Kicking off with an opening ceremony at the Arneson River Theatre, America’s Armed Forces River Parade features 25 floats representing veterans, support groups,  and all branches of the military. Reserved seating at the Arneson is sold out; view the parade for free from the banks of the River Walk.

The creative brainchild of guitarist Ricardo Diaz, Travesuras (Mischevious Pranks) unites flamenco artists from Malaga, Paris, New Mexico, San Francisco, and San Antonio. Featured performers include Cristo Cortes, Vicente Griego, Antonio Arrebola, and Tamara Saj. The San Antonio leg of the touring collaboration culminates Sunday with a matinee presentation of Dibujos de Travesuras (Sketches of Mischief), a series of choreographic vignettes exploring the range of emotions we encounter in daily life. Showtimes: 8:30pm and 10pm Friday at Carmens de la Calle Café; 8pm Saturday at España Bar de Tapas; 4pm Sunday at Raices de Arte Espanol Tablao.  

Austin-based Bamako Airlines has just released their self-titled EP —an engaging collection of mostly solid AfroPop covers from Algeria, Madagascar, Ethiopia, and Mali. What I’m really looking forward to is their next album, which reportedly will be more centered on their promising originals (listen to Bamako Airlines’ “Desséché” for clues). Singer Meera Chandy, trumpeter Brian Carr, guitarists Chris Vestre and Michael Goldsmith, drummer David Justh, Sexto Sol bassist Greg Goodman, plus guest Eddie Lehwald on trombone (cross your fingers that they can also bring Guinea percussionist Aboubacar Sylla, who recorded on the album) are at their best in a live setting, and cozy Carmens is perfect for them — you could do a lot worse than having a sangría while Bamako Airlines is all over your ass.

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center presents the 32nd Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival at the historic Guadalupe Theater (May 15-16) and nearby Rosedale Park (May 17-19). Highlights of the festival include star-studded performances by Conjunto Music Hall of Famers Mingo Saldivar, Eva Ybarra, Flaco Jimenez, and Los Dos Gilbertos, as well as a special “New Directions in Conjunto Music” concert on Thursday night featuring Los Fabulocos (Pomona, CA), Juanito Castillo and The Psycho Trip Band (San Antonio), Thoze Guyz (Roscoe) and Los Nahuatlatos (San Antonio). Other highlights of the festival include a free Seniors Conjunto Dance, student showcase and accordion and bajo sexto workshops. For more information on the Tejano Conjunto Festival, call (210) 271-3151, or visit www.guadalupeculturalarts.org for the full schedule of performers.

Founded in Austin eight years ago by Chris Gross, FrankenBike promotes cycling to the masses while connecting cyclists looking to buy, sell or trade bicycles and bicycle related gear or parts. The free free monthly swap meet that has since spread to include San Antonio, Houston, Fort Worth, Corpus Christi, Waco, and Bryan-College Station, and is set to expand coast to coast. On Saturday, the local chapter celebrates its third anniversary with a party at Alamo Street Eat Bar with music by Merge 98FM and Independence Brew on tap. For details, visit sanantonio.frankenbike.net.

Lovely and talented young women compete in interview, physical fitness, and evening gown categories with special guest performances by Trilogy Dance Center.

An actor, chef, author, and former host of BET’s Comic View, Bruce Bruce has appeared music videos for Ludacris and the Ying Yang Twins. Pat Deguire features and Blair Thompson opens the show.