Viva Fiesta!

Fiesta 2010 is winding down to
a close but that doesn't mean the party stops. Fiesta is a "Party With
a Purpose." Proceeds from all the official Fiesta events benefit many, many wonderful causes in our city. Click on the event links in my posts this month to visit the sites and see what they support. It will warm your heart and soul. The party is just starting for all the people who will benefit from all the funds raised. I love San Antonio! Viva Fiesta!

King William Fair

The King William Fair invites you to celebrate the history and diversity of Texas' first historic neighborhood.
Stroll past stately Victorian mansions
as you enjoy a wide variety of drinks and ethnic cuisines. There will be lots
of arts and crafts vendors and a Kid's Kingdom for the kids. The fair kicks
off with a parody parade. Saturday, April 24, 10 am to 6 pm. $5.00;
children 12 and under are free.

I took my grandsons to this last year and we all had a good time (except for when I passed out from heat exhaustion). There are foot-long corn dogs (more like 16-inch), gorditas, funnel cakes,
and more. The rides and activities in the Kid's Kingdom include
an inflatable slide, rock-climbing wall, a kid's bungi jump where
you get strapped in and fly through the air, and lots more.

Fiesta Flambeau Parade

The Fiesta Flambeau Parade is one of the highlights of Fiesta; it's also one of the largest illuminated parades in the nation. This year's theme is Legends
in Music, showcasing many local and mainstream celebrities.

The University of Texas Longhorn Band will lead the parade through the 2.6 mile route. Saturday, April 24th. Vanguard at 7 pm; parade begins at 7:45 pm. Free, but you can purchase seating at varying prices from $12 to $18. The parade will also be televised and shown on the web.

Pooch Parade

The Fiesta Pooch Parade is Saturday, April 24th, 8 am to 1 pm
at the Alamo Heights Swimming Pool. Advance registration is $20
per one human and pooch or $25 per family and all the family dogs; $25 and $30 at the event. T-shirts and goody bags go to the first 500 pre-registrations.

Dress up your dog in Fiesta attire for the costume contest. The
5k parade begins at 9:30 am, winding through tree-lined streets along a tail-wagging route. There are also special exhibits and educational presentations for you and your furry friend.

Battle of Flowers Parade

This is the event that started what we know as Fiesta today.
The first Battle of Flowers Parade took place in 1891 to honor the heroes of the Alamo and to commemorate the Battle of San Jacinto, April 21, 1836, where Texas won its independence from Mexico.

The Battle of Flowers Parade is Friday, April 23rd, a.k.a. Fiesta Friday. Vanguard 11:50 am; the parade begins at 12:45 pm.

R.O.T.C. units march ahead of the parade and delight spectators with precision drills. The parade arrives with an explosion of color as splendid cavalcades and flying flags announce the festivities to come. Spectacular floats carrying costumed Fiesta royalty are interspersed with flower-bedecked antique cars and carriages. Giant helium balloons fly through the air, accompanied by the music of military and high school bands.

The parade route begins at Broadway @ Josephine and travels through downtown to Martin @ Santa Rosa.

This is an event not to be missed. Practically the whole city of San Antonio shuts down as everyone congregates downtown to enjoy the parade. Free; tickets (prices vary ranging from $12 to $18) can be purchased for seating.

A Taste of the Northside

A Taste of the Northside, Wednesday, April 21, 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm, offers
a night of fantastic food tastings from over 40 local restaurants, more than 40 international fine wines and beers, along with live entertainment under the stars
on the grounds of The Club at Sonterra. Tickets are $45 in advance; $50 at the door.

NIOSA... A Night in Old San Antonio

NIOSA is one of the biggies of Fiesta. Mingle with 85,000 people in La Villita on April 20th, 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm, as you stroll your way through 15 heritage-themed areas while sipping on your margarita and trying to decide which of the 250 elaborately decorated food and drink booths you have a taste for while enjoying more than a dozen nonstop entertainment stages.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the gate; $2.00 for children 6 to 12; $1.50 in advance. Visit their Facebook Page for more info.

Check out their foods page to see what foods and entertainment are offered in each of the areas: Arneson Theatre, Chinatown, Clown Alley, French Quarter, Froggy Bottom, Frontier Town, Haymarket, International Walkway, Irish Flat, Main Street USA, Mexican Market, Mission Trail, Sauerkraut Bend, South of the Border, and Villa Espana.

Cornyation

Want to attend the raunchiest, cheapest event of Fiesta? (Their motto, not mine.) Cornyation is
where you'll want to be on April
20, 21, and 22 at the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre for
The Court of Magnificent Epic Failures.

