Things to Do in San Antonio

Judo is one of the grappling arts, which means that it has no strikes and uses no weapons, unlike karate or tae kwon do. Judo was developed in 1882 by Jigoro Kano as a comprehensive method of physical education, and it continues to provide exercise, entertainment, and self-defense knowledge today. For fun or competition, Universal Judo provides instruction and enjoyment to practitioners of all skill levels and ages. Call ahead to schedule your first visit.

Students of all skill and experience levels flock to the tranquil Alamo Heights studio to stretch, sweat, and strengthen together under the influence of highly-skilled teachers. Studio A: Pilates offers low-impact core-conditioning classes in the Fletcher style of Pilates to help workouteers reach healthy fitness levels, tone and lengthen their muscles, increase their flexibility, and twist away their tension. During the four-week introductory series, students learn the fundamentals of Fletcher alignment techniques, Percussive Breathing™, basic mat work, and Fletcher Towelwork®, with each class introducing new challenging moves to keep workouts fresh and fun. Class sizes are kept small to ensure that all students—even middle children wearing hand-me-down capris—receive individualized attention.

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.

Before rushing into full-fledged competition, players at Oak Hills Lanes hone their craft with pay-as-you-go practice shots. By detecting which pins need to topple, pinsetters enable patrons to score tricky spares as they rehearse for real games or when they must knock down a neighbor's tacky lawn ornaments. Once they've warmed their throwing arms, they face off against comrades during open hours. In addition to bites such as pizza and burgers, the snack bar's cooks sling tacos, enchiladas, and even pancakes. Such noshes fuel bowlers of all ages and skill levels at various fall leagues, but soda and ice cream serve as the main power source during all-inclusive parties.

Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center began weaving itself into the fabric of San Antonio’s arts and theater scene more than three decades ago to share the richness of Chicano, Latino, and Native American art forms. Now a cornerstone of the community, the nonprofit touches the lives of more than 100,000 people each year with theater and dance performances, cultural festivals, and creative classes. The center passes down traditional forms of expression, such as Mexican Folklórico dance and cactus juggling while also embracing contemporary art forms such as photography.

Each year, Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s festivals welcome large crowds of adults, kids, and multiple Waldos. Foremost among them are CineFestival, the Tejano Conjunto music festival, and Hecho A Mano, a holiday crafts and arts festival. For its members, the center organizes a wealth of educational programming, teaching everything from oil painting and guitar to karate.