The City of San Antonio’s Official New Year’s Eve Celebration with San Antonio Parks Foundation & Michelob Ultra
CelebrateSA, the City of San Antonio’s Official New Year’s Eve Celebration returns to downtown on Sunday, December 31, 2023. CelebrateSA continues to draw in excess of 70,000 excited partygoers annually. The downtown area will be vibrant with revelers “Dancing In The Streets,” the theme for the 2023 celebration. Due to construction taking place on South Alamo Street, the live music event and fireworks show will move around the corner to take place on Market Street between South Alamo Street and the Grand Hyatt, with pedestrian connections to Hemisfair Civic Park.
Additionally, revelers will find a satellite event, CelebrateSA on the River, at the Arneson River Theatre.
Official event hours are from 6:00 PM through 12:00 AM, on Sunday, December 31st, 2023. The event is 100% FREE to the public and all ages.
Produced by the San Antonio Parks Foundation and the City of San Antonio, the event features live entertainment on three stages. Market Street crowds will enjoy performances on the Michelob Ultra Main Stage by award-winning alt-pop four-piece, Jefferson Clay; electronic rock trio dripping in shamanic futurism, Pop Pistol performing their LIGHTGEIST show; pop-soul singer and environmental activist Shannon Sionna; and open-format sets by DJ Cósmicaa showcasing diverse Latin and disco sounds. LED screens flank the main stage with live feeds of performances and messaging from local businesses welcoming the new year. News4 San Antonio will broadcast live from the main stage for their New Year’s Eve special.
Hemisfair Civic Park will be home to DISCO PICNIC, a New Year’s Eve garden party hosted by SoundCream Airstream. What’s on the menu? For starters, a taste of the Rio Grande Valley with a disco heavy house music set by DJ Flacucho of Trópicasa. For the main course, a puro San Antonio dance party from Príncipe Q of Kumbia All Starz. For dessert, the best fireworks view in the city. DISCO PICNIC guests will find the retrofitted airstream trailer turned DJ booth on the Great Lawn of Civic Park, arrive early to secure your spot on the lawn to watch the fireworks show! Guests are encouraged to bring their own blankets and lawn chairs. Food, cocktails, beer and bubbles will be available for purchase in Civic Park.
Riverwalk partygoers will find live performances on the Arneson River Theatre Stage as part of CelebrateSA on the River, along the beautiful San Antonio Riverwalk, complete with the annual festive holiday lighting. The Arneson Stage features sets by DJ Joaquin Muerte; Vanita Leo, bringing the next generation of Chicano music to the stage by exploring the modern intersections of Latino and American music, and South Texas barrio-big-band, Bombasta taking Boogie Bend into 2023.Telemundo will broadcast live from the Arneson for their nation-wide New Year’s Eve special, Bienvenido 2024.
Bringing the celebratory theme to life is Studio AVI SA, one of San Antonio’s premier fitness, dance fitness, and dance training studios. Through the vision of founder Roger Mendoza, the team at Studio AVI SA is working to build an inclusive and welcoming environment for all who are ready to shine. Catch the AVI Showman Elite performance company throughout Celebrate SA and dance into the new year!
“We’re delighted to showcase San Antonio’s diverse talent and culture on the eve of 2024, surrounded by the San Antonio community. Our Core Values of Equity, Conservation, Culture, Community, Education, and People drive our work ensuring quality parks and park programming is enjoyed by San Antonians for years to come,” says Mary Jane Verette, President & CEO of the nonprofit San Antonio Parks Foundation. Hemisfair Civic Park will be included in the reimagined CelebrateSA footprint with the fireworks show taking place over the tower as in past years.
At the event, guests can look forward to fun facts about City and County parks, the history of the San Antonio Parks Foundation, as well as highlights from 2023 community events. There will also be a full array of family-friendly programming including carnival games and attractions for all ages. Local food and artisan vendor booths offering diverse options will be available on Market Street, Villita Way, and in Civic Park. Cocktails, beer, and wine will be available for purchase along with hot drinks, beverage proceeds benefit SA and Bexar County parks. The night will be capped with a communal countdown at midnight, followed by the spectacular fireworks show.
For those who prefer to ring in the New Year in the comfort of home, the celebration will be broadcast live on Channel News4 San Antonio beginning at 10:30 PM CST, and at 11 PM CST on Telemundo.
