Your Guide to San Antonio’s Favorite Fiesta, From the Battle of Flowers to Night Parades

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Fiesta San Antonio turns the whole city into a party for 11 straight days each spring. What started as a simple parade in 1891 has evolved into Texas’s biggest celebration, with over 100 events across town – from riverside parades to tamale festivals, mariachi contests to carnival nights. Here’s what you need to know.

The Biggest Party in San Antonio

Fiesta San Antonio is the city’s biggest party of the year: picture Mardi Gras with a Texas twist. This spring bash has over 100 events spread across town, from parades to food festivals to concerts.

About 2.5 million people show up each year. There’s Mexican folk dancing, military ceremonies, and food vendors everywhere selling local favorites. The whole city gets decked out in bright colors.

It All Started With Flower Carriages

The whole thing started back in 1891 as a parade to honor Alamo heroes. Some local women decorated carriages with flowers and drove past the Alamo, throwing flowers at each other. That became the Battle of Flowers Parade, still going strong today.

Ellen Maury Slayden got it all started as the first president of the Battle of Flowers Association. Back then they called it “Fiesta San Jacinto.”

In 1909, they started crowning a Fiesta queen when the Order of the Alamo was established. The official Fiesta Commission didn’t show up until 1959.

What began as a simple parade has grown to include traditions like King Antonio, Miss Fiesta, and NIOSA – a huge block party showcasing all the different cultures of San Antonio.

When and Where to Go

Fiesta 2025 is nearly two weeks of partying all over San Antonio. There’s no one location as events happen everywhere from downtown parks to the River Walk, the Alamodome, and neighborhoods all around.

Everything kicks off at Hemisfair Park with Fiesta Fiesta on Thursday at 4 PM. Daytime events happen from 10 AM to 6 PM, while nights go on from 6 PM till midnight or later.

The Battle of Flowers Parade is on May 2, the Fiesta Flambeau Parade is on May 3, and the Texas Cavaliers River Parade is on April 28.

You can check the full schedule on the official Fiesta website to plan your attack. Tickets range from free to about $45 for the premium stuff. Buy them online or at any H-E-B grocery store.

The Free Opening Night Party

Fiesta® Fiesta is where it all begins, on Thursday, April 24, from 4 PM to 10 PM at Travis Park. And yeah, it’s free.

The party officially starts when city officials crack open colorful cascarones, those confetti-filled eggs that end up in your hair for days.

Live music blasts from multiple stages: Tejano, conjunto, rock, country, you name it. Food vendors line the park selling gorditas, aguas frescas, and that famous chicken-on-a-stick.

Rides and Games at the Alamodome

The Fiesta Carnival runs the whole dang festival at the Alamodome parking lot. Sunday through Thursday they’re open noon to midnight, weekends go noon to 1 AM.

Got more than 50 rides: kiddie stuff for the little ones and crazy rides like the Mega Drop for folks who enjoy being terrified. Tons of midway games where you’ll spend way too much trying to win a stuffed animal, plus all the cotton candy, turkey legs, and funnel cakes you can handle.

New this year is a bigger Family Fun Zone with more rides for the kids and actual seating for parents. Individual tickets cost a buck each, with most rides taking 3-5 tickets. Buy your wristbands at H-E-B before the carnival starts and save some cash.

The Original Parade Run by Women

This parade is the OG Fiesta event, still run entirely by women volunteers. Happens Friday, May 2nd, starting at 10:30 AM. Schools and businesses shut down for “Battle of Flowers Day” on this day.

This year’s theme is “Melodies in Bloom: A Texas Serenade” with floats showing off state landmarks, history, and culture. You’ll see over 40 floats, plus high school bands, military units, horses, and dancers.

Unlike most parades these days, many floats still use actual flowers, keeping the old tradition alive. Good seats cost $20-45 and went on sale January 15 on the Fiesta website. You can watch for free along the route, but you better show up by 7 AM if you want a decent spot for viewing.

The Nighttime Light Parade

The Fiesta Flambeau® Parade is the one you don’t wanna miss – happens Saturday night, May 3rd, starting at 7:45 PM. It’s been going since 1948 and named after the French word for “torch.” They also call it “America’s Largest Illuminated Night Parade” and it packs in over 700,000 people.

It follows the same route as the Battle of Flowers but goes the opposite way. This year’s theme is “Deep in the Arts of Texas” with more than 150 groups marching in this thing: illuminated floats, dance teams doing choreographed routines, and bands from all over Texas and neighboring states.

The Flambeau Queen and her court steal the show with their crazy light-up dresses. Reserved seats cost $30 to $50, with packages that include dinner before the parade.

Boats Float Down the River Walk

Only in San Antonio can you bring tradition to life (they’ve been doing it since 1941). The Texas Cavaliers River Parade takes over the River Walk on Monday, April 28, from 7 to 9 PM.

The Texas Cavaliers (a charity group started in 1926) put on the whole show. About 50 decorated boats float down the San Antonio River while 250,000 people watch from the banks. Local businesses, community groups, and military units all participate.

Each float gets decked out with lights and decorations, carrying musicians, local celebrities, or costumed characters. This year’s theme is “Shine Bright: A Celebration of Light and Illumination for All” so expect light-hearted jokes and water-themed stuff. Reserved seats run $14 to $40, with all proceeds going to kids’ charities in San Antonio.

The VIP Parade Experience

For those who hate crowds, heat, and porta-potties, there’s the VIP Parade Experience too. You get covered seats where you can see stuff, right where performers do their best routines.

Show up 90 minutes early for the pre-parade party with Tex-Mex food, an open bar with Fiesta cocktails, and music. They give you a swag bag with the official program, a commemorative medal, sunscreen, and other Fiesta stuff.

But honestly, the real luxury? Actual bathrooms. No lines, no nasty porta-potties. Costs $115-125 with discounts. Bringing friends? Groups of 10+ can get corporate packages that include your company name in the parade program.

Fiesta San Antonio Events Beyond the Main Parades

The parades get all the glory, but that’s just scratching the surface of Fiesta. Check out Night in Old San Antonio (NIOSA) on April 29th in La Villita. This four-night street party has 200+ food and drink booths across 14 cultural areas. Total madness, but the good kind. Taste of New Orleans (April 25th to 27th) brings Cajun food and zydeco music.

Gartenfest at Beethoven Halle und Garten has polka bands and German beer flowing freely. Runners, sign up for the Fiesta Oyster Bake Run or catch the Fiesta College Tournament. Got kids? The Children’s Festival at Hemisphere Park on April 24 keeps the little ones busy with hands-on activities and puppet shows.