Picnic and a Movie in the Eastside Cemeteries
Published on October 08, 2025
This unique experience invites visitors to learn about historic preservation through the Cemetery Steward Program and explore the picturesque area.
SAN ANTONIO (October 8, 2025) – The City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) is hosting another Picnic and a Movie in the Eastside Cemeteries. The free event will take place on Saturday, October 18, with gates opening at 6 p.m. and the movie screening at 7 p.m. The public can RSVP online to receive more information and reminder emails.
In celebration of Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), OHP will screen Disney's “Coco.” Before the movie, attendees can participate in a Día de Los Muertos scavenger hunt, helping visitors celebrate those laid to rest. There will also be a community ofrenda (altar). Community members are invited to pay tribute to their own loved ones who have passed by bringing photos, notes, or other meaningful items.
This is a movie with a purpose. Visitors are invited to explore the picturesque Eastside Cemeteries and learn more about OHP’s ongoing work with the Cemetery Steward Program. The program launched in 2020 and aims to bring attention to the beauty of the cemeteries, educate the public on the historic site, and restore and care for sacred spaces. There are 31 cemeteries that make up the historic Eastside Cemeteries; some are privately owned, while 9 are City-owned and maintained. Prominent San Antonians, such as Clara Driscoll, Samuel Maverick, and Sandra West, are interred here, along with the everyday people who helped to shape the city that is known and loved today.
The movie is free and open to families. Visitors can bring snacks or dinner to enjoy a picnic. Picnicking in the cemetery is a long-held tradition for families in the United States and around the world, offering an opportunity to gather with loved ones who have passed and enjoy the park-like setting of cemeteries. Blankets and lawn chairs are encouraged.
This is the second Picnic and a Movie that OHP has hosted. An attendee of the first event shared, “This was such a wonderful activity, bringing back the memories of when families had picnics and gathered in the cemetery. Very well organized. Please do this again.”
The City is currently working with a consultant to create an updated Historic Eastside Cemeteries Master Plan. A public input survey was conducted, and public input meetings are ongoing. There will be an opportunity to provide public input at the event on-site.