder, is for general admission and excludes fundraising events, special exhibitions and ticketed shows. The program continues to grow as more states join in this movement to foster an interest in the arts. A new feature of this program is the release of the Museums on Us® mobile site. By logging into the site people who are travelling can check if the city they are in has a participating museum.

Participating San Antonio museums include:
Witte Museum
San Antonio Museum of Art
McNay Art Museum
The DoSeum

So this weekend take advantage of free admission to the McNay Art Museum to enjoy the works of artists such as Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh and Jackson Pollock. Or take the kids to The Doseum to get hands on experience in the museum’s three floors of interactive exhibits. The San Antonio Museum of Art has an extensive collection of Latin American, Asian and Ancient Mediterranean Art while the Witte Museum is the place to be to learn about natural history, science and South Texas Heritage.

This weekend at Mission County Park there will be a two in one event perfect for anyone looking for a way to experience the San Antonio River and spend some time outdoors. The San Antonio River Foundation in partnership with the San Antonio River Authority will present River Relay & Get Outdoors 2016 on Saturday November 5, 2016 and it promises something for everyone. It is a spectator friendly event that anyone can enjoy and features a competitive kayak/run race and fair. The purpose of this event is to attract people to the redeveloped Mission Reach Trail and get them to experience the river from a different perspective—on the water. While there they can get involved in outdoor activities and education, learn more about the environment and enjoy a healthy lifestyle.(San Antonio River Foundation, 2016)

The fun will start with an early morning river relay race and will continue throughout the day with educational activities and live music. The River Relay will take place from 9a.m. to 11a.m. and can be enjoyed as a race participant or a spectator. There are three ways to participate: run a 5K route on the Mission Reach Trail alone, kayak a 4K route down the San Antonio River alone, or do the race as part of a two person team with one member kayaking and the other running. Once the race participants cross the finish line they will join friends and the community in a celebration with live music by Two Tons of Steel, beer from Alamo Beer Company and more. Race winners will receive a $50 gift card courtesy of Broadway Bank. Anyone interested in participating in the race can register online. Online registration ends Friday November 4 at 12p.m. As of now, all free kayaks have been reserved.

The Get Outdoors fair will be from 10a.m. to 2p.m. at Mission County Park. There will be live music and activities from more than 30 organizations and local businesses. Those who attend will receive a free water bottle while supplies last. Activities will include rock wall, tennis, fly fishing, live animals, bean bag toss and circuit training. Food available for purchase will include wings, BBQ, smoothies and more.

Mission County Park
802 VFW Blvd
San Antonio, TX 78223

This past September the Woodlawn Theatre held its Third Annual Deco Gala during which the theater announced the upcoming 2017 season. The season will feature six main stage productions including ‘Pippin,’ ‘Sister Act,’ ‘Shrek The Musical,’ ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,’ ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ and ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.’ (Woodlawn Theatre, 2016)

The Woodlawn Theatre is also introducing a new subscription package in 2017 titled ‘Season Flex Pass.’ This pass will allow patrons the flexibility of choosing only which shows they would like to attend instead of requiring them to choose a seat for each show in the season. The Flex Pass includes six vouchers valid for all six main stage productions with a limit of four vouchers per show. It also includes a saving of 20% on ticketing and fees, hassle free ticket exchange privileges and access to single tickets before they go on sale to the general public. Season subscriptions will still be offered and include these same benefits plus the ability to select seats for the entire season.

Single tickets will go on sale starting December 1, 2016. Both season subscription packages are now on sale and patrons have until February 10 to purchase a Season Subscription and until March to purchase a Flex Pass. This can be done online, in person at the theater, or by calling (210) 267-8388. All ticket sales are final.

Ticket prices are as follows:
Children/Students – $18 plus $3 service fee
Seniors/Military/First Responders – $24 plus $3 service fee
Adults – $29 plus $3 service fee
Season Subscription and Season Flex Pass – $155 each (20% savings on ticketing and fees)

Woodlawn Theatre
1920 Fredericksburg Rd
San Antonio, TX 78201
(210) 267-8388

Whataburger is known for hosting events to help out the community and its various schools. These events range from “Oh Whata Nights” to jalapeno eating contests, drawings and raffles. On Wednesday November 2 from 5p.m. to 8p.m. Whataburger is having another “Oh Whata Night” fundraiser and this one is to benefit the Southside High School football team. The public is invited to come and show their support by enjoying their favorite menu items and Whataburger will donate 20 percent of the sales during the posted hours to the organization. “Oh Whata Night” will also include the popular Whataburger for a Year drawing where one customer’s name will be drawn to win the ultimate prize-a free Whataburger every week for a year. The first 100 customers will also receive a free Whataburger gift. (Whataburger, 2016)

Whataburger has been making burgers since 1950 when Harman Dobson opened a humble hamburger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. He wanted customers to take one bite and say “What a burger” so he named his stand on Ayers St “Whataburger.” Since then Whataburger now has over 700 locations across the country and continues to deliver fresh, made to order meals everyday with superior customer service. Community support includes charitable giving and volunteerism to nonprofit organizations that focus on children’s charities, cancer research, hunger assistance, disaster relief and military support.

