Fiesta

Thursday was the official kick off for Fiesta in San Antonio.  It seems to keep growing as to how long it is.  I think they have added at least two days in my lifetime.  I guess a full week drunk wasn't enough.  It runs for eleven days.  This huge party draws a lot of folks.  If you like huge crowds, don't mind having beer spilled on you and waiting in very lengthy lines for the porta potty and then wading through pools of you know what due to the drunks not being able to wait, this is for you.  

Parades, celebrations of various sorts (most not even related to the reason for Fiesta) concerts, carnival and parades.  The parades are big time parades.  There is the river parade, the Rey Feo (ugly king) parade, the big Battle of Flowers Parade and the huge Fiesta Flambeau night parade (it draws over 4 hundred thousand from what I understand).  I believe it as I marched in it once in the vanguard as a Confederate Infantry soldier.  Glad I did it but I wouldn't want to ever do that again.  They require everyone to wear some sort of lights for the night parade.  We just stuck ours in our haversacks.  We weren't about to add lights to our uniforms.  We got away with it.

These parades used to be a mostly free event and you could just show up and watch with your lawn chairs.  Not any more.  Every inch of the several mile parade route is covered with bleachers and chairs that you must buy a ticket for to view the parade.  They realized they could soak the public even more.

River Parade

Fiesta Flambeau Night Parade.

This is the really big blow out for San Antonio.  There is something to do for just about anyone.  Even neighborhoods have their own events and parades.  One of the main things is fiesta medal collection.  Almost every event has it's own medal.  Even businesses have their fiesta medal.  At about 10$ a pop.  You can see some folks spend a lot of money on the things as they wear them all over themselves.

So why the big party?  Well first, San Antonio doesn't need much of a reason to stage some sort of party.  But this started out as a memorial to the heroes of the Alamo and the victory at San Jacinto over the Mexican Army.  There are a couple of events that still actually do this, mostly it is the older crowd and they are members of the Sons or Daughters of the Republic of Texas.  But most don't even know what fiesta is about other than party everyday.  Me. I don't go, ever.  I did a few times until I as about 19-20 and the one time marching in the parade.  But I avoid downtown like the plague anyway.  I have never liked big crowds and this is as big as it gets here.  I believe it is bigger crowdwise than Mardi Gras, if not, it's very close.

Happy Trails