There's a busy weekend ahead, from holiday shopping to traditions hundreds of years in the making.
First off, for those of you looking to shop, but not in the big box stores, there's “Hecho a Mano.”
"’Hecho a Mano’ literally means made by hand," said Belinda Menchaca, of Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center.
Hecho a Mano is what they call a holiday market, where all pieces sold are handmade, she said.
"These are the kind of items you're not going to find anywhere else, except for markets like this that feature and recognize local artisans," Menchaca said.
Admission to the event is $2, but you can get around that by donating two cans of food instead.
"Those canned goods go to inner city development food bank,” she said.
The center been putting on Hecho a Mano for more than 30 years, and it’s become a Christmas tradition.
The event is Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 6 p.m. at the Galeria Guadalupe, at 723 S. Brazos Street.
‘The Nutcracker'
Then, running tonight through Sunday: “The Nutcracker.”
The Tobin Center's Kelley Kendall said Ballet San Antonio and the San Antonio Symphony collaboration includes a few local celebrities, including Ursula Pari and former San Antonio Spur Matt Bonner.
"A holiday classic, puro San Antonio Style," Kendall said.
‘The Messiah’
Then, on Sunday, enjoy more seasonal music, this time from Tchaikovsky.
“We're performing the long standing tradition of ‘The Messiah,’ with orchestra and soloists, on two different performances,” said Chancey Blackburn, chair of the San Antonio Mastersingers.
Blackburn says the 120-voice San Antonio Mastersingers really enjoy singing Messiah.
"It's a piece of music like no other,” he said. “And of course, the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ brings chills to anyone."
Performances are at 3 p.m. at University United Methodist Church on De Zavala Road, and 7 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church on Mulberry Avenue.
Jack Morgan can be reached at jack@tpr.org