Whataburger #919
4125 S Loop 1604 E (near Interstate 37)
San Antonio, TX 78264
(210) 626-1176

Kool Smiles is a leading dental health care provider dedicated to creating a world of happy and healthy smiles in a fun and compassionate environment. Their patients include both children and adults and besides dental care they also provide oral health education programs through various community schools and organizations. This week Kool Smiles is sponsoring the fifth annual ‘Operation Troop Treats,’ a program designed to benefit children’s dental health and soldier morale.

‘Operation Troop Treats’ was created to encourage children and their families to visit one of two local Kool Smiles dental offices between Friday October 28 and Saturday November 5 during office hours to exchange their Halloween candy for toys. Each child that comes in will receive one toy for every 25 pieces of unopened candy in its original packaging. There is a limit of three toys per child and they will be distributed on a first come first served basis. Anyone interested can participate regardless of whether or not they are Kool Smiles patients. Operation Gratitude will then send the donated candy as part of care packages to U.S Troops serving overseas. Kool Smiles is also donating the funds to cover the assembly and shipment of 200 care packages. These care packages will include candy as well as dental kits from Kool Smiles. (Kool Smiles, 2016)

The mission of Operation Gratitude is to lift morale and meet the needs of service members. Since it was founded in 2003 volunteers have shipped more than 1.6 million packages to American military members. These care packages include snacks, entertainment, hygiene and hand-made items and personal letters of appreciation to individually named U.S. service members who are deployed overseas and their families waiting at home.

Leon Valley Kool Smiles
5601 Bandera Rd
San Antonio, TX 78238
210-521-1733

McCreless Kool Smiles
3850 S New Braunfels Ave
San Antonio, TX 78223
210-485-1859

The Classic Theatre of San Antonio is getting ready for its second production of their 9th season this week. This Friday November 4 is opening night of ‘School for Scandal’ by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. This comedy dates back to the 1700s and is still being performed due to its relevance to any time period. In this updated version it goes deep into a social network of outrageous gossip and lustful deceit. Sir Oliver, a long lost uncle, returns home in disguise with the intent of finding out what is really going on with his nephews. What he discovers is his dear friend Peter Teazle in marital anguish and being persecuted by a team of fools and scandal-mongers. It stars John O’Neill and Christi Eanes and runs from Friday November 4 through Sunday November 20, 2016. Show times are Friday and Saturday at 8p.m. and Sunday at 3p.m.

Ticket prices for ‘School for Scandal’ are $25 for general admission, $20 for senior, military, educator or SATCO and $10 for students. They may be purchased online or by calling the box office at (210) 589-8450. There will be a complimentary champagne reception on opening night Friday November 4. Following the Sunday November 20 show at 3p.m. there will be a ‘Community Conversations with Classic’ discussion about the play and how it connects with modern day scandals. (The Classic Theatre, 2016)

The Classic Theatre of San Antonio
1924 Fredericksburg Rd
San Antonio, TX 78201
(210) 589-8450

This year marks the first ever Mala Luna Music Festival which will be held downtown at the Lone Star Brewery this Saturday October 29 and Sunday October 30, 2016. ScoreMore Shows, a Texas-based music promoter, is bringing this unique festival experience to the San Antonio area and larger South Texas region to pay homage to the local culture. It is taking place during the community’s annual Dia de Los Muertos celebration and will include specially selected musical acts along with multiple live art installations and local food vendors and merchants. There are still single day, two day and VIP tickets available online starting at $89. Onsite parking will be at the Platinum Parking Lot for $35 and there will also be offsite parking, rideshare and shuttles available. More information about the festival, including full line up and parking details is available online. (Mala Luna Music Festival, 2016)

Musical acts will feature top national hip hop and EDM talent as well as up and coming acts. Some of these include Travis Scott, Steve Aoki, Kevin Gates, Kehlani and more. Several DJs will be onsite including Robbie Rob & DJ Ultrasonic from 98.5 The Beat, DJ D1 and DJ Hella Yella. There will be a Silent Disco Stage which will have muted musical entertainment from San Antonio DJs and other acts from across the state. Local merchants and shops will include Nite Owl Tattoo, Glass House Gallery, Snake Hawk Press and more. Guests will be able to purchase food from local food vendors like Frank, Drunchy’s, Hawk Burger Bar and Little Jamaica Foods.

Local artist Cruz Ortiz has created a limited edition poster for the festival and it will be available for purchase onsite but they are in short supply. To give back to the community, the Mala Luna Festival is donating a portion of the ticket sales to Network for Young Artists (NYA). The NYA is a nonprofit organization that provides affordable classes in voice, guitar, percussion and dance to San Antonio area youth ages 4 to 20. Two NYA students, Chloe Delgado and Chase Sauer will be performing at the festival.

