From March 31-April 10, San Antonio TX will celebrate the city’s biggest and longest-running annual event: Fiesta San Antonio.
This colorful and lively mix of events originally commemorated the historical events at the Alamo. Today, the celebrations have morphed into a multicultural celebration of everything that makes San Antonio unique. For instance:
Local Artisans in Vogue: Fiesta grandes local creators and artisans a chance to shine, like the designers for the annual Miss Fiesta San Antonio coronation dress. The embroidery, beading and design turn these coronation robes from a two-dimensional sketch into a wearable work of art. In a new exhibition opening on March 30, the Witte Museum is pairing coronation robes from the 1940s-2010s with evening gowns of the same time period, to compare and contrast. They are including a Street Wear section that examines the evolution of the fiesta “look.” The Witte has a great collection of coronation robes from the Order of the Alamo and they work to preserve the stories of the women and men that bring these couture creations to life. We’d be happy to connect you with Amy Fulkerson, the Chief Curator on the Fiesta coronation robes exhibit who is currently working on the new one titled “Fiesta Vogue: Outfit of the Day.”
Tastes of Fiesta: San Antonio is a hub of multicultural eats, and Fiesta is the time to sample all of them! For example, meet the woman who has been making tacos at a small taco stand at Fiesta for the past 70 years. She’s just one of many stories to highlight while experiencing Fiesta. During the trip, you will also have the chance to experience why San Antonio is a UNESCO City of Creative Gastronomy. Most people only think of Tex-Mex when it comes to San Antonio’s more than 4000 restaurants, but the city wants you to think of Tex-NEXT. A rich German, Mexican and Spanish heritage along with a pulsing sense of innovation an immigration has made the city the newest hotspot for American dining. And with 30 restaurants opening during the pandemic, San Antonio is racing forward.
Economic and Social Impact: The commission behind Fiesta calculates more than $340 million in economic impact for the ten day event. Fiesta raised around $900,000 alone for sales of chairs along the parade route to help support local non profit groups like scouts and civic clubs. The event also gives a chance for local groups like San Antonio AIDS to raise awareness for social causes among communities across the city. I could get you an exclusive interview with the city’s mayor to learn more about why this event is so important.
