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Experience the rebirth of the Heart of the City
Public invited
to attend Historic Main Plaza opening day celebration
The City of San
Antonio invites citizens and their families to attend the opening day
celebration of Main Plaza. Being lauded as the Heart of the City, Main
Plaza opening day festivities are scheduled for Sunday, April 13.
 Established
in 1731 as the Villa de San Fernando by Spanish settlers of the Canary
Islands, Main Plaza has always been the center of San Antonio’s
government. Last year, Mayor Phil Hardberger lead efforts to
revitalize the plaza and transform it into a gathering place to
celebrate the city’s historic past while incorporating modern elements
to be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. Once the plaza opens, the
new modern-day hub will feature Wi-Fi service, food kiosks, lush,
green landscaping and five interactive fountains. “This plaza is truly
the heart of our city,” Mayor Hardberger said. “This restoration will
transform what had become an afterthought in the middle of a busy city
into a peaceful, relaxing oasis where today’s generations can pay
tribute to our past.”
Private contributions
joined public investment to make the vision of the redeveloped project
a reality. Local companies and foundations donated $4.7 million
including a $2 million donation from the Tobin Endowment which
provided funding for the fountains that are accentuated with lighting.
Opening day
festivities will kick off with a mariachi mass celebrated by
Archbishop José H. Gomez at San Fernando Cathedral at 5:00 p.m. The
community will then be invited to enjoy the new Main Plaza grounds
with activities ranging from live musical entertainment to children’s
activities. At 7:30 p.m., the public will gather for a special
ceremony celebrating the plaza’s past, present and future. At 8:30
p.m. Mayor Hardberger will flip a switch and light the new Tobin
fountains with musical accompaniment by the San Antonio Symphony.
Musical entertainment
and festivities will continue until 10 p.m. These plans are an example
of what the community can expect at Main Plaza year-round. The plaza’s
monthly calendar of events will be managed by the newly created Main
Plaza Conservancy, which was established to preserve this community
gem. For more information, visit
www.sanantonio.gov/mainplaza.
All
events listed are free and open to the public.
Mariachi Mass
celebrated by Archbishop José H. Gomez
5 p.m., San Fernando Cathedral
Celebration Activities
6 p.m., Main Plaza Grounds Festivities include
an indigenous blessing by the American Indians in Texas at the Spanish
Colonial Missions; a historical reenactment by the Canary Islanders,
period costume characters and story telling by the Institute of Texan
Cultures, and a children’s theater by Magik Theatre. Other activities
by the National Park Service and Museo Alameda.
Musical entertainment
by:
Henry Brun and the Latin Playerz Rita Vidaurri “La Calandria Eva
Ybarra Azul
Opening Ceremony
7:30 p.m., Main Plaza main stage Join
Mayor Hardberger, County Judge Nelson Wolff and the Main Plaza
Conservancy as we celebrate Main Plaza’s past, present and future.
Special lighting of the Tobin fountains with musical accompaniment by
the San Antonio Symphony.
Musical Entertainment
9:45 p.m., Main Plaza
grounds By Spot Barnett and the West Side Horns
___________________________________________________________________________________________
 A site
of history
Established in 1731 as the Villa de San Fernando by Spanish
settlers of the Canary Islands, Main Plaza was the site of the first
municipality in Texas. Some of the most significant moments in Texas
and U.S. history took place here. The infamous Battle of the Alamo had
its beginnings in Main Plaza. In 1836, an army of Texian and Tejano
volunteers successfully captured the plaza as they attempted to free
Texas from Mexico. Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna would
later stage his army in the city's center during the battle at the
Texas mission as he recaptured control of San Antonio.
More than a century later, as America was on the brink of civil war,
Colonel Robert E. Lee was confronted at a hotel bordering the plaza
and run out of town after he refused to agree to secession. Then, in
1861, General David Twiggs surrendered United States military posts
and forces to Confederate forces in Main Plaza. Main Plaza remains one
of only a few plazas in the nation that survives as a Spanish colonial
plaza. Church, government and mercantile functions border it and
nearby Military Plaza.
The architecture of the buildings surrounding the city's center
exemplifies San Antonio's growth and diversity over nearly three
centuries.
The past meets the future
April 2008 will usher in an
exciting and much-anticipated new look for the heart of downtown San
Antonio - Main Plaza. The redevelopment project will captivate
residents and visitors alike with lush, green landscaping. Pedestrians
can stroll through shaded areas framed by existing and new trees and
beautiful plants, or relax on distinctive stonework benches, which
will offer a natural seating environment with fountain, vegetation and
plaza views. The plaza will showcase five interactive fountains that
can transition into stages for lively performances. Diners and
picnickers can take advantage of artistically-designed food kiosks,
seating and restrooms. Architectural design of the plaza will weave
stories of the center’s history into its modern, renovated elements.
This vibrant, public gathering place will incorporate modern
enhancements that make the park more functional, such as Wi-Fi
service, while preserving the rich history of San Antonio.
It also will provide direct access to the city’s world-famous River
Walk with a new entrance on the plaza’s eastern edge. Main Plaza will
be a hub of activity as a backdrop for concerts, art shows and other
special events. It will come alive as a central gathering spot during
holidays and celebrations such as Fiesta, Good Friday activities, and
Valentine’s Day weddings. When the curtain of night falls, the
historic buildings that frame the plaza will be bathed in soft light.
From sunrise to nightfall, this extraordinary area will pulsate with
renewed energy. Main Plaza -- it’s the Heart of the City.
Investing in
the Heart of the City
Private contributions joined public investment
to make the vision of a redeveloped Main Plaza a reality. Local
companies and foundations donated $4.7 million towards revitalizing
this community treasure. Those private resources are bringing
modern-day conveniences to the plaza.
A $2 million donation from the Tobin Endowment is providing funding
for five interactive, ground-level fountains accentuated with
lighting. Children and the young at heart will be able to splash
through the fountains, which will be visually appealing and provide
refreshing relief on a South Texas summer day. A grant from AT&T is
making Main Plaza Wi-Fi enabled, providing high-speed Internet access
to the public through an embedded wireless network. People with
wireless card devices can sit in the park and eat lunch while surfing
the Internet, gaming, or getting some much-needed work accomplished in
a relaxed setting. Other monetary donations are contributing to
improvements in the plaza that will enhance daily life in a public
setting, creating a highly desirable escape from the traffic and noise
of urban life.
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