The San Antonio Parks Foundation would like to thank all official sponsors of Celebrate SA including Michelob Ultra, City of San Antonio, Telemundo, Parallel | A Brand Agency, NBC4, Fox29, CW35, The Stellar Case, and iHeartMedia.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Bombasta [Arneson River Theatre]
https://bombasta.bandzoogle.
Bombasta’s independent and original sound blends elements of cumbia, funk, hip hop, reggae, salsa, and world rhythms with a big-band approach that moves any audience to their feet. Their unique and impactful performances have put them in a position to share the stage with a wide range of national and international touring musical acts, including George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Los Lobos, ZZ Top, Poncho Sanchez, Kinky, La Santa Cecilia, Ana Tijoux, Chico Trujillo, Los Rakas, El Dusty, Grupo Fantasma, Los Texmaniacs, and Las Cafeteras.
DJ Cósmicaa [Michelob Ultra Main Stage on Market Street]
https://www.instagram.com/
DJ Cósmicaa is a supplier of celestial dance grooves that will have you orbiting the dance floor. That’s how “La Tejana en la big manzana” Cósmicaa describes herself to music lovers. A fearless selector, her emotive song selections feature cumbia, chicha, Afro beats & cumbia psicodélicas, reaching all communities through dance. Nos vemos en el dance floor! Today, this translates into diverse sets fusing together all the pieces of this music that she loves best: beautiful synth work, rhythmic basslines, and vocal hooks.
DJ Joaquin Muerte [Arneson River Theatre]
https://www.instagram.com/
Joaquin Muerte, born in the barrio of San Felipe in Del Rio, began his professional music career 23 years ago in San Antonio as a street performer playing percussion and guitar. As a DJ, Joaquin specializes in Texas Rare soul and funk and keep the dance floor full of energy.
He has been playing music since he was a child and is a founding member of several local bands that compose original music – Los Nahuatlatos, Eddie and the Valiants and the Joaquin and The Glowliners. Joaquin is a traditional Danzante conchero, whose roots go back to pre-Hispanic America. He is a community Builder with Methodist Healthcare Ministries, where he builds constituencies of change in areas of communities of color in San Antonio. Joaquin’s many other titles include chef, photographer, creative, podcaster and vinyl DJ.
Jefferson Clay [Michelob Ultra Main Stage on Market Street]
https://www.
Jefferson Clay is an award-winning singer/songwriter and Alt-Pop artist based in San Antonio, Texas. A pandemic success story, the songster released his first slew of singles in 2020, to acclaim from various indie music blogs and Spotify’s “Fresh Finds”, “Fresh Finds: Pop”, and “New Pop Picks” editorial playlists alike. Releases have garnered over 3 million streams across platforms, 100,000+ monthly listeners on Spotify, and a fast-growing fan base eagerly anticipating what’s to come. In his short artist career, Jefferson has made several national television appearances, including “American Idol” and “The Four”, shared the stage with Austin staples like Alpha Rev and Nané, and the national stage with the likes of MisterWives, Dent May, and REO Speedwagon.
Pop Pistol [Michelob Ultra Main Stage on Market Street]
Pop Pistol is an electronic rock trio from San Antonio, Texas. Steeped in an aesthetic of shamanic futurism, Pop Pistol’s cathartic live performance has earned respect near and far for the better part of two decades. The group will perform their LIGHTGEIST show backed by a UV reactive mural designed by Alex Scheel. Audience members can expect a powerful set, both visually and sonically, from one of SA’s most seasoned and unique musical talents.
Principe Q [SoundCream Airstream in Civic Park]
https://www.instagram.com/
Shannon Sionna [Michelob Ultra Main Stage on Market Street]
https://www.shannonsionna.com/
Born in San Antonio, Texas, Shannon has been performing live since 2004. She is professionally trained in both Classical and Musical theatre performance and has been independently creating music since 2015. With influences like Whitney Houston, Anita Baker, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Luther Vandross and Selena Quintanilla, she was able to create her own genre of music which she defines as Neosoul/Funk. Along with music, Shannon Sionna is very passionate about saving our planet. Being an Earth sign, it’s only natural. She is constantly studying climate and environment preservation and is doing her part to spread awareness of alternative ways of living to help the progression of our planet in a positive way.
Vanita Leo [Arneson River Theatre]
https://www.instagram.com/
Coming from a rich lineage of Tejano heritage, Vanita Leo’s appetite for ushering in a new wave of Chicano sound was inevitable. Initially using the guise of lush bedroom pop as an introspective outlet of self-discovery & passion, Leo now devotes her talents to exploring the modern intersection of Latino & American music.
