Entertainment
NIOSA 2026 Locks In Dates, Ticket Deals, and La Villita Layout Changes Ahead of Fiesta San Antonio
NIOSA 2026: “A Night in Old San Antonio” (NIOSA) will take place from April 21-24, 2026, in La Villita. The festival maintains its 14 cultural areas with food, music, and entertainment while slightly adjusting some layouts. Discounted tickets are available, supporting historic preservation efforts.
NIOSA 2026 Locks In Dates, Ticket Deals, and La Villita Layout Changes Ahead of Fiesta San Antonio
“A Night in Old San Antonio” (NIOSA) is already in full build mode for 2026, and for longtime Fiesta fans, the headline is simple: the experience is staying familiar—just with a few on-the-ground tweaks.
NIOSA, the four-night festival known for turning La Villita Historic Arts Village into a packed, music-filled maze of cultural neighborhoods, will run April 21–24, 2026, from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. nightly, during Fiesta San Antonio. The event remains centered in La Villita, in the heart of downtown San Antonio, with organizers confirming that all 2025 areas will return—though some entertainment and dining areas will be moved around within the roughly five-acre footprint.
A Fiesta favorite with a preservation purpose
Celebrating its 78th presentation in 2026, NIOSA is more than a marquee Fiesta party. Organizers describe it as the top fundraiser for historic preservation in the United States, operating under the motto “A Celebration for Preservation.”
NIOSA is produced by and benefits The Conservation Society of San Antonio, one of the nation’s oldest historic preservation organizations, which marked its 100th anniversary in 2024. Proceeds support the Society’s work preserving historic properties and parks, along with education and advocacy efforts that include scholarships, grants, and funding support for research and restoration projects.
According to the release, NIOSA provides the Society over $1 million annually on average, helping fund preservation seminars, scholarships, a resource library, and house museums. The event also invests heavily back into the community through local suppliers and operational costs tied to hosting the festival in La Villita.
The 14 areas that make NIOSA feel like its own city
The core of NIOSA’s draw is its immersive layout: 14 cultural areas filled with food, music, décor, and continuous entertainment. The press release highlights the festival’s mix of atmosphere booths, entertainment stages, decorations, souvenirs, and an all-hands volunteer effort that brings the village to life each night.
The 14 areas include:
- The Mission Trail, celebrating early San Antonio history with colorful mission-inspired façades
- Arneson Theatre, set along the River Walk with an amphitheater built in 1941
- China Town, featuring Asian flavors
- French Quarter, where beignets share the menu with escargot
- Frontier Town, bringing the old west to life (and home to the famous Shypoke Eggs)
- Irish Flat, known for favorites like Potato Skins
- Haymarket, featuring Tejano sounds and handmade Maria’s Tortillas
- Clown Alley, built for nostalgic fun
- Froggy Bottom, where the music rocks while fans line up for Chicken on a Stick
- Main Street USA, where it’s always the 4th of July
- Mexican Market, featuring popular Anticuchos beef kabob
- Sauerkraut Bend, serving sizzling sausage with a German Oompa band
- South of the Border, with Northern Mexico-influenced cuisine like Pollo Rancho
- Villa España, surrounded by colorful Spanish murals
Organizers note that while some areas will shift locations within La Villita, every area from 2025 will still exist in 2026—meaning the festival’s “choose-your-own-adventure” feel should remain intact, even if your usual route through the grounds changes.
What’s staying the same (for the better)
NIOSA’s message for 2026 is that the fan favorites aren’t going anywhere.
The festival will again serve a long list of staples, including Mr. Chicken, Maria’s Tortillas, Anticuchos, German sausage, Bongo-K-Bobs, Shypoke Eggs, Beignets, Fried Mushrooms, Yak-i-Tori, Steer on a Stick, Gorditas, and Fajitas de Pollo. Organizers also say NIOSA’s favorite entertainers will return nightly for continuous entertainment, and popular souvenirs will be back, including 2026 NIOSA medalsand the event’s collectible beer cups.
A private medal unveiling ceremony is planned for late January, open to media.
NIOSA also emphasizes that it operates rain or shine, with no refunds on tickets.
Tickets: early discounts and member pricing
For those planning ahead, NIOSA is pushing early ticket savings now.
- Discount tickets are on sale for $17 through January 4, 2026.
- Those tickets are valid for any night of NIOSA 2026.
- Tickets are sold online at: https://niosa2023.ticketspice.com/a-night-in-old-san-antonio-2026
Families should also note: Children 12 and under are admitted free with a paying adult.
The release also points to the best discounted option for regular attendees: joining The Conservation Society of San Antonio by the end of March 2026. Discounted member tickets are listed at $15 per person, with the added benefit of supporting the preservation mission behind the festival.
Powered by volunteers, built for community
NIOSA’s scale is massive—and it runs on volunteer power. The release states that the entire event, including food booths, is operated by an “army” of 10,000 volunteers, with many booths staffed by second- and third-generation families. Volunteers travel from across the country to participate.
The 2026 NIOSA Chair is Julie Terrill, supported by Vice Chairs Monica Reyes, Anita Gonzalez, Lisa Pierce, and Abbi Power, with DeAnna Keesee serving as Treasurer.
