Ruben’s Ice House served as a beloved watering hole and community gathering place until its 1987 closure.Screenshot Credit: Courtesy Photo / Museo del Westside

The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center will celebrate the grand opening this Saturday of the Museo del Westside, the first Mexican American museum in San Antonio focused on the preservation of the storied culture and history of la gente del West Side.

Starting with the humble framework of Ruben’s Ice House — a beloved watering hole and community gathering place until its 1987 closure — activists, historians and residents joined forces to research and acquire a collection of photos and ephemera representative of the neighborhood.

Festivities planned for Saturday’s event include venerated speakers, musical performances, community workshops and all-day poetry readings.

The project is a powerful response by the community to protect a place and way of life which has been methodically absorbed by the machinations of whitewashing and gentrification.

Free, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, Museo del Westside, 816 S. Colorado St., (210) 228-0201, esperanzacenter.org.

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