Ah, the Fourth is upon us, and so quickly! I don't know where June went to but July is here and it's time to celebrate Independence Day. Despite the scorching heat, there will be plenty to do in San Antonio for the Fourth of July.

Woodlawn Lake has their usual fireworks spectacular, but get there early, parking is a pain! I should know, I used to live two blocks from there! There will be lots to do all day from 10:00 a.m. all the way until 9:00 in the evening, with the fireworks starting right around sunset.

Lackland AFB will also have a fireworks spectacular that starts at approximately 9:45 p.m. Parking is free and so is the fireworks but you must be able to show legal, government-issued ID for each person coming in and proof of up-to-date insurance for base access. Again, parking and crowds could be an issue so get there early. No coolers, cameras or pets.

The Sunken Gardens Theater will hold the largest San Antonio 4th of July celebration. It starts at 8:00 p.m. and will feature the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra.

If you don't require fireworks to get your 4th party fix, try the Black Light Art Party. From their blog: "Celebrate Contemporary Art Month in San Antonio as the creatures who brought you the Black Light Art Party & Black Light Art Party: Transparent Spectacular return for a third year of fluorescent madness! Black Light Art Party @ The Calcasieu Gallery on Broadway! Michael Aaron Casares, Ernest Vidal & Gil Casares, Eneida Garcia and more display a vast array of new work as well as some memorable favorites from previous years."

Graffiti or 'tagging' as some call it is always a problem here in San Antonio. As far back as I can remember, it has been in and around schools, alleys and other areas with lots of clean wall space. Time and again, the city has tried to combat it with very mixed results.

Now a new proposal would fine the parents of those minors who are caught tagging walls. City Councilman John Clamp is a fan, as is the city of Corpus Christi, which has been suing parents of taggers for two years already.

Do you support this plan? Is graffiti a problem in your area? If it is, you can dial 311 and receive a free kit to help you clean up the mess that includes a bucket and paint to cover up the graffiti.

In honor of the passing of Michael Jackson, there will be a reenactment of the "Thriller" video at the Alamo today.

It starts at 6:00 p.m. so hurry and get down there! It should be fun to watch, although I have no idea what the parking or viewing situation will be like.

I am sure it is being filmed, so I will post a link to it as soon as one becomes available.

Did you know that San Antonio has their very own film festival? With the media spotlight always on film festivals like Sundance or Cannes, it's easy to forget that many major cities have smaller, more intimate affairs.

The festival is from June 25-28 and will have both daytime and evening film screenings that will cost $10 and $15, respectively. The festival will again be at the Instituto Cultural De Mexico - 600 Hemisfair Park.

For a full background of the San Antonio Film Festival and its history, visit their official website. Then if you decide you want to go, see the list of film screenings and decide what you might want to see.