An edited version of this article appeared in the April 2018 issue of RIO Magazine, the official magazine of the San Antonio River Walk Association.

San Antonio loves to throw over-the-top parties, and this year is going to be soooo EXTRA because it’s the 50th anniversary of Hemisfair and the 300th birthday of our fair city.

Hemisfair, the 1968 World’s Fair, celebrated San Antonio’s founding in 1718 at San Pedro Creek by Spanish Governor Martín de Alarcón. A combination of public and private funds sponsored the “Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas” and changed San Antonio forever.

1968 until now, 50 years later

In an interview with the San Antonio Library Foundation, Tom C. Frost IV, a retired San Antonio banker, said that 1968 was San Antonio’s most important year—more important than 1836—because the community came together and made Hemisfair happen. More than 6 million guests from around the globe visited the Alamo City and put San Antonio on the world’s map.

The Institute of Texan Cultures, the Henry B. González Convention Center, the John H. Wood Federal Courthouse, and the Tower of Americas were all built for the fair, and the city extended its River Walk, the Paseo del Rio, one quarter of a mile to reach into the fair’s grounds.

National and corporate pavilions wowed attendees, and Los Voladores de Papantla, known as the Flying Indians, were a crowd favorite. The six-month fair has had lasting impact.

Twenty years later, the site was renamed Hemisfair Park. In 2009, the San Antonio City Council established the Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation, a local government corporation, to manage and revitalize the area.

The HPARC benchmarked 31 sites, including Bryant Park in New York City, Millennium Park in Chicago and La Rambla in Barcelona, before writing its master plan to create a series of vibrant, walkable, urban parks within 19 of the 40 acres.

In the first two years since its re-opening, more than one million visitors have enjoyed Hemisfair Park. The vast majority of visitors are from San Antonio, including all 10 city council districts and every zip code, but non-natives also take advantage of the downtown park.

Hemisfair Park will host more than 600 events this year, and 95 percent of them are free of charge.

Drew Hicks, Communications Manager of Hemisfair, said that his team members are Hemisfair’s current-day stewards.

“People were so enthused about what the World’s Fair represented,” said Hicks. “The city was dripping with optimism in 1968. The Confluence of Civilizations was REAL. You felt like you were part of something bigger. For the fiftieth anniversary, we want to celebrate our diversity, our inclusivity, our city. It’s a good time for more optimism.”

April 6, 7 & 8, 2018

Hemisfair’s anniversary celebration, ¡VIVA HEMISFAIR!, will take place on April 6, 7 and 8 in the park. Admission is free. Guests will pay for food and drinks with cash. Friday’s kick off begins at 5 p.m. at the Institute of Texas Cultures and will feature a Hemisfair ’68 exhibit.

Common Currents 1968, showcasing Jose Dávila, Rocío Sáenz, and Roberto Rébora, will be open at the Mexican Cultural Institute on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Grand Opening of the MOMOPOMPA exhibit will take place at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México on Friday evening and continue throughout the weekend, while a Knuffle Bunny performance begins at 7 p.m. at the Magik Theater.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the Tower of the Americas is offering buy one get one 50 percent off admission.

Friday, April 6, activities

Activities in Yanaguana Garden on Friday include artist Rob the Original, featured on the Queen Latifah show, ESPN’s SportsCenter, and Spurs Insider on Fox, designing in the sand play area.

The Community Housing Resource Partners CHR and its team of volunteers will construct a life-size house made of Everblocks in 48 hours. They will demonstrate home-life stability and its impact on a child’s life – one block at a time.

What’s a party in San Antonio without an Urban 15 performance and parade?! It will begin at 8 p.m. followed by surf-rock legends King Pelican, backed by images and video from Hemisfair ’68, at 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 7, activities

Saturday’s events will run from noon to 9 p.m., mainly along East Nueva Street from Alamo Street to the Tower of the Americas.

Cultural zones will showcase food, performances, music and art from La Familia Cortez, Pasha, American Indians in Texas, Cookie CRAVE, Dom’s Chopped Salsa, Whole Foods, Beethoven Maennerchor, Fiesta City Chorus, Aqua Acro Entertainment, Southwest School of Art, Blue Star, AyeQueCute, Grupo Folklorico de Bendiciones, DJ Mayhem, Ballet Conservatory, The Best of Diwali, and more.

Unlike the 1968 World’s Fair, the cultural zones won’t be made up of formal delegations from these regions, but rather San Antonians with a connection to these heritage traditions.

From 10:30 a.m. to noon, MixFit SA: Zumba will be offered in the Splash Pad. Kites, a special edition of Super Fun Saturday, will take place from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Participants will make and decorate their very own kites led by local artists Stuart Allen and Cade Bradshaw.

A Retro ’60s Car Show will occur at the Tower of the Americas while the Institute of Texan Cultures will feature two exhibits, “VIVA Hemisfair” and “VIVA ITC”.

Native Texan Anne Wallace will mount an art installation that highlights the district before Hemisfair ’68. Earn-A-Bike bamboo bike demonstrations and gardening workshops by Gardopia Gardens will also be going on.

A Maker’s Village will take place inside the Hilton Pavilion from noon to 5 p.m. to showcase San Antonio’s connection to the technology of tomorrow.

The Film Commission, in partnership with the Tricenntennial, will present a showing of “Viva Max” at sundown on the Great Lawn of Yanaguana Garden.

Saturday’s events will close out with the Institute of Texan Cultures’ “Reboot, Rewind” Gala, a ticketed event, from 8 p.m. to midnight, which will include a 1960s fashion show, featuring uniforms that were worn during the World’s Fair.

Sunday, April 8, activities

Sunday’s events will take place from noon to 5 p.m. and include an Art Walk, Jazz music, food, activities, and docent-led tour guides who will provide insight on artifacts in five historic homes. They will cover the history of Hemisfair from before the 1968 World’s Fair until now.

The Institute of Texan Cultures will host an employee alumni reception from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, and the City of San Antonio’s Office of Historic Preservation will capture a StoryCorps-style recorded interviews of Hemisfair ’68 memories.

The Tower of the Americas will stage a Wine Festival from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. that features Sonoma Vineyards wines and a special commemorative Official Tricentennial Wine of 2018.

Whether you were present for the 1968 celebration or not, now is your chance to be a part of the Alamo City’s on-going history. ¡VIVA HEMISFAIR! ¡VIVA SAN ANTONIO!

Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., author of “San Antonio’s Passport to Fun,” has been blogging about San Antonio since June of 2010. Follow her at facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist so that you’ll never miss a post. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been her home ever since. Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot com if you’d like for her to curate a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!