The city of San Antonio, TX, kicks off in March its year-long commemoration of the 175^th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo, the 1836 turning point in the war of Texas independence from Mexico. A highlight is the weekend of March 5-6 during which there will be a two-day reenactment of the final two days of the 13-day siege of the Alamo mission when the Texas defenders were overrun by the Mexican army. Participants, according to the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau, are arriving in the city from all over the world to participate in the events. Iconic yellow roses of Texas will be given to visitors to place on a huge commemorative wreath at the base of the Alamo. An outdoor concert at the Alamo by the British singer Phil Collins, originally scheduled for the March weekend, was postponed due to a sponsorship cancellation problem, and organizers hope to reschedule the Collins concert for June.

There will be a pre-dawn non-denominational candlelight memorial prayer service on March 6. Further living history events at the Alamo are scheduled during San Antonio's annual Fiesta, taking place from April 7 through April 17. A highlight is the city's traditional "Battle of Flowers Parade," modeled after festival parades in Spain, scheduled for April 15. There will be special live commemoration events at the Alamo on the first Saturday of each month throughout the year. San Antonio hotels are offering 175^th Anniversary packages and more information is available from the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau, or the San Antonio Living History Association. More details of the San Antonio Fiesta (April 7-17) are available by visiting here.