SAN ANTONIO — The first weekend of November marks the last chance kayakers can paddle down the San Antonio River Walk after more than three decades of being a no-paddle zone along the river's scenic business district.

It's a moment Sarah Neal has been waiting for.

"I've been begging for this for five years. I've been talking to everybody in the world for five years trying to get this, so I jumped on it," said Neal.

Neal is the owner of Mission Adventure Tours, a company the San Antonio River Walk Association partnered with for the five-week event. After originally being contacted in May, Neal said it took another four months to get the correct permits and coordinate around the barges schedule.

"We are sold out every weekend. I would love for it to keep going all the way through October, November, December. Let us run in the evenings after the barges quit for the night," she said.

Originally, the Center City Development and Operations Department thought of bringing the kayaks back to the area surrounded by popular hotels and restaurants. After COVID-19 diminished the previously popular tourist spot, the city was looking for ways to bring locals and revenue back downtown on the weekends.

"When the tourism stopped, the restaurants and the shops were dying. They had no income," Neal said.

Now that locals are back to kayak, Neal said many are going to eat and shop after a morning on the river. However, that will all end in early November.

"Email the mayor, the councilmen and women. Let them know people want access to the river," she said.

Maggie Thompson, who is the executive director of the San Antonio River Walk Association, said an extension is ultimately reliant on the GO RIO Cruises contract with the city. For now, barges are on a delayed schedule to allow kayaks on the river in the morning.

"The [city] will work with us. For now, there are also ordinances that stand in the way but I don't give up. I fought for five years and it finally worked. Maybe another six months, a year, two years we will get there," Neal said.

For those who missed out on this rare event, Mission Adventure Tours is still offering kayak rentals along the King William District on the weekends.