Early Voting

Apr 23, 2024

NEWS RELEASE
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2024
 
 
LOVE BLOOMS AT WONDERLAND OF THE AMERICAS
 
February 14, 2024
4:00 pm and 6:00 pm
 
JOIN US FOR A SPECIAL VALENTINE’S DAY
GROUP WEDDING AND VOW RENEWAL CEREMONY!
 

Balcones Heights, TX (January 29, 2024)    Calling all lovebirds! Get ready to embark on an extraordinary journey into wedded bliss with your beloved partner. It’s time to celebrate your love and create memories that will last a lifetime. So, shine your dancing shoes, gather your loved ones, and let the wedding bells ring!

But before you say those magical words, “I do,” make sure you have the key to forever happiness – your Marriage License.  A Marriage License MUST BE obtained at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled ceremony unless the applicant is active-duty military, or a 72-hour waiver is signed by a Judge.  Visit the Bexar County Clerk’s Office at www.bexar.org/countyclerk for information to obtain your Marriage License.

Registration:   To register, secure your spot and be part of this momentous occasion, email Victoria Hernandez at vhernandez@wonderlandamericas.com

Final registration will be on February 14, 2024, at 2:00 pm at the Clock Tower (lower level) of Wonderland of the Americas.  The Wedding Ceremonies will be held on the lower level at the main stage, conveniently located next to the Clock Tower and will be officiated by Balcones Heights’ Mayor Suzanne de Leon. Join us Wednesday, February 14th at 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm as we celebrate love and commitment.

Let the wedding planning begin! An enchanting experience awaits.

(more…)

Get married or renew your vows at Wonderland

Feb 7, 2024

NEWS RELEASE
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2024
 
 
LOVE BLOOMS AT WONDERLAND OF THE AMERICAS
 
February 14, 2024
4:00 pm and 6:00 pm
 
JOIN US FOR A SPECIAL VALENTINE’S DAY
GROUP WEDDING AND VOW RENEWAL CEREMONY!
 

Balcones Heights, TX (January 29, 2024)    Calling all lovebirds! Get ready to embark on an extraordinary journey into wedded bliss with your beloved partner. It’s time to celebrate your love and create memories that will last a lifetime. So, shine your dancing shoes, gather your loved ones, and let the wedding bells ring!

But before you say those magical words, “I do,” make sure you have the key to forever happiness – your Marriage License.  A Marriage License MUST BE obtained at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled ceremony unless the applicant is active-duty military, or a 72-hour waiver is signed by a Judge.  Visit the Bexar County Clerk’s Office at www.bexar.org/countyclerk for information to obtain your Marriage License.

Registration:   To register, secure your spot and be part of this momentous occasion, email Victoria Hernandez at vhernandez@wonderlandamericas.com

Final registration will be on February 14, 2024, at 2:00 pm at the Clock Tower (lower level) of Wonderland of the Americas.  The Wedding Ceremonies will be held on the lower level at the main stage, conveniently located next to the Clock Tower and will be officiated by Balcones Heights’ Mayor Suzanne de Leon. Join us Wednesday, February 14th at 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm as we celebrate love and commitment.

Let the wedding planning begin! An enchanting experience awaits.

(more…)

All the cosplay and cuisine we saw at San Antonio’s Otaku Food Festival

Feb 6, 2024

San Antonio fans of anime, manga, video games and Asian street food descended on Wonderland of the Americas Mall Saturday to participate in the Otaku Food Festival. The free event is also continuing on Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.

The Japanese term “otaku” refers to people obsessed with pop culture. Along with anime voice actors, a cosplay contest and other entertainment, the gathering includes 100 food vendors serving up Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Filipino favorites.

Read full article 

VHS movies may be part of a bygone era, but some San Antonio shops cater to old-school fans

Nov 24, 2023

At first, comedian Travis J. Reyes only planned to buy a few VHS tapes of some of his favorite horror movies — The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Dead Alive, Shivers and Videodrome. Then, things got out of hand.

After just a year, the Warren High School graduate had amassed a collection of 350 VHS movies. They now take up two large shelves in a spare bedroom — something like a personal Blockbuster store from the early ’90s. Reyes jokes online that he gave up heroin and alcohol to have money for his new addiction. He has a good reason why he’s developed a soft spot for the old-school media.

“What I like about VHS movies are just the security of them,” Reyes said. “As long as they hold up, I’ll always have them. I won’t have to worry about the rights being pulled from Hulu or that a studio will decide it’s not worth producing anymore. To me, it’s the purest way to collect movies.”

For San Antonio resident and Kings of Horror event coordinator Angel Castorena, collecting VHS comes down to one thing: nostalgia.

“I collect a lot of stuff I grew up watching, like Little Giants and The Sandlot,” Castorena said. “I remember when Killer Klowns [from Outer Space] came out. The bulk of my collection is my childhood.”

Today, 4K Ultra HD Blu-Rays are at the top of the physical media totem pole, but plenty of purists still prefer to seek out chunky VHS box sets. Last year in Dallas, a sealed copy of the 1986 film Back to the Future sold at auction for $75,000. Many cinephiles wonder if VHS movies are destined to become as popular as vinyl records, another old-school media that made a comeback.

In San Antonio, VHS aficionados have few options when looking to expand their collections. Even so, there are a handful of brick-and-mortar stores catering to their videotape habits. Here’s a rundown of local options if someone on your holiday list covets a copy of Critters.

