By 1890, San Antonio was a thriving trade center with population of 38,000. In 1891, a group of citizens decided to honor the heroes of the Alamo and Battle of San Jacinto with a Battle of Flowers.
The first parade had horse-drawn carriages, bicycles decorated with fresh flowers, and floats carrying children dressed as flowers. The Belknap Rifles represented the military. The participants pelted each other with blossoms.
The Battle of Flowers was an immediate success. Within a few years, more events were taking place on or near April 21—a carnival, balls, and coronations of “royalty.” The Fiesta tradition had been born. Other early events included street dancing, children’s festivals, a Trades Display Parade and an orphans’ party. Fiesta has taken place every year except for 1918 during World War I and 1942 through 1945.
Fiesta has grown over the years to an 11-day celebration featuring more than 100 events featuring music, food, sports, pageantry, military and patriotic observances, exhibits, and parades—a city-wide party with a purpose. Nonprofit organizations sponsor every activity. Past Fiestas have featured regattas, synchronized swimming, polo matches, a hot-air balloon race, rifle competitions and bowling tournaments.
According to an economic impact study done in 2017 by the UTSA Center for Community and Business Research, more than 2.5 million people attend Fiesta San Antonio every year.
As a long-standing tradition, people go on a mission to obtain and wear as many Fiesta medals as possible. You’ll see people wearing their weight in medals – fastened to sashes, jackets, hats, and more. Get your own Fiesta medals at the Official Fiesta Store or at the various events.
In 1909, John Carrington founded the Order of the Alamo, one of the oldest Fiesta organizations. The members meet once a year to choose the next year’s queen and her court. The queen’s court includes a princess, 12 in-town duchesses and 12 from out of town. This royalty is featured in the major Fiesta parades.
Over the early years Fiesta royalty included King Cotton, King Selamat (tamales spelled backwards), King Omala (Alamo spelled backwards) and King Antonio. Some years no king was named. John Carrington formed the Texas Cavaliers in 1926. One purpose of the organization was to select King Antonio.
The second king to reign over Fiesta is El Rey Feo, the “Ugly King.” This monarch comes from a medieval tradition in which peasants elected one of their own as king for a day. The first Rey Feo was crowned in 1947. He became an official part of Fiesta in 1980. The LULAC Rey Feo Scholarship Committee sponsors El Rey Feo. Candidates for the title raise money that’s given to students for their college expenses. The emergence of two Fiesta kings built a bridge between both of the city’s major cultures. Both kings visit hospitals, schools, and nursing homes in addition to making their appearance at Fiesta events.
She dates back to 1949 in conjunction with the Flambeau Parade. Today, the Miss Fiesta Scholarship Pageant makes its selection from among San Antonio college students.
The Woman’s Club of San Antonio, organized in 1898, makes this selection. The organization was one of the original twelve members of the Fiesta Commission.
Like Rey Feo, this queen earns her crown by raising funds for the Rey Feo Scholarship Committee. The first reina was chosen in 1947, along with the first Ugly King.
She represents the San Antonio Charro Association, a San Antonio tradition since 1947. A Day in Old Mexico and the Charreada trace their history back to 1550s Mexico.
The goal of the San Antonio Queen of Soul Inc. is to provide a representative of the African American community at Fiesta activities and other civic and community programs.
College students compete for this title. The winner represents San Antonio in the Miss Texas Pageant in Fort Worth in July.
Kick off the festivities with Fiesta Fiesta at Hemisfair, an opening ceremony complete with locally-themed medal exchanges.
For the fifth year, Taste of the Republic helps to kick off Fiesta® 2022 with a culinary event highlighting the cuisine of Texas. The event is in partnership with, and is a fundraiser for, Fiesta San Antonio. Chef Brian West brings together more than a dozen talented local chefs to interpret the “Six Food Republics of Texas.” This tasty, ticketed event takes place in Southtown at The Good Kind. Enjoy gourmet bites paired with wine, cocktail tastings, and beer.
Explore the distinctive culture that upholds the customs and family traditions of Mexican Horsemanship as a way of life. This family event features food vendors, concessions, ballet Folklorico performances, and live mariachi music during the season-opening of Fiesta’s charreada – Mexico’s official sport, predating and inspiring the American Rodeo.
For years, King Antonio had no set tradition for his official arrival at Fiesta. He used planes, trains, and automobiles. When the Works Progress Administration completed improvements to the San Antonio River in 1941, the Cavaliers decided to introduce the king in a river parade—the first event to take place on the river after the improvements. Today, the River Parade is one of the few in the nation in which the floats really do float. About 250,000 people line the banks to enjoy the event.
The Daughters of the Republic of Texas has staged its Pilgrimage to the Alamo since 1925. The pilgrimage is a memorial tribute to the Alamo heroes and the heritage of Texas. A solemn, wreath-bearing procession of historic, civic, patriotic, military and school groups walks silently to the Alamo. At the same time, an announcer intones the names of the Alamo defenders from within the Alamo walls. The ceremony concludes with a brief memorial service.
A Night in Old San Antonio, better known as NIOSA, joined Fiesta in 1948. The San Antonio Conservation Society sponsors NIOSA. The society works to save San Antonio buildings and maintain the city’s cultural heritage. It takes about 16,000 volunteers each year to stage NIOSA. For fun with food and drinks, don’t miss it.
Mariachi barges float down the San Antonio River with celebratory music and excitement for Fiesta. The musicians throw beaded necklaces to onlookers and delight people on the River Walk with their vibrant music, which can still be heard long after they pass by. The Ford Mariachi Festival has been a tradition since 1972.
The Battle of the Flowers Parade is the only one in the country to be planned and directed completely by women. Today, it’s the largest parade in Fiesta, second in size nationally only to the Tournament of Roses Parade.
The Fiesta Flambeau Parade began in 1948. The parade’s name comes from the French word for a candlestick or torch. In the event’s early years, four-man brigades marched between the other units, carrying torches on five-foot poles. Today Boy Scouts carry safety flares. All the floats in the Flambeau Parade are lighted.
Fiesta is bright – and so is the clothing! Grab the most colorful items in your closet, your flower crown or “corona,” and don’t forget a sash for your medal collection, as well as comfortable shoes for all the walking and dancing.
Purchase tickets at the gate of the events. Don’t forget cash, as many events sell drink/food tickets once inside, and not all non-profit sponsoring organizations accept credit cards.
For well over a century, Fiesta® San Antonio has offered fun for all ages. From parades to carnival rides, there’s something for everyone. So, bring the whole family. Viva Fiesta!
For more information and detailed schedules, visit fiestasanantonio.org.
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