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San Antonians were deprived of the Texas Cavaliers River Parade this Fiesta 2026 due to heavy rain and flooding, which is no way to get the city's biggest party of the year started.
We would have seen a Spurs float, an Elvis float, a Marilyn Monroe float, and an MTV float, for those who remember music videos on TV were a big deal once — but no, denied.
But the good news is more sunshine, and more Fiesta fun is still ahead after several gloomy and rainy days. So, put the umbrellas away and let's show the world once again that San Antonio knows how to party — and party responsibly.
The National Weather Service reports the weather for Friday's Battle of Flowers Parade and Saturday's Fiesta Flambeau Parade should be partly to mostly cloudy. Highs both days will push into the upper 80s or more. The humidity will be a little high, but after all that rain, it's a big improvement.
The Battle of Flowers (BOF), the parade that really started Fiesta to commemorate the Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto that won Texas Independence from Mexico, kicks off at 9:55 a.m. on Friday. Now the parade and Fiesta are a celebration of the city's diverse cultures.
The parade has a long and storied history that began in 1891.
Kathleen LeFlore is the Battle of Flowers parade president. She described for Bexar County commissioners the theme of the parade.
"This year's 'Front Pages to Possibilities Parade' will feature 200 entries and 10,000 participants, representing all facets of San Antonio's many cultures," she said.
San Antonio Zoo President and CEO Tim Morrow will serve as its grand marshal.
The parade begins with its vanguard moving out first at 10:30 a.m. on Friday.
Both the BOF and Saturday 's Fiesta Flambeau Parade travel more than three miles from start to finish.
The Fiesta Flambeau parade kicks off at 7:45 p.m. Saturday with a theme of "Adventures in Toyland." Shamu and his crew from SeaWorld are grand marshals. It has around 150 entries.
Erwin De Luna, the president of the Flambeau Parade, also spoke to commissioners with much pride about the parade.
"The Fiesta Flambeau Parade is recognized as America's largest illuminated night parade and has been recognized as the best parade by the International Festivals and Events and the Texas Special Events Association," he said.
The parade is chock-full of marching bands from San Antonio and from out-of-town, starting with the University of Texas Longhorn Marching Band leading the way.
Tickets were still available on Wednesday for some seats and bleacher locations along the parade routes.
You can find more information about Battle of Flowers here.
Read more about Fiesta Flambeau here.
