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Fiesta Fun Facts

The Battle of Flowers Parade was first held in 1891 to honor the heroes of the Battle of the Alamo (March 6, 1836) and the Battle of San Jacinto (April 21, 1836). The procession featured flower-covered horse-drawn carriages, bicycles adorned with fresh flowers, children costumed as flowers riding on floats, and participants throwing flowers at each other.
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Women Take the Lead

The Battle of Flowers Parade is the only parade in the U.S. that is planned and directed exclusively by women.Today, Fiesta annually involves 75,000 volunteers from 100 nonprofit groups who coordinate over 100 events.The Order of the Cascaron was formed in 1992 to recognize the outstanding efforts of volunteers who make Fiesta possible.

A Primer on Fiesta Royalty

The Order of the Alamo was founded in 1909. Every year, members meet to choose the Queen and her court, which includes a Princess, 12 Duchesses from San Antonio, and 12 Duchesses from outside of the city.King Antonio is chosen by The Texas Cavaliers, an organization founded in 1926 and the sponsor of the River Parade during Fiesta. El Rey Feo, the Ugly King, has been a tradition since 1947, an official part of Fiesta since 1980, and is sponsored by the LULAC Rey Feo Scholarship Committee. Rey Feo contenders raise funds for students to use toward college expenses and the candidates who raises the most gets the crown.Every charreada (a Mexican-style rodeo) needs a queen, so the Charro Queen rules over the annual Fiesta Charreada event at the Charro Ranch (6126 Padre Dr.), where performers show off their equestrian skills in the style and tradition of old Mexico.The Queen of Soul is chosen by the San Antonio Queen of Soul Board from a field of talented contestants during an annual pageant. One lucky young woman between the ages of 18 and 25 then represents the African-American community during Fiesta and for the following year.

Cornyation—The Silly Side of Fiesta

King Anchovy, a spirited spoof on King Antonio, is chosen by the Cornyation committee, which produces an extremely popular and spirited spoof on King Antonio’s coronation. Cornyation donations (more than $500,000 so far) go to local charities such as the San Antonio AIDS Foundation.

Celebrate SA Heritage at NIOSA

NIOSA’s roots date back to the fall of 1938, when a one-night street fair called the “Indian Festival” took place. Over the years, the festival changed names and the first “A Night in Old San Antonio,” sponsored by the San Antonio Conservation Society, was held as a one-night, one-street festival in 1948. NIOSA is now a four-night event encompassing five acres at La Villita with 15 ethnic areas to celebrate San Antonio’s diverse cultural heritage. More than 16,000 volunteers help produce NIOSA, which provides more revenue for historic preservation than almost any other event in the country.

Rain, Rain Stay Away

Spring weather can be tricky, and while we want May flowers we don’t necessarily want the April showers to fall during Fiesta. The Rain Rock is officially hung on a tree next to the NIOSA headquarters in La Villita at 227 S. Presa on the first Monday of Fiesta to chase away bad weather. This is a 30-year tradition started by a NIOSA volunteer, who learned about it from an old West Texas cowboy.

Get Crackin’

Cascarones are hand-decorated, hollowed-out eggshells filled with confetti. To have a cascarone cracked open and confetti poured on your head is said to bring good luck. They first appeared at NIOSA in 1959. About 35 volunteers from the Conservation Society work year-round making more than 120,000 cascarones to sell at NIOSA (3 for $1). In the past 50 years, cascarones sales have resulted in more than $605,000 for historical preservation projects in the San Antonio area.

Medal Mania

Fiesta medals and pins are an integral part of the celebration. Maybe because San Antonio is a military town? Numerous organizations create medals to sell or give away each year, with the goal being to collect as many as you can. King Antonio XLIX is credited with starting the tradition in 1971, when he put 200 royal coins on ribbons and distributed them at Fiesta events. If you have an opportunity to shake hands with Fiesta royalty, you may be lucky enough to have a medal slide into your palm.

S.A.V.E.

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