Lone Star Brewery
600 Lone Star Blvd
San Antonio, TX 78204
(210) 853-2408

Last night was opening night of the Roundabout Theatre Company’s Tony Award® winning production of ‘Cabaret’ at the Majestic Theatre. This unforgettable musical is set in Berlin in 1930 at the infamous Kit Kat Klub and follows the blooming relationship between Sally Bowles (Andrea Goss), a singer at the club, and American writer Clifford Bradshaw (Benjamin Eakeley). The secondary relationship between landlady Fraulein Schneider (Mary Gordon Murray) and Herr Schultz (Scott Robertson) is also important to the story that depicts the rise of Nazism and its effect on daily life and relationships.

Act One begins with “Willkommen” as the flamboyant and audience favorite Emcee (Randy Harrison) welcomes the audience to the Kit Kat Klub and invites them to leave their troubles behind and enjoy themselves. Sally is introduced during her flirtatious performance of “Don’t Tell Mama.” Soon after the mood starts to change as the rising political turmoil is foreshadowed by Clifford’s reading of ‘Mein Kampf’ and the revelation at the engagement party that Clifford’s friend Ernst is a member of the Nazi party. Show highlights include the cabaret girls’ “Kick Line” and “If You Could See Her” by Emcee and the Gorilla. It all comes to the shocking conclusion as the Emcee takes off his overcoat to reveal a concentration camp prisoner’s uniform marked with a yellow Star of David and a pink triangle.

‘Cabaret’ starts off with decadent celebrations and slowly descends into political upheaval. The story is a social commentary of the times and eerily relevant to the current political situation. All the performances are solid with top nods going to Randy Harrison for his portrayal of the Emcee. Some of the dancing sequences are risqué and there is smoking onstage but overall it is a show not to be missed. It runs until Sunday October 30 with performances at 7:30p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 8p.m. on Friday, 2p.m. and 8p.m. on Saturday and 2p.m. and 7:30p.m. on Sunday. Ticket prices start at $30 and can be purchased at the Majestic Theatre box office, online, through Ticketmaster online or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

Majestic Theatre
224 E Houston St
San Antonio, TX 78205
(210) 226-5700

The movie adaptation of Lee Child’s “Never Go Back” was released last week.  Tom Cruise is back as the lead character Jack Reacher.  In a journey that began with “61 Hours” and ends with “Never Go Back” Jack Reacher is making his way from South Dakota to the headquarters of his old unit near Washington, D.C.  He is supposed to meet his new commanding officer Major Susan Turner in person but when he gets there she’s not there.  Still reeling from the news he receives he finds himself fighting to clear his name and find Turner.  All he has to do is stay one step ahead of the army, the FBI, the D.C. Metro Police and the four thugs after him.

“Night School” is the new Jack Reacher novel by British author Lee Child and is set to be released on Monday November 7, 2016.  This is the twenty-first Reacher novel and a prequel which goes back to 1996 when Reacher was still in the Army and 35 years old.  After he receives a commendation for a mission in the Balkans he is sent back to school.  It is a vital and secret mission that involves a sleeper cell in Hamburg, Germany that has learned of an American traitor who has something to sell to Islamic terrorists for $100 million.  Reacher’s team is given the order to find this American with the help of two former military police colleagues: Frances Neagley and Manuel Orozco.

Lee Child is a native of England whose his early career was in the entertainment business.  He wrote the first Jack Reacher novel, “Killing Floor,” in 1997 and it was an immediate success.  It won the Anthony and the Barry awards for Best First Mystery and launched what Newsweek calls “one of the best thriller characters at work today.” This series follows the adventures of former American military policeman Jack Reacher who is now a drifter.

Condé Nast Traveler is the top reference destination for travelers. It has received six National Magazine Award wins and 26 nominations in its 28-year history. The results of their 29th annual Reader’s Choice Awards are out and Hotel Emma at the Pearl is among the winners. Hotel Emma has been recognized as the number one property on the list of top hotels in Texas and number three nationally. The awards honor the world’s best hotels, resorts, cities, islands, air lines and cruise lines. They are the longest running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry. This year over 300,000 readers cast their votes for 7,394 hotels, 606 cities, 500 cruise ships and 236 islands to come up with the best travel experiences in the world. (Hotel Emma, 2016)

Hotel Emma is located in the former Pearl Brewery which was built in 1894 and is named in honor of Emma Koehler, the wife of Pearl Brewery founder Otto Koehler. She kept the brewery going during prohibition after her husband passed away and saw it through its most successful years. The hotel was designed by award-winning firm Roman and Williams who are known for mixing historic and modern elements. They had the historic Pearl building as a starting point and created a beautiful structure that blends the old with the new, the industrial with the refined.

Hotel Emma
136 East Grayson
San Antonio, TX 78715
(210) 448-8300