On September 28th, the San Antonio River Foundation will be holding their Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour Event at Confluence Park. Bring your own chair and picnic under the BHP Pavilion for an evening of films focusing on waterways and stewardship. Attendees can visit a food vendor or pack their own food and drink. Along with the inspirational films, this night will feature a community partner market, art by Audrya Flores, live music by the Josh Glenn Experiment, and a poetry reading from Jacinto Cardona.
Ticket price is a $20 donation to the San Antonio River Foundation and each purchase receives one entry into a raffle for a chance to win a FREE KAYAK!
The San Antonio River Foundation is the non-profit partner to the San Antonio River Authority. Established in 2003, their 501(c)(3) was created to provide amenities and enhancements along the San Antonio River and its tributaries not funded by public monies. As part of its mandate, the Foundation raises funds for, invests in and manages public projects that provide opportunities for residents and city visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of the river and become thoughtful stewards of its future.
The Foundation’s initial focus was the San Antonio River Improvements Project, one of the country’s most transformative public works projects. The 15-mile linear park project is divided into two “reaches.” The Museum Reach is a formerly inaccessible section of river that has been transformed into a beautifully landscaped waterway featuring a multitude of innovative public art installations and a flourishing business and residential community. The Mission Reach is a habitat restoration, environmental education, and health and wellness project with complimentary art installations that link the river to four of San Antonio’s five World Heritage designated Spanish colonial missions.
The San Antonio River Foundation’s ambitious projects range from creating opportunities for education, recreation, and interaction with nature along the river to initiating, funding, installing and maintaining exciting urban art projects by renowned regional, national, and international artists.
The Foundation’s current focus is on their environmental education center: Confluence Park along the banks of the Mission Reach. Confluence Park is a cutting edge, environmentally sustainable, educational green space located in the heart of the southern urban core of San Antonio. Nowhere is San Antonio River Foundation’s commitment to education more evident than through their investment in Confluence Park. In an effort to provide impactful learning activities through a large-scale demonstration of sustainable building and land-use practices, Confluence Park transformed a former industrial laydown yard into a unique, interactive learning and recreational space for residents, students, and visitors. The entire park is an interactive teaching tool that will inspire a greater understanding of Texas ecotypes and their relationships with one another, encouraging students and adults alike to become more involved with the preservation and stewardship of our waterways.
As a large and rapidly growing area, the San Antonio River region faces common environmental issues such as air and water pollution, industrial contaminants, flood control management, and loss of natural habitats. Decades of growth and development along the river and its tributaries have contributed to the damage of riparian ecosystems that, in some cases, have isolated residents from the rivers and streams that originally attracted settlement.
In October 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies involved in the Urban Waters Federal Partnership announced the designation of the San Antonio area as an Urban Waters location. The Partnership seeks to revitalize urban waters and the communities that surround them, transforming overlooked areas into treasured assets. The Museum Reach, the Mission Reach and their landmark project, Confluence Park, are an outgrowth of this vision.
Ashley Mireles, the Public Art Curator for the San Antonio River Foundation, says, “The Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour is an annual engagement event hosted by the San Antonio River Foundation and San Antonio River Authority. The films selected for the On Tour Film Festival speak to our mission to preserve and enhance our River Basin as a vibrant cultural, educational, ecological, and recreational experience and our vision to inspire stewardship of our San Antonio River. For this event, we have collaborated with community partners and artists to highlight many of the programs our organizations offer. Attendees will get to know our reach, experience some of the work we do and artists we’ve supported.”
Mireles continues, “Attendance at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour will help support the River Foundation’s dedication to enhance the San Antonio River Basin through the creation and funding of parks, public art, educational initiatives, and recreational opportunities.”
