Paseo por El Westside
On Saturday, May 7, 2011, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center will host Paseo Por El Westside at the Rinconcito De Esperanza at 816 and 820 S. Colorado. This FREE event will feature a day of cuentos with community historians/sabias, a plantita exchange, poetry, visual art, and historic walking tours of important places in the West Side neighborhood including the “Casa Maldonado” aka the Pink Building at 1312 Guadalupe, which is in danger of being demolished.
Rita Vidaurri, Beatriz Llamas and Perla Tapatia of Las Tesoros de San Antonio will sing traditional songs accompanied by world-renowned accordianista Eva Ybarra Y Su Conjunto. Other performers include poets Carmen Tafolla and special guest Ester Garcia of the 1930s Carpa Garcia. A special performance by elementary school children from JT Brackenridge will also take place.
Additionally, award-winning videos made about the West Side will screen throughout the day and workshops on the history of the West Side, pan dulce, Casa Maldonado, Lerma’s Nite Club and historical research will be presented throughout the day.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn more about this amazing historic Mexican neighborhood and discuss historic preservation and “da’le Shine al Westside.” For additional information or interview requests, see the schedule below, or call us at (210) 228-0201 or email us at esperanza@esperanzacenter.org.
Schedule of events:
TOURS
9:00am and 10:30am: Paseo Por El Westside. Tour through the neighborhood to visit historical buildings, photos, murals y más. Meet next door to Casa Maldonado, 1312 Guadalupe and select from either a short tour of 30 minutes or a longer tour of 50 minutes.
Longer tour will go north to El Paso St. and stop by MujerArtes, where a Mother’s Day exhibit and sale are taking place.
Rinconcito de Esperanza, 816 S. Colorado
9:30 am Plantitas workshop with Sr. Madrigal at Rinconcito de Esperanza, 816 S. Colorado
10:30 am Plantitas workshop with Sr. Madrigal
11:30 am Carpa Esperanza featuring students from JT Brackenridge Elementary
12:00 pm Performances by local poets, declamaciones by West Side elders and an excerpt presentation from the play An Altar for Emma Tenayuca will also be presented
12:30 pm Repeat performance by Carpa Esperanza featuring students from JT Brackenridge Elementary
12:30 Comida served
1:00 pm Readings by Carmen Tafolla
1:30 -3:00 pm Performances by Las Tesoros de San Antonio, Rita Vidaurri, Beatriz Llamas, and Perla Tapatia and Eva Ybarra y Su Conjunto
820 S. Colorado/Ruben’s Ice House (9:00 am to 3:00 pm) workshops and film screenings
• Learn how to order Pan Dulce with Don Enrique Sánchez: What are Conchas, Maranitos, Cuernos, Campechanas, Polvorones, Chamucos, Besos, Herraduras, Regalos, Torcidos, Piedras y todos los de mas?
• Sacred Spaces of the West Side, by UTSA students
• History of the Casa Maldonado, and Indalecio Guillermo/William/Bill Maldonado by Graciela Sanchez
• History on Lerma’s Nite Club by Susana Segura
• Historical research and resources from the Texana/Geneology Department at the San Antonio Public Library by Sylvia Reyna
• Los Courts by Leticia Vela
• Historic buildings of the West Side, by Rachel Delgado
• Screenings of West Side videos including La Gloria, Working for My Gente, El Paletero, The West Side Living Art Project, Lerma’s Nite Club and more
Throughout the day, visitors can share stories “En Aquellos Tiempos,” bring photographs from the 1890s to 1950s to get them scanned and become part of the FotoHistorias archival collection, exchange plantitas and clippings with neighbors, take photographs or just hang out and enjoy the day.