The bottom line
NIOSA 2026 is set for April 21–24 at La Villita, keeping its signature mix of cultural areas, live entertainment, and iconic Fiesta food—while shifting a few dining and entertainment zones around the grounds. Early-bird tickets are already available, and organizers are positioning membership as the best way to save while backing San Antonio preservation efforts.
For more information, visit https://www.niosa.org/ or follow NIOSA on Facebook and Instagram.
Last Updated on November 7, 2026 by Daily News Staff
New hybrid event aims to give grieving audiences meaningful holiday viewing, with films from more than 25 countries and a mission centered on love, loss, and emotional truth.
A new film festival debuting in late 2026 is taking a different approach to holiday entertainment. Grief Fest™: The Grief Film Festival, created by My Grief Angels Inc., is being introduced as what organizers believe is the world’s first film festival dedicated entirely to grief, remembrance, resilience, and healing.
The hybrid festival will run in two segments: November 25–29, 2026, during Thanksgiving week, and December 24, 2026, through January 3, 2027, during Christmas and New Year’s. Top Honors films will be announced on December 31, 2026.
Organizers say the timing is intentional. Research cited in the announcement shows that grief and loneliness are major holiday stressors for many Americans, making the season especially difficult for people coping with loss. In that context, Grief Fest™ is positioning itself as an alternative to the flood of traditional feel-good holiday programming.
The festival is open to short films, features, documentaries, experimental work, AI-generated projects, and VR experiences. It is described as inclusive, non-religious, and LGBTQ+ friendly, with submissions already received from more than 25 countries. All films will be presented in English, either spoken or subtitled.
Grief Fest™ will be available both in person and virtually through Film Festival Plus, making it accessible to audiences worldwide. The launch of GriefFest.com also includes Lumen, a multilingual AI guide designed to help filmmakers and attendees navigate the festival in their preferred language.
Rather than focusing on industry prestige, organizers say the festival is centered on community and emotionally honest storytelling. For audiences who feel unseen during the holidays, Grief Fest™ is aiming to offer something rare on the seasonal screen: recognition.
Source: PR Newswire
Related Reading
- Grief Fest: Official festival site
- My Grief Angels Inc.: About the nonprofit behind the festival
- Film Festival Plus: Virtual access platform
Catch the latest in movies, TV, music, pop culture, and live events in STM Daily News’ Entertainment section.
Entertainment
Bring History to Life with Experiences That Feel Real
Bring History to Life: Reading books and watching documentaries can be good ways to learn about history, but there’s something particularly meaningful about immersive experiences that allow you to step inside the stories that shaped the world.
Bring History to Life with Experiences That Feel Real
(Feature Impact) Reading books and watching documentaries can be good ways to learn about history, but there’s something particularly meaningful about immersive experiences that allow you to step inside the stories that shaped the world.
During a visit to the U-505 Submarine exhibit at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry (Griffin MSI), guests can literally step inside a historic German U-boat captured during World War II. In 1944, the U.S. Navy underwent a top-secret mission to disarm and take over one of the German submarines that wreaked havoc on the high seas, attacking not just military vessels but merchant ships and supply ships as well.
Watch this video to see more:
“The mission was a dangerous one, as U-boat captains were under strict orders to sink their own subs if they were in danger of capture,” said Dr. Voula Saridakis, head curator at Griffin MSI, “but the U.S. Navy managed to take over the vessel and keep it afloat long enough to reach American shores. There, they studied it to gather German military secrets and other intelligence items, like the codebreaking Enigma Machine now on display at Griffin MSI.”
As you tour the submarine, you’ll experience firsthand what life was really like on board. Climb through the hatch, picture yourself bunking for the night in the cramped sleeping quarters, take a turn trying to maneuver the submarine while dodging torpedoes and imagine the bravery of the American soldiers who risked themselves on a perilous mission to capture the vessel and help turn the tide of the war.
There are many important lessons to glean from history, and they’re often easier to understand when presented in a tangible way. Planning visits to museum exhibits and historical sites allows you to stand where others have stood, see what they’ve seen and connect your human experience with theirs. Parents, children, educators, students and people of all ages can find something to inspire them in these stories.
Learn more about bringing history and science to life at GriffinMSI.org.
SOURCE:
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
Entertainment
Patrick Stewart, Beloved Star of Star Trek and X-Men, Dies at 86
Sir Patrick Stewart, beloved for his performances as Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Professor Charles Xavier, has died at 86, leaving a lasting legacy across television, film and theater.
Entertainment News Brief
Sir Patrick Stewart, the acclaimed actor best known as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films, has died at 86.
Stewart died October 28 at his home in Los Angeles, according to a statement from his spokesperson reported by Reuters. The announcement said he had been living with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia and was with his wife, Sunny Ozell.
Stewart brought a commanding presence and a thoughtful approach to leadership to Star Trek: The Next Generation, which aired from 1987 to 1994. He later continued Picard’s story in feature films and returned for Star Trek: Picard.
His career also encompassed Shakespearean theater, including work with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He was knighted in 2010 for his contributions to drama.
For generations of viewers, Stewart helped make science fiction a place to explore questions of responsibility, compassion and humanity.
Sources
● Reuters: Patrick Stewart, Shakespearean actor turned Star Trek and X-Men star, dies at 86
● ABC News: Patrick Stewart dies at 86
