A big thanks to Visit San Antonio for hosting my stay so I could provide this detailed review of my experience.
Long live the party that is San Antonio! For eleven days in late April, Viva Fiesta celebrates this Alamo city’s rich history, local culture and diversity with an exuberance that is unmatched anywhere else in the US. Whether you bring your family, or come with friends, there are over a hundred official Fiesta related events and activities for all ages to choose from. The challenge is scheduling which days to experience all the fun.
Long known for being the longest, oldest, most attended fiesta in the country, the eleven day celebration begins with coronations and ends with the Flambeau parade, a nighttime processional of illuminated floats and marchers through downtown San Antonio. I opted to attend the final three days of Fiesta, which held the largest of the events. Here are my top 12 must-do experiences during the last weekend of Fiesta – what to attend, where to stay, eat, and take refuge when you need to take a break from all the excitement.
1. Battle of Flowers
Known as the “grandmother” of Fiesta events, Battle of Flowers is the highlight of the year. Introduced 133 years ago, it was to honor fallen heroes of the Alamo and to commemorate the victory of the Battle of San Jacinto, where Texas gained its independence from Mexico. Then, flower-adorned carriages and bicycles would pelt participants and revelers with flower petals as they passed through the city.
Now, there are large, blossom-decorated floats carrying parade royalty high above the crowds, sharing the route with high school marching bands, military troops in full regalia representing past and present, government officials and dignitaries, local businesses and charity organizations. With schools and government offices closed, half a million bystanders converge downtown to cheer, whistle, and blow horns along the confetti covered promenade. It’s the only parade of its size that is organized and run entirely by women. This year’s them was “Viva Amor.”
In the stands and sidewalks, you’ll see elaborate displays of party-themed hats and bonnets, as well as revelers wearing layers of Fiesta medals on sashes and colorful ribbons. Back in the day, coins were tossed into the parade crowds. Later, they evolved into ribbon hanging medals that are now symbolic of Fiesta itself – commemorative trinkets to collect throughout the celebration.
2. Market Square and Fiesta de los Reyes
Fiesta de los Reyes, introduced in 2010, takes place in the heart of Historic Market Square, the largest Mexican market outside of Mexico. This cultural day into night celebration, features live music and dancing on multiple stages. Listen to the best of Tejano and Conjunto, Latin jazz, country western, and cover bands playing favorites from the 80’s and 90’s.
This is THE place to get your souvenirs. Hundreds of shops and exhibitors, selling everything from Mexican wrestling masks, jewelry, folk art, pinatas, trinkets, toys, clothing, textiles, and Fiesta memorabilia. Food booths and carts offer street food favorites like gorditas, tacos, turkey wings, barbecue, funnel cakes, giant corn dogs, chicken on a stick, and it goes on. If for nothing else, be entertained by the folks walking through.
3. The Westin Riverwalk
Where to rest your weary self? My home for the weekend was a 14th floor suite at the Westin Riverwalk. On downtown Market Street within blocks of the parade route and right on San Antonio’s famous Riverwalk it’s the ideal place to stay if you want to be in the thick of things during Fiesta week.
All abuzz with festival fever, the hotel lobby was decorated in ribbons and balloons, welcoming parade dignitaries and all participants. Newly-crowned queens and duchesses gathered downstairs and other royalty like Anita Rivera and her husband Freddie, an eleventh-generation Canary Island descendant of the first settlers of San Antonio, I met in the elevator. Wearing their colonial period costumes, they gave me a quick history lesson about the city before heading off to the nearby Alamo where they were to participate in a ceremonial event.
Guests either recovering from Fiesta day activities or resting up for their evening plans, can lounge in oversized sofas and chairs in the lobby area. Situated along the Riverwalk canal, it’s close and accessible to almost all of the festival events, restaurant options, shops and tours.
Within The Westin Riverwalk is Zocca Cuisine D’Italia. At ground level, it offers patio seating which looks out on the Riverwalk. A consistently cheerful staff, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The attached lively bar offers its own menu and serves until midnight.
4. Go Rio – San Antonio River Cruises
A Go Rio $14.50 ticket buys you an entertaining, narrated cruise on the Riverwalk loop, lasting about 35 minutes. Learn about the history of the river and canal-side buildings while you leisurely sit in a comfortable seat in an open-air boat, possibly with a Margarita in hand (sold at the ticket counter). The boats all run on electric so there’s no exhaust or engine sound to disrupt your scenic experience. A San Antonio must.
5. Lunch at Tre Trattoria at the Museum
Like many businesses on parade day, the San Antonio Museum of Art was closed but its restaurant, Tre Trattoria, remained open for lunch and dinner. Tucked behind the museum, with its patio overlooking a quiet stretch of the Riverwalk, this Tuscan-inspired eatery is a nice, shaded respite from all the Fiesta craziness. Its inclusion on many top-ten lists of best “date night” restaurants, testifies to its romantic ambience. My menu favorites for lunch were the velvety Burrata di Bufala, the Cannellini white beans with roasted golden beets and the Campanella Bolognese.
6. San Antonia Zoo’s Festival de Animales
Escape the Fiesta “zoo” and visit the real thing, the San Antonio Zoo and its Festival de Animales during Fiesta’s final weekend. For two days, they celebrate the animals, conservation efforts, and South and Central American food and culture, including musical performances that parade throughout the zoo grounds.