Two shows nightly at 8:30 pm and 10:30 pm. Tickets are $25 for the orchestra level; $20 for mezzanine level; and $15 for balcony level. The show pokes irreverent fun
at politicians and the prominent and not-so-prominent citizens
of San Antonio.

Visit their Facebook Page to get a glimpse into this year's event.

Texas Cavaliers River Parade

The Texas Cavaliers River Parade promises an evening of family fun on Monday, April 19th, 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm at the River Walk, with live music, celebrities, and lights. More than 40 festively decorated floats drift down the San Antonio River. King Antonio LXXXVII reigns over the festivities. Free, but you can purchase seats for $10 to $15.

The Investiture of King Antonio LXXXVIII, Saturday, April 17th, 7:30
to 8:30 pm at the Alamo Plaza. This
is one of the longest-standing Fiesta traditions and also honors the memory of the heroes who fell at the Alamo. Free.

Fort Sam Houston Fiesta

Enjoy a day and a parade at Fort Sam Houston Fiesta, Sunday, April 18th, 1 pm to 9 pm. The Fiesta Country Fair begins at 1 pm and features food and drink booths, live entertainment, kiddy carnival, games, military equipment display, and novelty items. At 4:30 pm the U.S. Navy Parachute Team Leap Frogs will open the military ceremony at MacArthur Field. The
event will finish with the grand fireworks extravaganza around
9 pm. Free.

Earth Day Fiesta

Celebrate Earth Day Fiesta at Woodlawn Lake, Saturday, April 17th, 10 am to 4 pm. In addition to live entertainment, vegetarian food, information booths, tree planting demonstrations, workshops and seminars demonstrating various energy and conservation ideas and techniques, enter a drawing to win one of 30 beach cruiser bicycles and a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. CPS Energy will be giving away 2,000 trees. San Antonio Water Systems will give away 1,500 xeriscape plants. Woodlawn Lake Community Association will give away more than 500 flower and vegetable seed packets. Free!

This is the first year that Fiesta is going green... Fiesta Viva Verde, so let's all do our part to keep San Antonio green. There
will be recycling bins at all the events where you can recycle your empty drink cups and beer cans.

Another event is the 5K Walk & Roll, 7:30 am. Registration is $15 before the 17th; $20 at the run. Trees will be given to the first 3 males and females to finish. Earth Day T-shirts and refreshments will be provided to all registered runners.

Fiesta San Fernando and Mariachi Mass

San Fernando Cathedral honors
Fiesta Royalty, Commissioners, and participants with a Mariachi Mass, asking blessings on all of Fiesta, Sunday, April 18th, 8 am to 9 am.

A little later in the week, April 22nd through April 25th, enjoy Fiesta San Fernando, a celebration of family, food, and fun with live entertainment and arts and crafts booths. Thursday and Friday, noon to midnight. Saturday, noon to 8 pm. Free.

Paseo del Rio Children's Festival

Fiesta is fun for kids, too!
The Paseo del Rio Children's Festival, Saturday, April 17th, 10 am to 4 pm at the River Walk in the Rivercenter Mall Lagoon area offers live entertainment, interactive games, face painting, clowns, story telling, and much more on the multiple staging areas with overlapping activities from an inflatable moon bounce to lively dancers and a putt-putt golf challenge. Free admission.

Chips 'n' Salsa Fiesta Casino Night

Chips 'n' Salsa, held at the Sky Loft at the Casa de Mexico International Building, 318 West Houston Street, April 17th, 7:00 pm to 11 pm, offers a different kind of chips 'n' salsa... it offers casino games such as Blackjack, Texas Hold 'Em, Roulette, Craps, and slot machines while you dance to a salsa-merengue band and enjoy a complimentary buffet, casino chips, salsa dancing lessons and a commemorative Chips 'n' Salsa Medal, along with alcoholic beverages. Advance tickets are $50; $75 at the door.

Tejano Explosion

Tejano Explosion jump-starts Fiesta and features ten days of music and partying, April 15th through April 24th, 5:30 pm to
2 am at Cattleman's Square, corner of West Houston and North Frio streets. Admission
is $3.00 before 5 pm; prices vary after 5 pm.

Band styles range from Tejano, 60s and 70s oldies, polkas, conjunto, cumbias, boleros, country, and rhythm 'n' blues. In addition to the music and merriment, you'll find Fiesta finger
foods and beverages to enjoy while you dance and party.

Fiesta Carnival

What would Fiesta be without a carnival? We have one of the best...
26 rides, live music, a big top circus, and lots of food--nachos, hot dogs, sausages, cotton candy, and more at
the Alamo Dome Parking Lot C. Free admission. The carnival happens from Wednesday, April 14th through Sunday, April 25th. Dollar days are Wednesday, April 14th and 21st. Unlimited wristbands are $20, Monday through Friday, and $22 on Saturday and Sunday.

