San Antonio, the 7th largest city within the United States and the second biggest city within the State of Texas, is located in the northern part of Southern Texas. The city of San Antonio is the center of Tejano culture, and it is mostly sparsely-populated with a low density rate outside of the city. It is the 5th fastest-growing city from the year 2007 to the year 2008 and has a population of around 2 million during 2008 alone. This makes it the 28th biggest metropolitan area in the US.
There are several popular cultural events within the city every year including: Celebrate San Antonio (is the city's New Year's Eve celebration that showcases musical entertainment, food, family activities plus more), Cinco de Mayo (festivities occur within Market Square), Fiesta (a yearly 10-day city-wide festival held during the month of April to be able to honor the memory of all the heroes of the Battle of San Jacinto and the Battle of Alamo), Fiesta de las Luminarias (takes place on the River Walk where the river is lined making use of 7,000 candle-lit sand-filled bags), The Holiday River Parade and Lighting Ceremony (presented by the Paseo del Rio Association and the City of San Antonio the day after Thanksgiving when the switch is pulled to turn on over 122,000 lights that light up the River Walk), Passion Play (portrays the story of Jesus Christ's crucifixion every Good Friday at the Cathedral of San Fernando), Michelob ULTRA River Walk Mud Festival (a festival that commemorates the yearly draining and maintenance of the channeled section of the River Walk), Shakespeare in the Park (produces a Shakespeare play which is free to the public), and Tejano Music Awards (an awards ceremony devoted to Tejano music).
The city offers a unique view of its culture through its numerous national history, culture and museums of art. The San Antonio Buckhorn Saloon and Museum comprises a taxidermied wing, that holds big cats, birds, reptiles, and large mammals. Texas Transportation Museum has details about railways that served Texas. The Witte Museum has a permanent collection represents ethnography, decorative arts and science and textiles. The San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) maintains extensive collections of Asian, Latino and Ancient art. Museo Alameda is the visual arts and educational component of The Alameda National Center for Latino Arts and Culture and is a partner museum of the Smithsonian Institution. The University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures is committed to improving the understanding of cultural history, science, and technology and their influence upon the people of Texas. The McNay Art Museum is the first modern art museum within the State of Texas. Artpace San Antonio promotes itself as a laboratory for the making and advancement of global contemporary art.
The city of San Antonio has four major businesses within the fields of tourism, health care, financial services and government. It is likewise the home of the defense industry, the biggest military concentration within the US. Tourism is likewise a major influence in the city, with roughly twenty million visitors who come to San Antonio each and every year. The city is home to Fortune 500 companies: NuStar Energy, USAA, Tesoro, and Valero Energy Corp. Various companies situated in San Antonio are: Taco Cabana, Whataburger, Kinetic Concepts, Harte-Hanks, Bill Miller Bar-B-Q Enterprises, Frost National Bank, Builders Square, and Rackspace. Toyota, AT&T, Citigroup, Boeing, and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company are some of the big companies that operate their regional head office within San Antonio City.