Luminaria – Arts Night in San Antonio
Laser Show Performance with Tim Walsh and George Cisneros
Laser Spectacles performed once again at Luminaria in downtown San Antonio, on March 13, 2010. This year we projected from the other side of the Hilton Palacio del Rio; the whole event took place around the south side of Alamo Street, and into the old HemisFair grounds.
We projected laser graphics onto the side of the Hilton Palacio del Rio that was facing the main plaza, filled with people and activities. When the event kicked off at 6 PM, the plaza was immediately crowded with people, filling their hearts and minds with the varied artistic displays set up all over the place.
The activity in the area began much earlier in the day, since this was the official St. Patrick’s Day celebration on the River Walk in San Antonio. The river was dyed green, green beer was everywhere, and the sound of Irish music came skirling through the city. It was appropriate for Laser Spectacles to be projecting with green lasers tonight!
People especially liked the laser beams we shot out over the plaza; anytime I walked out to check on the show, I saw a sea of cameras pointed at the Hilton and the laser display. We were able to sned undulating laser beams through the many oak trees, and then out over the heads of the audience up to 300 yards away. The haze machines worked perfectly; there was just enough wind to keep it moving through the laser beams.
From our laser control station at the entrance to La Villita, we placed a Blisslights laser star field projector projecting a green star field on to the Little Rhein Steakhouse; the location turned out to be quite a popular photo spot!
All in all, Luminaria 2010 was a great night for the arts in San Antonio. The crowd was estimated at 210,000 people between 6 PM and midnight when the event ended.
Here is what we did in 2009 at Luminaria:
Laser Spectacles was front and center in downtown San Antonio on March 14, 2009 for the big Luminaria festival. We had a green laser projecting graphics up onto the big white Hilton “Palacio del Rio” hotel. We had another green laser projecting all the way down Alamo Stree from the “Torch” sculpture to the fire station.
We went on late – about 10 PM. George played his music through the loudspeakers, and I played my lasers live with a MIDI keyboard.
The laser facing down the street was fun because of all the oak trees in the way for the laser beams to play in. We had some good haze machines to add to the visibility of the lasers.
Here is a short video of Luminaria by Dixiedogmom, you can see the lasers halfway through: