SAN ANTONIO’S PREMIER DOWNTOWN CELEBRATION ALMOST OVER
Savannah Olivarez
TBS Contributing Writer
Fiesta is a highly anticipated annual celebration held in San Antonio in the month of April. The celebration of Mexican-American culture traces back to the year 1891 when it was a one-parade event, and has evolved into one of the nation’s premier festivals with more than 100 events and an economic impact of almost 284 million dollars for the city.
Though Fiesta is a widely popular among most people and their families, it presents the city with an increase in problems such as crime and incidents of driving while intoxicated from alcohol.
“I don’t like going to Fiesta because there is a lot of drama. All it is, is shootings, fights, and stabbings to me. I don’t like being in all that drama,” Kimberly Hernandez, Southwest High School sophomore, said.
Hernandez’s fears of criminal activity is common among people reluctant to attend events where crowds are extremely large as they are at Fiesta events.
In and during the 11 days of Fiesta, there is more than 3.5 million people attending various events. The Fiesta Flambeau and Texas Cavaliers parades, which were some of the biggest attractions this year, were organized to honor the best of the city including heros from the battles for Texas independence fought at the Alamo and San Jacinto in the 1800s.
“I enjoy going to Fiesta parades, but I leave before it gets dark so nothing bad happens to me. Everything bad it seems, happens when it’s nighttime and that’s why I won’t stay that long at any of the events including the parades,” Josh Sosa, sophomore, said.
Fiesta offers fun-filled activities for families such as carnival rides and also has a variety of popular food choices for the downtown crowds to choose from.
“I love going to the Fiesta parades downtown. I just like to stay away from all the drama that sometimes comes with them,” Joaquin Velazquez, junior, said.
Though most of the events of Fiesta are done, the celebration will officially conclude on April 23 when the Fiesta Pops Orchestra will perform from 8:00-10:00 p.m. at the Majestic Theater on 224 E. Houston St.
