October 2026 · 3 min read

Free Mariachi Festival Saturday on the River Walk — Food Booths + Free Admission

This Saturday, October 10, 2026, the River Walk fills with music — and the smell of festival food. The Mariachi Festival returns to the Arneson River Theatre from 1:00pm to 9:00pm, and admission is completely free. Student mariachi ensembles from across San Antonio and the region take the stage all afternoon and evening, with food booths and arts & crafts booths set up on site — so you can grab lunch or dinner between sets without ever leaving the music.

The food angle: eat at the festival

Eight hours of music means you'll want to eat — and the festival makes it easy. Food booths will be set up on site all day, so the simple move is to arrive hungry: grab lunch from the booths, catch the afternoon ensembles, then stay for dinner and the evening performances. The admission and the music are free; the food is sold by vendors. It's always smart to bring some cash to an outdoor festival, just in case.

The details at a glance

• When: Saturday, October 10, 2026, 1:00pm–9:00pm
• Where: Arneson River Theatre, 418 Villita, San Antonio, TX 78205 — right on the River Walk
• Cost: FREE and open to the public
• Who's playing: middle and high school student mariachi ensembles from San Antonio and the region
• On site: food booths and arts & crafts booths

The music — and the mission behind it

The festival is managed by LULAC Council 4947 and has been hosted by the Diez y Seis de Septiembre Commission for more than 20 years. The performers are student mariachi ensembles — middle and high schoolers from San Antonio and surrounding areas. Here's the part worth knowing: the performance funds raised by the festival go right back into supporting their school music programs. Every set you watch helps keep music education alive in local schools.

Why go

Free admission, eight hours of live mariachi on the River Walk, food on site, and your afternoon supports student musicians. It's one of the best no-cost family outings on the San Antonio calendar this fall — bring the family, bring a friend, and stay for dinner.