Economic Impact


Battle of Flowers fanDuring Fiesta 2007 the Fiesta San Antonio Commission conducted an economic impact study.

A contractor, Birchhill Enterprises, did intercept interviews at six major Fiesta events. Surveyors asked questions about:

  • How much people had spent at an event.
  • How far they had come
  • Demographic information.

The contractor compiled the information and concluded that Fiesta San Antonio generated an impact of some $284 million for the local economy. That figure included money that participants spent on event admission, food, souvenirs and more. It also includes purchases in San Antonio on the way to or from Fiesta events. For example, a family coming from out of town might stay in a hotel, rent a car, eat at restaurants and visit other local attractions.

The study also showed that San Antonio receives about $4 million in city sales tax because of Fiesta.

The economic impact of Fiesta San Antonio is the highest among the more than 50 festivals that Birchhill Enterprises had studied in the previous six years and is comparable to many mega-events. Sample festivals we have studied include:

  • Sonoco Welcome America, Philadelphia ($101.3million).
  • St. Patrick’s Day Festival on the River, Savannah, Ga. ($30 million).
  • Gilroy Garlic Festival, Gilroy, Calif. ($18 million).
  • Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival ($18.1 million).

Some other major events reporting economic impact using different methodologies include:

  • State Fair of Texas, Dallas ($350 million for a 24 day run).
  • The Pasadena (Calif.) Tournament of Roses ($370 million).
  • Kentucky Derby, Louisville, Ky. ($93.6 million).
  • The NCAA Final Four in San Antonio (2004) ($55 million).

A more direct comparison would be with the Portland (Oregon) Rose Festival. which has a similar format to Fiesta San Antonio and reports an economic impact of $80 million.

88 percent of Fiesta San Antonio attendees indicated that they were Hispanic. This percentage is adjusted for event attendance, and breaks down per event as follows:

  • Tejano Explosion, 97%
  • Fiesta Carnival, 96%
  • Fiestas Fantasías, 83%
  • A Night in Old San Antonio, 78%
  • Fiesta Oyster Bake, 76%
  • A Taste of New Orleans, 61%

Economic Impact