Like confetti from a head-cracked cascarón, the future of A Night in Old San Antonio (NIOSA) is up in the air.
The Conservation Society of San Antonio has canceled NIOSA for Fiesta 2027, saying the longtime celebration is no longer fulfilling its purpose as a fundraiser for historic preservation and education.
Speaking on Texas Public Radio’s "The Source," society President Betty Bueché said the executive committee recommended suspending NIOSA for financial reasons, and the board approved that recommendation. There is no timetable for its return.
“For at least the last four years, there have been no proceeds,” Bueché said. “So it has not served its purpose of being a fundraiser that supports the preservation and education programs that the Conservation Society provides to the public.”
Bueché said attendance is now 48% of its peak level, while expenses and overhead have increased. She cautioned that multiple factors contributed to the financial problems.
“There’s no one single cause,” she said. “There’s no one single magic bullet that will cure it.”
The society also ended its license agreement with the City of San Antonio to use La Villita. Bueché said financial concerns confronted her immediately after she took office June 30, alongside a deadline to notify the city whether the event would continue. The city granted extensions while a task force examined options.
Although Bueché cited changing uses of historic spaces, she emphasized support for La Villita’s redevelopment. The city has disputed claims about lost access, saying its event footprint remains available as it was last year.
The suspension has drawn objections from longtime members, who petitioned for a special meeting and requested records explaining the decision. Bueché acknowledged members’ communication complaints but said the society provides regular updates and is developing a webpage devoted to NIOSA.
She also acknowledged her own emotional attachment to the festival.
“It’s not something that we wanted to do, but it’s something that we need to do,” she said, describing the need to protect the society’s charitable programs.
A task force is evaluating future events and other fundraising opportunities. Suggested venues include Hemisfair, Brooks, Brackenridge Park and Mission County Park. No location or format has been selected.
Bueché said a one-year pause remains possible, but the board must decide what comes next. Any revival would likely involve changes.
“We need to evolve it, and we need to make sure that we are offering things that people really want to participate in,” she said.
For now, she said, “Nothing is off the table.”
Bueché said NIOSA’s history is one of changing locations and formats. Its origins trace to a one-night event at Mission San José organized by Conservation Society co-founder, Ethel Wilson Harris.
The celebration moved to several locations before settling at La Villita and eventually becoming part of Fiesta.
“Most people today really know NIOSA to occur only in La Villita,” Bueché said. “But the fact is that it’s an event that has grown and changed over the years and changed venues.”
The event has also experienced interruptions. Bueché pointed to two years during World War II when the celebration was not held, followed decades later by its cancellation during the COVID-19 pandemic and a shortened version the following year.
“So this isn’t the first time that there has been a pause or a change,” she said.
Bueché framed the current suspension as another potential turning point in that history, although no return date or new format has been approved. She said the society is studying ways to develop a financially viable event that responds to changing public interests.
“Yes, it will be difficult to duplicate, and so I’m not sure that duplicating it is actually the answer,” she said. “We need to evolve it, and we need to make sure that we are offering things that people really want to participate in.”
Guest:
Betty Bueché is president of the San Antonio Conservation Society.
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m.
Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982.
During the live show, call 833-877-8255, email thesource@tpr.org.
This interview will be recorded live Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.
