Fiesta in san antonio texas battle of flowers parade

Posted: 02/09/2007--25/11/2008 || Rate this Article: 3 || Views|| Sign In || Register ||Hello Guest

If you have ever lived in San Antonio, Texas, then you may be aware of how important Fiesta week (held during the month of April) is to the city. Seemingly overnight, the city is carpeted with colorful flowers made of tissue paper and you can guarantee that, unless you have a will of steel, a few pounds will be gained from the overwhelming variety of foods that will be served up at each of the Fiesta events. However, the piece de resistance of Fiesta week is the day that is declared a holiday across the city, from the school-age children to employees that get to enjoy the Friday when the Battle of Flowers Parade is scheduled.

If you are not from San Antonio, it is natural to wonder what makes the Battle of Flowers Parade different from any other old parade in any other city. What many people may not realize is that without the Battle of Flowers parade, which was originally conceived of in 1891, Fiesta week would never have come to be. In 1891, a wife of one of the congressmen was inspired when she saw a flower parade held in Spain. She pushed for a parade of flowers to be held each year in order to celebrate the victorious outcome of the Battle of San Jacinto and to honor the memory of those who had fought so bravely at the Alamo. Four years later, the Battle of Flowers parade grew to include the weeklong festival that is now known as Fiesta Week.

The Battle of Flowers Parade has grown so much that it now includes over forty floats covered with artificial flowers, several bands from high school and colleges all across the city and antique cars filled with local politicians. The parade is meant to celebrate the diversity of Texas culture as well as the artistic and historic side of the city and state. Many of the floats also carry some of the royal subjects of the parade. One of the best traditions of the parade is for spectators to shout, Show me your shoes! to these royal subjects. These women, decked out in gorgeous hand-stitched sequined gowns will, in turn, lift up the bottom of their dresses to reveal the sandals, sneakers or bare feet they have underneath. After all, standing on a float for over an hour in the sweltering sun and wearing a sequined gown calls for some small form of comfort.

Although it is not necessary to purchase tickets to watch this parade, some of the best seats and viewing spots are for ticket-holders only; so, if you want a good view and especially if this is your first Battle of Flowers Parade, you may want to purchase tickets. A very important thing to keep in mind is the fact that during this time of the year (April) in Texas, the days can be pretty hot, so you will want to be prepared. Since the parade starts a little after noon and lasts a few hours, you can guarantee that if the sun is out, it will be pretty vicious temperature-wise, so bring sunscreen, a hat, comfortable clothes and an umbrella to shield you from the intense rays. While some spectators will often bring an ice chest of food and drinks from home or from a local restaurant, if you dont want the extra baggage, dont worry. There are plenty of vendors selling anything from fajitas to funnel cakes to pickles and popcorn for you to choose from for your snacking needs.