Texas live music shifts as Cowboys Dancehall closes and community stages step up

For 23 years, the two dance floors and the large, professionally lit stage at Cowboys Dancehall drew country and EDM crowds to 3030 NE Loop 410 on San Antonio's Northeast Side. More than a few political rallies came through the same doors.

That room has closed, the owners announced October 9.

"After more than two decades of music, dancing, and unforgettable memories, it is with heavy hearts that we announce Cowboys Dancehall San Antonio has closed its doors," the owners wrote. "While our doors are closed, we aren't ruling out the possibility of another chapter. We remain hopeful that a change in circumstances could one day create an opportunity for Cowboys to return. However, we want to be transparent: there are currently no plans to reopen and no guarantees of what the future may hold."

The owners tied the closing directly to the highway construction around the Loop 410 interchange — a Texas Department of Transportation project whose stacked flyovers went up next to and over the building, with work expected to run until roughly 2028.

Danny Perez, a Cowboys Dancehall spokesperson, described what that means for anyone trying to reach the door: "That infrastructure is going to be great for the city when it's done. Unfortunately, we have to pay the price of it... When it takes you 35, 45 minutes to get to that location, I mean that's no fun."

Perez told KSAT that nearby Interstate 35 construction also played a part, and KSAT reported that work was not expected to finish until 2028.

For all that, Perez said the venue did not quit on San Antonio: "We didn't quit on the city. The city deserves a great live honky tonk with live entertainment. We're going to keep going forward to be able to provide that for the city at some point."

The operator, Cowboys Far West Ltd., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on September 9, 2026, reporting about $1.52 million in assets and $6.89 million in liabilities as of May 31; a landlord lawsuit alleged about $282,900 in overdue rent. The roughly 13.98-acre site with its 68,875-square-foot building is now listed for sale.

Where the music moved

On Saturday, October 10, the grass at Leo Peña Placita Park in Mission filled with folklórico dancers, youth talent showcases, vendors, and free music from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the inaugural TEJUNTO Festival, presented by the Tejano Music Legacy Foundation with the City of Mission as a community partner.

Grammy-nominated Tejano group Los Chamacos headlined at 9 p.m., ahead of an evening lineup of Brenda Blanco, La Gloria de Cristo, El Gorrión y La Paloma, Grupo VKRO, Grupo Zendero, Homer G, and Velvet Steel.

Grizelda "Gigi" Guerrero, founder and leader of the Tejano Music Legacy Foundation, said: "Our mission is to preserve the past, celebrate the present, and inspire the future of our music." She said the foundation wanted "to honor the artists who paved the way, celebrate those carrying our music forward, and give young musicians an opportunity to shine."

Up the road in Johnson City, Memorial Park at 105 E. Main Street becomes a free outdoor jazz room on Saturday, October 24, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Adrian Ruiz Quintet plays at 5, the Jerry Z Trio at 6:30, and Elena Diaz with the Daniel Durham Quintet at 8, while local restaurants sell food and drinks.

The same Saturday, the fifth annual Gears & Beers classic car and motorcycle show runs through downtown Johnson City. The weekend before, the sixth annual Texas Wine Jam brought 25 Texas wineries, live bands, food, local makers, and winemaker encounters downtown on October 17.

What you can still get a ticket to

Two Tons of Steel, the rockabilly, country, and roots-rock band, brings a one-night concert to Hill Country Community Theatre at 4003 W FM 2147 in Cottonwood Shores on Saturday, November 7. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., the band starts at 7:30, and food and drinks are included in the ticket. The theatre hasn't published a price, so call the box office at 830-798-8944 to confirm cost and availability.

For country-and-dance regulars, the loss is concrete: a 23-year room at 3030 NE Loop 410, closed October 9, 2026, with construction keeping the front door hard until roughly 2028.

But the fall calendar already carries working Texans back to the music. Mission's free Tejano-conjunto festival ran October 10; Johnson City's free jazz fest and car show land October 24; and Cottonwood Shores' food-and-drinks-included concert comes November 7. Two of the three are free at the gate, and the theatre bundles food and drink into the ticket, with the exact price a phone call away at 830-798-8944 — so there is still a no-cover way back to live music this fall.