CIA Texas Student Activities

Make Friends, Explore San Antonio, Have Fun—Welcome to CIA Texas

At the CIA Texas campus, you’re not just hanging around classrooms and kitchens. San Antonio is one of the most popular destinations in Texas, with great restaurants, shopping, and sightseeing. In addition, CIA Texas student events, clubs and area activities give you the opportunity to explore your food passions and make friends along the way.

CIA Student Events

Participate in several events that cater to food lovers, including:

• Annual Chili and Cornbread Cook-off
• Annual Festival of Tamales
• Annual Fiesta Medal Design Competition (San Antonio’s largest festival with roughly three million participants)
• Annual Paella Challenge (hosted by CIA alumnus Johnny Hernandez)
• Blended Burger Bash
• Driscoll’s Berries Competition
• Jeune Chefs Rotisseurs Competition
• Leo’s Sauces and Dressings Competition
• Ripley’s Believe it or Not, Oddest Cake Challenge

Additional events include:

• Annual Latin Festival
• The Latin American Cuisine Summits
• Día de Los Muertos @ the Pearl
• Habla Fresca: Monthly Guest Lecture and Demo Series
• SA Flavor at the San Antonio Museum of Art

To honor heroes among the CIA community, we host several veterans recognition events, such as:

• Thank a Vet during the week of Veteran’s Day
• Ribbon tree tying to honor different branches of the military
• Veteran pinning ceremony

CIA Student Clubs

• Barbecue Club, which hosts fundraisers and weekend barbecues, as well as participates in the local farmers market. Contact: ciabarbecue@gmail.com.
• Garden Club, which plants, maintains, and harvests planters on campus. Contact: CIAGardenClub@gmail.com.
• Sugar Rush, a baking and pastry club that hosts fundraisers and participates in the local farmers market. Contact: Sugarrush_club@yahoo.com.

Additional CIA Student Activities

The CIA Texas campus in San Antonio is a unique education and research center that is dedicated to raising the profile of Latin American cuisines and culinary traditions. Outside of our teaching kitchens and classrooms, you can:

• Hang out with classmates at the Pearl complex
• Browse the Farmers Market
• Enjoy San Antonio’s vibrant dining scene
• Check out the retail shops or take a yoga class
• Have fun at special events like Tamales at Pearl, Paella Challenge, and Fiesta
• Enjoy San Antonio’s world-famous River Walk
• Attend amazing events like the CIA’s annual Latin Flavors, American Kitchens, and Healthy Flavors, Healthy Kids conferences right on campus
• Join student clubs where you can meet classmates who share your passions
• Travel to Austin, Texas Hill Country, or the Gulf Coast—home to world-class wineries and restaurants, as well as hiking, horseback riding, bicycle trails, and more