For all details about the 2025 SPAH Convention in progress, click for Convention Central

Where and when is the SPAH Convention happening?

The 62nd Anniversary SPAH Convention will return to San Antonio, Texas August 12-16, 2025.
We will gather at the Hilton Palacio Del Rio on the Riverwalk, right in the city center, hosted by the Alamo HOOT Club in San Antonio.

Click the Photograph above for a very cool video about the 2025 SPAH Convention (by Winslow Yerxa)

Click here to learn more about San Antonio and our 2025 hosts, The Alamo HOOT Club in San Antonio.

Who is Coming this year?

SPAH is pleased to welcome so many excellent performers who will be coming to play at the 2025 SPAH Convention in San Antonio, including: Cheryl Arena, Steve Guyger, Dave Moore, Shane Sager, Ronnie Shellist and Dig3, Gerry Hundt, Jimi Lee, Ben Balmer, Tom Stryker, Michael Rubin and Michael Avi.  Jerry Portnoy will also be attending to sign his new book, Dancing with Muddy. As always, there will be a few surprise guests when you arrive at the Convention!

For details about our amazing seminar presenters for 2025, please visit this page.

Click here to download the Concert and Seminar schedule for the 2025 SPAH Convention.
For full details about the 2025 Convention in progress, please visit Convention Central

Registration Details

How to register for the Convention: (Advance Registration to attend in person ended on July 31st)
You can come to the Convention Hotel starting Tuesday afternoon and register for the Full Convention, or to attend any single day, including the Blues Blowoff, space permitting. The Registration Desk at the Convention Hotel opens at 1:30pm Tuesday for attendees with pre-paid registration, and at 3:30pm for those registering onsite.  The Registration Desk is open Wednesday to Friday from 8:30am to 5pm, and Saturday until 2:30pm.  NOTE: All Full Convention registrants are provided access to the full convention video streams and recordings – so please consider this as you decide whether to register for a few days, or for the Full Convention.

Click here to for more details, links, hotel booking & parking information, and a printable registration form.

Please consider a donation to the SPAH William Rosebush Youth Fund when you register, so SPAH can continue to bring young people to the instrument and to our community.

The preferred and easiest way for you to register for the Convention in advance is on this website. However, if you are unable to pay online, you can write a check, print, complete and mail the Registration form from the link above.

Registration to attend ONLINE/Virtually closed on August 10.

Booking a Hilton Hotel room for the SPAH Convention

NOTE: The opportunity to book Hotel rooms for the SPAH Discounted rate of $184 (plus tax) per night expired July 25, 2025. Please book your room soon, as rooms for some nights are sold out!

Click here for Hotel booking or call at 1-800-947-7578 and identify as being with the  “SPAH” group, or use the code 91H

While the hotel only offers valet parking due to space constraints on the Riverwalk, there are plenty of surface and ramp parking lots in the vicinity of the hotel, including at 236 Arciniega St (Parkme.com app) and 146 Navarro St (Parking.com). For San Antonio city parking maps, click here.

Staying at the Convention Hotel provide you with the best experience at a SPAH Convention, and ensures you won’t miss a thing!

About the Hotel

Click here for details about the Convention hotel.

The Hilton is on San Antonio’s River Walk, surrounded by dining and nightlife. The hotel is a five-minute walk from Rivercenter Mall and the Alamo. Rio San Antonio cruises and shuttles board just across the river. There is a huge selection of riverside restaurants, lounges, and entertainment options within walking distance.

Advertising in the SPAH Convention Program

SPAH welcomes advertisements from performers, vendors, teachers or anyone who would like to reach those attending the Convention, typically numbering 450 or more. Prices for a Black & White half page Convention Program advertisement start at $60 (a 1/2 page is 4 1/2″ x 3 3/4″).

Please download this document for ad specs, prices, options and details.

What happens at a SPAH Convention?

If you have ever attended a SPAH Convention, then you know it is an amazing 5-day musical and educational experience, with over 40 seminars on a variety of topics, and more than 20 world-class performances, day & night.  There are also amazing jams in the hallways during the day, and evening jams for many genres: blues, jazz, bluegrass, country and gospel. We also feature renowned SPAH Troubadours, who are in the hallways daily to bring you music and insight into what they do and how.

Above all, it is a place to immerse yourself in the music, culture, and people of the harmonica world, and experience the camaraderie of the SPAH community.

For more details about the experience, click here

SPAH Convention Policies

Please note that SPAH has a few, common sense, Convention attendee policies concerning marketing & selling products and services. SPAH expects everyone to follow these when attending, or participating in the Convention. Please make note of them here.

Getting involved in the SPAH Convention

There are a multitude of ways for you become involved in each SPAH Convention, as if attending and enjoying the company of amazing and sharing talent isn’t enough. We highly recommend it! You could:

• • • • Volunteer to help at the Convention.
        SPAH provides a fair work-trade deal, offering attendance credit at the Convention in exchange for your help
      • CLOSED – Nominate your favorite players and legends for SPAH Awards
      • CLOSED – Propose a Seminar topic to present at the Convention
      • CLOSED – Help up remember those SPAH members who have passed
      • Join us at one of the two organized Breakfasts
      • And, take a Tour of San Antonio!

Check this page for details and how to proceed!