Frequently asked questions


About Fiesta San Antonio

Q. What is Fiesta San Antonio?
A. Fiesta San Antonio is an 11-day festival that includes more than 100 events all over the Alamo City and beyond each April.

Q. How did Fiesta San Antonio start?
A. Fiesta began in 1891 when local women created a “Battle of Flowers” in front of the Alamo to commemorate the battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto. The Battle of Flowers Parade soon became a tradition, and other activities were scheduled around the event. For more Fiesta history go to http://www.fiesta-sa.org/about-2/history-of-fiesta/.

Q. How many events are there?
A. The number changes slightly each year. In 2010 there were 105 events.

Q. What are the most popular Fiesta events?
A. By attendance, the most popular events are the Fiesta Carnival, Fiestas Fantasías at Market Square, the Texas Cavaliers River Parade, the Battle of Flowers Parade and the Fiesta Flambeau Parade. Together they have an attendance of more than 1.5 million.

Q. I’ve heard people talking about “official” Fiesta events. What does that mean?
A. Events sponsored by nonprofit organizations that belong to the Fiesta San Antonio Commission are considered “official.”

Q. How can I find future Fiesta dates?
A. Go to future-fiesta-dates for Fiesta dates through 2016.

Q. Do Fiesta and Easter always coincide?
A. Fiesta usually begins the Thursday on or before April 21, San Jacinto Day. Every few years that’s also Holy Thursday. The Fiesta San Antonio Commission and its member organizations determine several years in advance whether to move the 11-day festival away from that weekend.

Q. What’s the reason behind Fiesta San Antonio?
A. Fiesta began in 1891 as a celebration of the battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto. It has evolved over more than a century to become a multicultural celebration of the Alamo City’s history and diversity. Most of the nonprofit organizations that produce official Fiesta events also use them as fundraisers to continue their service to the community.

Q. What makes Fiesta special?
A. Fiesta San Antonio is one of the biggest festivals in the world by attendance (up to 3.5 million people each year). It’s one of the few big festivals to be run entirely by nonprofit organizations. We say Fiesta is the Party With a Purpose because those nonprofits help their neighbors all year long.

Q. What companies do official Fiesta events?
A. Only nonprofit organizations can become participating member organizations and call their events “official.” For more information go to About becoming a Fiesta organization below.

Q. How much money is generated each year by Fiesta San Antonio?
A. A 2007 survey determined that Fiesta’s economic impact is $284 million. That includes money residents and visitors spend at Fiesta events. It also considers what visitors spend on things like hotels, rental cars, gas and restaurants.

Q. What’s the biggest Fiesta event?
A. By attendance the biggest event is probably the Fiesta Flambeau Parade. Parade organizers have estimated that up to 700,000 people have lined the 2.6-mile parade route.

Q. How do I become a vendor at Fiesta?
A. Many of the more than 100 events include vendor booths. Go to the Vendor page (starting in January) for contact information for the sponsoring organizations.

Q. I want to be a Fiesta entertainer. What do I do?
A. Many of the more than 100 events look for entertainers. Go to the Entertainer page (starting in January) for contact information for the sponsoring organizations.

Q. What’s all the excitement about Fiesta medals?
A. One of Fiesta San Antonio’s most popular traditions is collecting pins and medals each year. Many of the 100 nonprofit member organizations of the Fiesta San Antonio Commission order the items to sell as fundraisers. Many also give away at least part of their inventories. Local military organizations, private companies and individuals also create the popular mementos. The tradition goes back at least 50 years, and no one is sure exactly how it started.

About Fiesta royalty

Q. How many Fiesta royalty are there?
A. There are nine official Fiesta kings and queens:

  • King Antonio
  • the Queen of The Order of the Alamo
  • Miss Fiesta San Antonio
  • El Rey Feo
  • La Reina de la Feria de las Flores
  • the Queen of Soul
  • Miss San Antonio
  • the Charro Queen
  • The Woman’s Club Teen Queen

Q. What’s an “official” king or queen?

A. The Fiesta San Antonio Commission’s Board of Commissioners voted to give those royalty members official status in the commission’s Policies and Standards.

Q. Which king or queen is the oldest of Fiesta?
A. Historical records show that The Order of the Alamo began crowning a queen in 1909. Before that, several organizations had named kings, including King Cotton; King Omala (Alamo spelled backwards); King Selamat (tamales spelled backwards); and King Rex. The Texas Cavaliers was established in 1926 and has been choosing a King Antonio since 1927.

Q. How can I become a Fiesta king or queen?
A. Each royalty organization has its own process for choosing its king or queen. We suggest you go to those websites for more information.

About becoming a Fiesta organization

Q. How can my company sponsor an official Fiesta event?
A. Only nonprofit organizations can sponsor “official” Fiesta events. The Fiesta San Antonio Commission encourages companies to support Fiesta by becoming a corporate sponsor of the commission or one of its 100 local nonprofit member organizations. Go to our Become a Sponsor page for more information.

Q. How does the Fiesta San Antonio Commission approve official events?
A. The commission accepts applications from nonprofit organizations each summer. An Accreditation committee sends a representative to the organization’s event the next year and makes recommendations to the Board of Commissioners on which events and nonprofit organizations to accept.

Q. What are the requirements to be considered for approval as an official Fiesta event?
A. Events must be:

  • Sponsored by a nonprofit organization.
  • Open to the public.
  • Have taken place for at least three years before the application is submitted.
  • Not duplicate an existing Fiesta event.

Q. What happens if other events take place during Fiesta?
A. Many unofficial events take place during the 11 days of Fiesta. The Fiesta San Antonio Commission welcomed them as long as they don’t give the impression they are officially sanctioned.

Q. What’s the benefit to becoming an “official” Fiesta event?
A. Official events and their nonprofit sponsoring organizations receive many benefits of membership in the Fiesta San Antonio Commission. They include:

  • Event information in the official program magazine, schedule brochure and website.
  • Coverage under the commission’s umbrella insurance policy (the commission pays half the premium for each event).
  • Financial support from the commission for events whose Fiesta events won’t break even.
  • Professional development opportunities.
  • Sale of their Fiesta pins and medals in The Fiesta Store®.