of up to 11,700 attendees, Freeman Coliseum is set to carry its legacy forward, remaining a vital and beloved institution in San Antonio for generations to come. A HISTORICAL LANDMARK IN ENTERTAINMENT Executive Director, Derrick Howard, reflects on the coliseum’s rich history and its vital role in the community.“One of the great things about longevity is that the Freeman Coliseum is turning 75 years old this year, and so we’re celebrating that birthday,” he shares. Over the decades, the Coliseum has hosted a multitude of memorable events and is proud to have been the launchpad for numerous artists who have gone on to achieve major fame. Howard recounts,“ We kind of think of the Freeman as the place where new artists come to start. Bad Bunny played the Freeman Coliseum twice, the first time he had a decent crowd of about 4,500. He came back to a sold-out house, and then came back to San Antonio and sold out the Alamodome at 60,000 plus seats.” Historically, the Freeman has hosted the greats, including Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Vicente Fernandez, and Pepe Aguilar. “You can go on and on and on about the artists that have played in this venue who have done amazing things globally,” boasts Howard. A-PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY Beyond entertainment, the Freeman Coliseum was a source of support in San Antonio during the pandemic.“We are here to serve the community, and my board talks about that a lot,” notes Howard. He portrays how the venue quickly adapted to become one of the city’s first and largest testing sites, as well as a base of support for emergency personnel as they prepared to go out into nursing homes. “At one point in time during COVID, we set up a mass hospital system on the site. Fortunately, we never had to open the doors, but we did turn around and use those same spaces to do infusions. And that became a really big enhancement for quicker recovery for people.” 169 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 09 FREEMAN COLISEUM AND EXPO CENTER
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