Things to Do in Leon Valley

In the pens at Fiesta Farm, light scattered by the branches of tall trees warms a menagerie of mild-mannered pets. Youngsters cautiously reach out to touch the wooly ears of a llama or venture into the enclosure to laugh at the guttural babble of potbellied pigs. On the 15-acre ranch, Laredo, a bay-quarter horse, waits patiently to nuzzle guests or provide rides, and bunnies, an emu, and sheep compete for attention across the wooded landscape. Before and after visits, a shaded picnic area hosts pleasantly exhausted visitors, and the farm's barn is equipped with fans and heaters for the comfort of guests and to keep prima-donna billy goats from freezing their perms off in the wintertime.

The artisans at Stained Glass Crafters Workbench live by a simple maxim: don’t throw stones. While they may not live in glass houses, their works are all made of stained, leaded, fused, and mosaic glass. So, instead of tossing rocks, they spend their time training the next generation of artists in glass-artwork classes, where they teach students how to fashion everything from colorful light switches to standalone wall pieces. Students create art pieces, such as plant hooks and pendants, as well as custom artwork that brightens moody dens or tastefully hide the miniature black holes they didn't notice before they moved in.

Opened in the early 1970s, Car-Vel Skate Center is named after its founders, Carl and Velma Forsyth, who have coached artistic roller-skating at regional, national, and worldwide levels for nearly half a century. Koprecia, the couple's youngest daughter, now carries on the family legacy, operating Car-Vel and coaching the center's inline-speed-skating team in national competitions. In addition to daily public roller-skating sessions, the rink hosts high-energy roller-derby bouts and parties soundtracked by record-spinning DJs. Hot and cold eats from the snack bar fuel marathon skate sessions, and video games and a pool table give legs a temporary reprieve.

The National Sporting Clays Association serves as the governing body for sporting clays in the United States and ranks among the largest sporting-clays associations in the world, claiming more than 22,000 total members in every state, 10 foreign countries, and on two dwarf planets. The NSCA shares its headquarters at the National Shooting Complex with the National Skeet Shooting Association on 671 acres of San Antonio countryside. This expansive venue encompasses facilities such as 45 skeet fields, 47 trap fields, and five sporting-clays courses where instructors lead classes for all levels of shooters and aspiring instructors. Additionally, as the host of many high-profile shooting events such as the World Skeet Championships, the National Shooting Complex welcomes fans with a 1,000-seat stadium and 180 RV sites with electric and water hookups.

Founded in 1954 and featured in the Wall Street Journal, the McNay Art Museum rests on the 23-acre estate of the late art collector Marion Koogler McNay and boasts a collection of nearly 20,000 works of early and modern art, as well as the New Image Sculpture exhibit (running until May 8) and Sandy Skoglun's installation The Cocktail Party (running until May 8).

Far from the typical movie theater, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema subverts the industry standard by offering locally brewed beverages, a rotating specials menu, and an advertisement-free experience. Theater-goers can sip on wine and beer while enjoying the custom shows that run before the feature in place of ads. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema projects first-run blockbusters and cult classics from crisp digital film onto the silver screen, as surround sound submerges audiences in the cinematic experience. The theater's enormous shepherd's crook enforces a strict no-talking, no-texting policy, with the notable exception of fan-centric Quote-Along nights.