This is the week that Fiesta would have begun, were it not for COVID-19. But as it turns out, the show will, in a sense, go on. The Fiesta Commission's Amy Shaw lays it out.
"Fiesta 2020 normally would have started on Thursday, April 16, running through Sunday the 26,” she said. “But because of certain circumstances we have moved it to a Fall Fiesta, November 5 to the 15."
November weather is pretty good, averaging only four days of rain, and moderate temperatures.
"Our average high is about 75 degrees, so it could be pretty nice," she said.
The Fiesta Commission isn’t waiting for fall though. They're starting early with something called Pin Pandemonium, a Facebook-based presentation and sale of one of the city's only-in-San-Antonio aspects: Fiesta medals.
"People give them away and sell them, and raise quite a bit of money for nonprofits,” she explained. “It's just something unique to San Antonio."
And then there are the city's three big parades.
"On KSAT 12 on April 20 we have the Texas Cavaliers River Parade. April 24 the Battle of Flowers Parade. Saturday the 25 we have the Fiesta Flambeau Parade."
Of course, with social distancing none of those parades will be taking place this week. They did last year though, and the broadcast will actually be a rebroadcast of last spring's parades. As Shaw notes, these parades have their unique aspects.
"The Texas Cavaliers River Parade is on the San Antonio River, along the River Walk and so that's one parade where the floats actually float," she said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i73cc1Im_Mk&t=2s
We noted with regret regarding the Battle of Flowers it seemed a shame those flowers couldn’t get along. She laughed, then noted how the name for the parade came about.
"It started as pelting flowers at each other as two carriages passed. And now it's much more civil. You don't see much of that going on anymore," Shaw said.
The last televised event is the Battle of the Bands at the Alamodome, where high school bands compete.
"And it's the very best of area marching bands. It's a great show."
Happy Fiesta... kinda.
Jack Morgan can be reached at Jack@TPR.org and on Twitter at @JackMorganii.
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