Fiestas Fantasias

We know how to party Fiesta-style in San Antonio. We have a huge, FREE event every day during Fiesta, from 10 am to midnight, Friday April 16th through Sunday, April 25th. Fiestas Fantasias at Market Square celebrates with five stages featuring a variety of music including Tejano and Conjunto, Latin jazz, country western, and more.

Plus there are more than 30 food booths offering spicy Mexican cuisine (think gorditas, tacos, and quesadillas), Cajun shrimp, hamburgers, fresh fruit drinks, funnel cakes and lots (I do mean LOTS) more food. And if that isn't enough, you can shop at more than 100 novelty stores in Market Square, Produce Row, and El Mercado.

A Taste of New Orleans

Have a taste for authentic New Orleans-style food and music? Then A Taste of New Orleans at the Sunken Garden Theater in Brackenridge Park is the place to be April 16th, 4 pm to 12 am; April 17th, 12 pm to 12 am, and April 18th, 12 pm to 11 pm. Tickets are $10 in advance; $12 at the gate. Kids 10 and under are free.

The "Taste" menu includes assorted gumbos, red beans and rice, shrimp Creole, etouffee, jambalaya, Cajun catfish, crab au gratin, fresh crawfish boil, beignets, and lots more. Listen to the sounds
of jazz, Dixieland, salsa, and brass bands as the kids enjoy rides, slides, a moonwalk, face painting, and more.

Fiesta Oyster Bake

Fiesta Oyster Bake, held at St. Mary's University, is the heartbeat of Fiesta. Friday, April 16th; 5 pm to 11 pm and Saturday, April 17th; 11 am to 11 pm. Tickets are $16 in advance; $20 at the door. Children under 12 are free. Check out their Facebook Page for updates.

It's not just oysters! In addition to the 100,000 oysters, there will be 25,000 chicken-on-a-stick-with- jalapeno, 3,000 pounds of beef and chicken fajitas, 6,000 turkey legs, 6,000 hamburgers, 3,000 slices of cheesecake, 7,500 ears of corn, 2,500 pounds of sausage, and 21,000 gallons of drinks, plus musical entertainment, a carnival, and fireworks on Friday night.

Fiesta Fiesta

Are you ready to party? Fiesta Fiesta (no... I didn't type it twice by accident) is the opening ceremony of Fiesta.

Fiesta officially starts at the Alamo Plaza on April 15th at 5:00 pm. It's free and features music, fun, and of course food! Come and savor the flavors with three courses of fun... a Salute to Fiesta showcasing the military contribution to Fiesta; a second course of Show Me Fiesta featuring the long-standing traditions of tie-cutting and breaking-of-the-heel to symbolize cutting loose for Fiesta; and a third course of Savor the Flavors of Fiesta, a conga line parade to a giant cazeula simmering with Fiesta activities.

Part of the fun is Pin Pandemonium where you can buy, trade, and swap Fiesta pins and medals. You can also get up close and personal with Fiesta royalty to shake hands and maybe find that a pin has made its way into your hand.

Did I mention that there's plenty of food? Hamburgers, barbecued rib kabobs, paletos, brats and sauerkraut, shrimp and chicken kabobs, sausage on a stick, kettle corn, Philly steak sandwiches, shaved ice, fruit cups, and much more. Be sure to stop by Cuervo Corner where you'll find margaritas, the official drink of Fiesta.

The Fiesta Store

Be sure to stop by The Fiesta Store at 2611 Broadway for all things Fiesta, from colorful T-shirts and posters to cascarones and coffee cups, key chains and tote bags, and lots more Fiesta-themed merchandise. The Fiesta store is also the headquarters to buy tickets for all your favorite Fiesta events.

Fiesta Foodies

Fiesta is all about the foods and flavors of San Antonio. We even have an official Fiesta Foodie! Tanji Patton, of Good Taste with Tanji, has been named the official Fiesta foodie this year. She has a page on her site devoted to Fiesta fun and food. Check it out for Fiesta videos and recipes.

Fiesta

Fiesta is two weeks away. For those of you who don't live in San Antonio, Fiesta is a 10-day, city-wide celebration of all the foods and flavors in San Antonio. For those of you who do live in San Antonio, you know what I'm talking about! Get ready to party.

Fiesta is the 7th largest festival in the nation. I'll be blogging about Fiesta this month, sharing the flavors by offering a look into some of the major events--and the foods by showcasing recipes for the street foods that are offered during Fiesta. Check out the Fiesta Facebook Page for updates on all the events.