The second biggest city within the state of Texas and the 7th biggest city within the United States, is San Antonio, that is situated in the northern part of Southern Texas. The city is sparsely populated outside of the city with a low density rate. The city of San Antonio is the center of the Tejano culture. It is the 5th fastest-growing city from 2007-2008 and has a population of roughly two million during the year 2008 alone. This makes it the 28th largest metropolitan area in the United States.
The most popular annual cultural events in the city include: Celebrate San Antonio (is the New Year's Eve celebration of the city that features musical entertainment, food, family activities and a lot more), Cinco de Mayo (festivities happen within Market Square), Fiesta (a yearly city-wide-10-day festival held in April so as to honor the memory of the heroes of the Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto), Fiesta de las Luminarias (occur on the River Walk where the river is lined with 7,000 candle-lit sand-filled bags), The Holiday River Parade and Lighting Ceremony (presented by the City of San Antonio and the Paseo del Rio Association the day after Thanksgiving when the switch is pulled to turn on over 122,000 lights which light up the River Walk), Passion Play (portrays the story of Jesus Christ's crucifixion each and 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 dedicated to Tejano music).
Through its many museums of art, national history, and culture, the city provides a unique view of its culture. The Texas Transportation Museum has great details regarding the history of the railroads that helped serve the state of Texas. The San Antonio Buckhorn Saloon and Museum has lots of interesting things comprising taxidermied wing, that holds birds, big cats, large mammals and reptiles. The Witte Museum has a permanent collection represents decorative arts, ethnography and science and textiles. The San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) maintains extensive collections of Latino, Ancient and Asian art. Museo Alameda is the educational and visual arts component of The Alameda National Center for Latino Culture and Arts and is a partner museum of the Smithsonian Institution. The University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures is committed to enhancing the understanding of technology, cultural history and science and their influence upon the individuals 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 advancement and creation of worldwide modern art.
The city of San Antonio has four major industries within the fields of health care, tourism, financial services and government. San Antonio is also the home of the defense industry, the biggest military concentration within the US. Tourism is also a major influence within the city, with about 20 million tourists who come to the city of San Antonio every year. The city is home to Fortune 500 companies: USAA, NuStar Energy, Valero Energy Corp. and Tesoro. Other companies located in San Antonio include: Taco Cabana, Whataburger, Kinetic Concepts, Harte-Hanks, Bill Miller Bar-B-Q Enterprises, Frost National Bank, Builders Square, and Rackspace. AT&T, Toyota, Boeing, Citigroup, and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company are amongst the big businesses that operate their regional headquarters in San Antonio City.