Selena Day in Texas: How fans can celebrate the Queen of Tejano music this weekend
Tejano music icon Selena Quintanilla Pérez’s birthday, better known as Selena Day, is Saturday, and there’s plenty of ways to celebrate her this weekend in North Texas.
Selena’s April 16 birthday was declared Selena Day by Texas Gov. George W. Bush in 1995, a short time after the 23-year-old was killed that year. Better known as the “Queen of Tejano music,” Selena’s impact on the Latin music scene was astronomical and led to the genre’s popularity across the country.
Selena was shot and killed in Corpus Christi by her former fan club president who had gotten caught embezzling from the singer’s business. Since her death, Selena has continued to be a pop-culture icon and is celebrated every year as fans mourn her passing.
Scroll down for a few ways to celebrate the singer this weekend.
[Take our poll: What’s your favorite Selena song?}
“Selena” 25th anniversary movie screenings
Studio Movie Grill at Chisholm Trail, 5413 Sierra Springs Lane, Fort Worth, will screen the 1997 movie starring Jennifer Lopez on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. Other theaters include the LOOK Dine-In Cinema in Dallas at 3, 6 and 9 p.m. on Saturday.
214Selena Art Show and “Selena” screening
This Dallas event at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center, 223 W. Jefferson Blvd., gives fans a chance to check out artwork dedicated to the Tejano legend. The last day for the free art show is on Saturday and runs from 6 to 10 p.m.
The Texas Theatre in Dallas, 231 W. Jefferson Blvd., hosts a 25th anniversary screening of “Selena” at 8:30 p.m. The showing is co-presented by 214Selena and the Oak Cliff Cultural Center. A DJ will have a set after the movie’s over.
Selena Day at Legacy Hall
The Legacy Food Hall in Plano launches its Selena Day festivities at noon on Saturday with a screening of the 1997 movie based on the singer’s life, starring Jennifer Lopez.
Although the movie screening is free, seating is not reserved so it’s a good idea to register online beforehand. Pizza and margaritas will be available at the event.
Selena Forever Tribute
The tribute band Selena Forever will rock the Lava Cantina in The Colony, 5805 Grandscape Blvd., on Saturday at 8 p.m.
Tickets are on sale now for the musical event starting at $10 for standing room only. The venue has a full food and drink menu, from tacos to pizza.
Streaming Selena content
For those looking to stay at home to celebrate, there’s still plenty of ways to interact with Selena-related content.
The 1997 movie “Selena” is streaming on HBO Max and available to rent on Amazon and Apple TV for $3.99. The 2020 “Selena: The Series” show that chronicles the Tejano singer’s life is streaming on Netflix.
Selena’s music is available to stream on Apple Music and Spotify. A new album from the late singer will be released sometime this month, Selena’s father Abraham Quintanilla has said.
This story was originally published April 14, 2022 at 2:13 PM.