With over 3,500 animals to see, the zoo is currently constructing a two-acre gorilla habitat, the largest in the US, with an expected opening in spring 2025. So if you plan to attend next year’s Viva Fiesta, be sure to add this to your list.
7. Fiesta artisan show and dinner at Boudros
So much is centered on and near the Riverwalk: shops, restaurants, as well as monthly held artisan shows. And during Fiesta, during the evening, there’s a Mardi gras-like energy. Beneath one of the canal bridges, on both sides of the shaded walkways, are dozens of artisan kiosks offering handmade jewelry, clothing, artwork including sculptures, pottery, paintings. What better place to get a unique souvenir while taking a leisurely stroll en route to dinner?
Nearby Boudro’s Texas Bistro is a culinary institution here. It’s been a riverbank favorite since 1986. Reservations made well in advance are a must as it’s one of the Riverwalk’s most popular attractions, especially if you prefer outdoor seating. I wouldn’t say I felt rushed but the waitstaff and kitchen move dishes quickly. The moment we put our utensils down, our finished plates were whisked away and immediately replaced by the next course. Our menu favorites were: Table side guacamole – all the fresh ingredients are brought out on a cart and prepared chunk style, not mashed, in front of you. Shrimp and grits were flavorful and rich, and blackened prime rib was seasoned and cooked perfectly.
8. San Antonio Botanical Garden
Need a tranquil escape from it all? Brunch and a stroll at the San Antonio Botanical Garden will help bring it all back to center. Explore 38 acres of beautiful bloom displays, native and exotic plants, and lush greenery. Currently now on exhibit through November are large-scale garden sculptures of colorful, whimsical bunnies, birds, and butterflies by artist Hunt Slonem. These giant, sparkly garden critters make for an Alice in Wonderland kind of experience while touring the grounds.
Within the garden is a 1896 built carriage house that is home to Jardin, a Mediterranean influenced bistro. We enjoyed cool peach Bellinis and ordered the garden frittata and beef kefta kabobs from the brunch menu. All plates come with orange and cinnamon scented couscous. This year, the Botanical Garden made its first appearance in the Battle of Flowers parade with an 18ft pink, helium-filled, Hibiscus flower.
9. Witte Museum
If the outdoor heat is too much, come inside and explore the cool exhibits at the Witte Museum. Located between the zoo and the Botanical Garden, the Witte is a Texas-themed cultural, nature, and science center. From dinosaurs to current native species, to Texas pioneer history, it was an illuminating education for this New Jerseyan. On the smaller size of typical museums, it offered just enough information to have a 2hr tour cover it all. This low-impact afternoon activity was ideal before getting ready for the upcoming, late-night parade, Fiesta Flambeau.
10. Fiesta Flambeau
Fiesta Flambeau is the grand finale of the eleven-day celebration. Lighting up the streets of downtown San Antonio, it is America’s largest illuminated night parade with over 750,000 spectators cheering along the 2.6 mile route. Lead by the University of Texas Longhorn Band, it continues for hours, and with each float more elaborate than the last.
People claim their spots and set up chairs early in the day for good reason. At parade start, those crowds go deep into the next block so unless you’re elevated it’s difficult to see much lower than the tops of those floats. But even if seeing everything is a struggle the sidewalk vibe is so good all around. Think of it as a gigantic block party where even behind the scenes offers lots of entertainment.
11. Breakfast at La Panaderia
Celebrating their tenth anniversary, brothers Jose and David Carceres brought their Mexican bread making skills from their hometown of Mexico City to San Antonio by opening up La Panaderia. Specializing in handmade breads and pan dulce (Mexican pastries), La Panaderia is a downtown sensation. Long lines out the door are typical but they move quickly. No servers, no reservations, the cafeteria-style format moves customers quickly through.
Because the previous, late night Fiesta Flambeau parade kept me from having a proper dinner, a La Panaderia savory avocado toast, topped with cherry tomatoes, pink onions, and queso fresco with a side assortment of pastries and coffee was just what I needed to recover and move on to my next and final activity.
12. The Alamo
Of all the stops on my schedule I saved the most fitting for last. With all the premier Fiesta events ending with Saturday night’s parade, visiting the Alamo on this drizzly early Sunday morning felt like an appropriately reflective activity to close out this gang-busters weekend in South Texas.
Because the Alamo looms large in our imagination, its history, its many dramatizations, it feels smaller than what you might expect when you first arrive. But after walking through the church, looking at the many exhibited artifacts, and visiting the new Ralston Family Collection which houses the Phil Collins collection, including the Battle of the Alamo diorama, the place takes on a greater life of its own. You begin to understand why Texans feel like this is their state’s birthplace.
Looking back on my dizzyingly busy three days of San Antonio’s Fiesta, I would encourage anyone who is planning on experiencing Fiesta 2025 to plan ahead, pace themselves, take advantage of apps like CityPass for reservations and discounted tickets, and Uber or Lyft to get to more city-outskirt destinations (zoo, botanical garden) For everything center-city, plan on doing lots of walking and hopefully along the river on the Riverwalk.
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