san antonio beer festival
san antonio beer festival | Stacey Lovett
san antonio beer festival | Stacey Lovett

Everything You Must Do in San Antonio This Fall

College football has begun. Plastic pumpkin cutouts with cute faces are littering your neighborhood corner store. Mini candy bars are infuriatingly expensive. In other words, it's fall in San Antonio, and the temperature has dipped just enough so that it's safe to exit your house. Here's a list of all the stuff you absolutely cannot miss this glorious season.

Krause's Cafe
Krause's Cafe Oktoberfest | Krause's Cafe

Eat the best fried chicken money can't buy, every Tuesday

The folks at Esquire have outdone themselves again. From 5:30-11:30pm, every Tuesday, they'll give you free fried chicken with the purchase of any champagne glass or bottle. This will get people excited, so prepare for a crowded bar and get there early. Free fried chicken is the best kind of chicken.
What it costs: Glasses of champagne start at $22 and come with two pieces of chicken; bottles start at $50 and come with four.

Roast a pig at Krause's Cafe's Oktoberfest celebration

Start the season on the right foot by tapping a keg full of German beer, roasting a pig over an open flame, and eating exorbitant amounts of schnitzel. In addition to the day's special festivities, Krause's is a great place to enjoy a beer or five. With over 70 selections on tap, you won't have to worry about running out of options.
What it costs: Free to attend; beer starts at $4/pint, schnitzel.

Drink beer at Ranger Creek's Fall Open House

Enjoy live music, great beer, strong whiskey, and an extensive selection of food at San Antonio's only brewstillery. Standard beers will be available, but there'll also be some brewery-only specialty options for purchase, and whiskey evaluations will be held every hour.
What it costs: $10 gets you three drink tickets and a souvenir pint glass.

Enjoy an expertly prepared meal for a good cause at V for Victoria

Chef James Canter of Guerrilla Gourmet will prepare a family-style meal using locally sourced ingredients paired with beer from Alamo Beer Company. It might be a long drive for most San Antonians, but Victoria needs as much help as they can get right now, and an intimately prepared meal made by a successful chef is nice conciliation.
What it costs: $45 for the sit-down meal.

Tour a museum with a drink in hand at Cocktails & Culture

This recurring, adults-only event series lets you wander The Witte's exhibits after hours, with the addition of the one thing that would've made high school history class tolerable: lots of booze. Bring a date.
What it costs: $15 gets you complimentary beer and cocktails.

Wear tight denim & sing your heart out to classic country hits by Dwight Yoakam

The coolest man in cowboy showbiz, Dwight Yoakam, puts on an excellent show every time. There's nowhere better to see him than our city's best honky tonk -- Floore's. He was also in a few movies. You might remember him as Doyle Hargraves in Sling Blade...
What it costs: $35-40 for general admission
mala luna festival
mala luna festival | Greg Noire

See Willie Nelson play at the joint that helped launch his career

Willie is special. All Texans know that. Make sure to catch him live at Floore's -- it's a rare opportunity to catch a legend of his caliber in such an intimate setting.
What it costs: $45-55 for general admission

Drink cocktails & enjoy live music at SAMA's Art Party

Austin-based zydeco band Dr. Zog will play loud; Blue Box Bar will provide expertly prepared drinks; knowledgeable docents will lead informative tours of well-known collections. What else do you need? Make sure to bring cash.
What it costs: Free with museum admission ($15 for adults), $9-11 for drinks.

Drink beer & benefit the San Antonio food bank at the San Antonio Beer Festival

For over a decade, the SA Beer Fest has shipped in over 450 premium craft beers for our pleasure. Thirty-five dollars gets you a sample card redeemable for 12 2-ounce beers. I know that doesn't sound like much, but, $2 more fetches another sample card. You never know: you might meet Spurs Jesus, too.
What it costs: $35 for the first sample card, $2 for each additional card.

Scare your kids at the Bud Light Haunted River

Drink beer and watch spooky floats wade through the River Walk, then sign up for the costume contest and... win? This is the only night of the year where most of the River Walk is decked out in Halloween garb, so make no excuses.
What it costs: Free

Celebrate the dead at Dia de los Muertos

Pay respect to loved ones who've left this world through drinks, altars, parades, and live music. If you enter the altar exhibition and contest, you'll have a chance at winning up to $2,000.
What it costs: Free

Enjoy Salt Lick BBQ & Dale Watson at Barbecue on the Pedernales

Like any Texan, President Lyndon Johnson invited world leaders, friends, and foes to barbecues on his beloved ranch. Barbecue on the Pedernales aims to recreate these lively events through great food and music, with all of the proceeds benefitting education programs, historical restoration, and resource preservation in the park.
What it costs: $75

Dance to music your parents wouldn't understand at Mala Luna Music Festival

Future, Lil Wayne, Migos, and Wiz Khalifa are headlining this two-day, rain-or-shine music fest.
What it costs: $109 for a two-day GA ticket
Luminaria: Contemporary Arts Festival
Luminaria: Contemporary Arts Festival | AETV

Support local artists at the 10th annual Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival

Stroll through the city and admire exhibitions of local talent at this public event showcasing over 3,000 artists and their work. The fest runs from 7pm to midnight, so you'll have plenty of time to make your way around town and see all the art on display.
What it costs: Free

Welcome the holiday season at the Ford Holiday River Parade

Is it really Christmas if you don't see a few floats meander their way through our maligned body of water every November? With the lights illuminated, families out in full force, and holiday music blaring, the Ford Holiday River Parade really is a can't-miss event. Last year all 50,000 seats sold out, so buy your tickets early.
What it costs: Anywhere from $20-25, depending on the section and seat.

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Fall is easily Stephen's second-favorite season. Follow him to Oktoberfest @stephen__ross.