(May 31, 2018) -- When the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures opened 50 years ago, it was revolutionary. It presented a comprehensive story of Texas heritage through exhibits documenting the many cultures that had settled in Texas and added their character and traditions to the Texan identity.
Four years later, the institute continued to innovate: it brought culture to life with the inaugural Texas Folklife Festival. The tradition continues Friday, June 8 through Sunday, June 10 at the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures, located at the UTSA Hemisfair Campus, 801 E. César E. Chávez Blvd. in downtown San Antonio.
>> Purchase tickets to the 47th annual Texas Folklife Festival.
“The institute did a great job presenting our heritage through exhibits, images, artifacts and stories, but the key was to make culture something to experience and participate in first-hand," said festival director Jo Ann Andera. "We could relate to common experiences and really start to understand our cultural communities.”
The Texas Folklife Festival gathered dozens of cultural organizations from across the state to share their traditions through music, dance, food, and hands-on experiences. Festival founder O.T. Baker emphasized that through sharing a meal particular to a certain culture, or joining in a dance particular to a certain culture, people could understand that culture a little bit better.
In addition to the cultural organizations, Folklife gathered artisans who maintained the skills Texas pioneers used to build the Lone Star State. There were opportunities to sit and work with basket weavers, leather workers, wood carvers, potters and dozens more. This remains a critical part of the festival.
“No one knew what to expect that first year,” said Andera. “When we saw the crowd and the genuine interest and excitement of discovering and learning our Texas heritage, we were overwhelmed. This was something special. It had to continue and it had to grow.”
Through the years, festival organizers have discovered new participants, welcoming the community to experience these newfound pieces of Texas tradition.
The Romanian and Congolese communities join the festival for the first time this year. The Romanian community will offer a sweet treat as a food vendor: Transylvania Chimney Cakes. Dough gets rolled around a pin, baked over an open flame, then rolled through toppings such as walnuts or cinnamon.
The Congolese community will attend their first festival as well, gathering their choir to sing gospel music. Festival organizers met the Congolese through the Archdiocese, which hosts a Folklife Mass the weekend before the festival.
Folklife recalls bygone fragments of Texas heritage. Organizers discovered J.D.’s Chili Parlor to prepare classic chili, with styles and recipes reminiscent of San Antonio’s “Chili Queens.”
“Texas is so full of history and tradition, and it grows every day,” said Andera. “It’s wonderful to discover and welcome these new communities, and to find hidden gems that remind us about key components of our past. Folklife is our living history, heritage and culture, and the best way to pass our traditions to the next generation.”
Festival hours:
For more on the Texas Folklife Festival, visit TexasFolklifeFestival.org.
Learn more about the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures.
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
The UTSA Office of Undergraduate is proud to celebrate National Undergraduate Research with an annual event sponsored by the (OUR) featuring students will showcase undergraduate student research and creative endeavors from all disciplines across campus.
Various LocationsDía en la Sombrilla, formerly Fiesta UTSA, is a festival hosted each spring as a part of Fiesta® San Antonio events. Sponsored by Roadrunner Productions, the event features music, food, confetti, games, event t-shirts, and more.
Sombrilla Plaza and Central Plaza, Main CampusFiesta Arts Fair features contemporary art from more than 100 artists from across the U.S., Fiesta favorite foods, drinks, live music by local and regional performers, and a Young Artists Garden providing opportunities for budding artists to learn, explore and express their creativity.
UTSA Southwest CampusJoin the PEACE Center and Wellbeing Services for Denim Day, a day of learning about the importance of consent and why we wear denim on the last Wednesday of the month each April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Stop by our Denim Day display to take a photo in front of our Denim Wall, spin the "Is It Consent?" Wheel, and get a Concha or goodie.
Student Union Window Lounge, Main CampusLearn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.
Virtual EventThis event is to achnowlege the graduating seniors and induct the new cohart of scholars to our program.
North Paseo Building (NPB 5.140,) Main CampusCelebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.
AlamodomeThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.