GG’s Emporium

Owned by Evelyn and Ty Menchaca, this pop culture shop opened in 2017 and sells tons of vintage toys. They also have VHS movies — from “Disney kid stuff to obscure horror,” according to Ty, who adds that customers come into the store for the “nostalgia and simplicity” of videotape. Plus, a lot of the lesser-known titles haven’t made it to digital forms yet, so VHS is literally the only way it can be seen. One VHS movie Ty has at the shop but has deemed off limits to customers: John Carpenter’s 1979 biopic Elvis starring Kurt Russell as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. 1716 Blanco Road, (210) 239-5585, ggs-emporium.com.

Monsters & Mayhem

Rock ‘n’ roll and horror shop owner Cynthia Moreno sells apparel, toys and lots of VHS movies at her spot inside Wonderland of the Americas Mall. Kings of Horror’s Castorena, who serves as the store’s curator, doesn’t care that VHS tapes don’t provide a high-quality picture like a Blu-Ray. “The graininess feels comforting,” he said. “It’s hard to explain sometimes, but it’s like listening to an album.” VHS tapes currently in the store include the horror classics Halloween, The Shining, Evil Dead, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th. 4522 Fredericksburg Road, instagram.com/monstersandmayhemtx

Galactic Books, Movies & More

VHS stock rotates through this collectibles shop on a regular basis. Owner Cynthia Farnsworth pays cash or offers store credit for VHS tapes, which helps explain why she has more than 4,000 movies in her inventory. The shop inside Wonderland of the Americas Mall even boasts a section dedicated to Alfred Hitchcock with titles including the suspense maestro’s Suspicion, Spellbound, The Birds, Family Plot and Torn Curtain. Galactic also sells working VCRs along with books, magazines, handmade magnets, bookmarks, matted prints and more. 4522 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 812-7213, instagram.com/_galactic.popshop.

Thrift Stores and Flea Markets

If you’ve ever scoured for bargains at San Antonio thrift stores or flea markets, there’s a good chance you have seen old VHS tapes among the merchandise. Sometimes, a cinematic gem will be hiding behind an oversized teddy bear or inside a broken crockpot. Others, the only tapes for sale will be Jane Fonda exercise videos from the ’80s. Happy hunting.

The Internet

Websites such as Facebook Marketplace and apps including OfferUp can help you connect with local sellers looking to offload their VHS tapes. While some will only sell their videos as an entire lot, others are happy to let them go one by one. It’s up to each buyer to decide whether it’s worth driving to Stone Oak for a tattered $2 copy of Batman Forever.

GG’s Emporium

Owned by Evelyn and Ty Menchaca, this pop culture shop opened in 2017 and sells tons of vintage toys. They also have VHS movies — from “Disney kid stuff to obscure horror,” according to Ty, who adds that customers come into the store for the “nostalgia and simplicity” of videotape. Plus, a lot of the lesser-known titles haven’t made it to digital forms yet, so VHS is literally the only way it can be seen. One VHS movie Ty has at the shop but has deemed off limits to customers: John Carpenter’s 1979 biopic Elvis starring Kurt Russell as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. 1716 Blanco Road, (210) 239-5585, ggs-emporium.com.

Monsters & Mayhem

Rock ‘n’ roll and horror shop owner Cynthia Moreno sells apparel, toys and lots of VHS movies at her spot inside Wonderland of the Americas Mall. Kings of Horror’s Castorena, who serves as the store’s curator, doesn’t care that VHS tapes don’t provide a high-quality picture like a Blu-Ray. “The graininess feels comforting,” he said. “It’s hard to explain sometimes, but it’s like listening to an album.” VHS tapes currently in the store include the horror classics Halloween, The Shining, Evil Dead, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th. 4522 Fredericksburg Road, instagram.com/monstersandmayhemtx

Galactic Books, Movies & More

VHS stock rotates through this collectibles shop on a regular basis. Owner Cynthia Farnsworth pays cash or offers store credit for VHS tapes, which helps explain why she has more than 4,000 movies in her inventory. The shop inside Wonderland of the Americas Mall even boasts a section dedicated to Alfred Hitchcock with titles including the suspense maestro’s Suspicion, Spellbound, The Birds, Family Plot and Torn Curtain. Galactic also sells working VCRs along with books, magazines, handmade magnets, bookmarks, matted prints and more. 4522 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 812-7213, instagram.com/_galactic.popshop.

Thrift Stores and Flea Markets

If you’ve ever scoured for bargains at San Antonio thrift stores or flea markets, there’s a good chance you have seen old VHS tapes among the merchandise. Sometimes, a cinematic gem will be hiding behind an oversized teddy bear or inside a broken crockpot. Others, the only tapes for sale will be Jane Fonda exercise videos from the ’80s. Happy hunting.

The Internet

Websites such as Facebook Marketplace and apps including OfferUp can help you connect with local sellers looking to offload their VHS tapes. While some will only sell their videos as an entire lot, others are happy to let them go one by one. It’s up to each buyer to decide whether it’s worth driving to Stone Oak for a tattered $2 copy of Batman Forever.

Full article

Original Annie movie star, others to appear in San Antonio this weekend

Nov 21, 2023

Actress Aileen Quinn has always embraced the role that she’s best known for: the title character in the original 1982 film musical Annie. The movie is based on the 1977 Broadway musical, itself inspired by the Little Orphan Annie comic strip of the 1920s.

Quinn even has her own rockabilly-blues band, Aileen Quinn and the Leapin’ Lizards, which is a reference to one of her movie character’s catchphrases. When requested, one of the songs the band will perform is a cover of “Tomorrow,” the signature showstopper from Annie.

Quinn is making her first trip to San Antonio Nov. 24-25. She’ll join her former Annie co-stars Toni Ann Gisondi and Rosanne Sorrentino, who played Molly and Pepper in the movie, at the Wonderland of the Americas Mall, 4522 Fredericksburg Road, for a meet-and-greet with fans from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Read full article