Helotes (/həˈloʊtɪs/ hə-LOH-tis) is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States, located on the far northwestern side of San Antonio.

[5] According to anthropologists, the area was occupied seasonally from about 5,000 BCE by small bands of nomadic Native American tribes in search of food and game.

[6] Marnoch's home at one time served as a stagecoach stop and a post office for cowboys driving their cattle from Bandera to auction in San Antonio.

[8] His heirs sold a portion of their property in 1880 to a Swiss immigrant, Arnold Gugger, who built a home and mercantile store around which the town of Helotes arose.

[7] In 1946, the manager of San Antonio's Majestic Theatre, John T. Floore, opened the landmark John T. Floore Country Store,[9] which is actually a dance hall (or "honky tonk") that draws top country music talent, including Willie Nelson, who still plays the venue on occasion.

[12] To this day, residents struggle with the dilemma of maintaining the city's rugged country charm, while at the same time allowing for the development of modern suburban facilities and businesses.

[8] Helotes was the hometown of late Texas State Senator Frank L. Madla, who died after his home on the south side of San Antonio caught fire on November 24, 2006.

[13] On April 28, 1953, the town was hit by a violent 1-mile (1.6 km) wide F4 tornado struck the city, damaging or destroying multiple structures.

The Cornyval Festival is an annual city tradition bringing in local vendors and thousands of area residents to celebrate the namesake of the town.

The Charles W. Anderson Loop, the outer beltway around San Antonio, is 2 mi (3 km) southeast of the center of Helotes.