Fiesta in san antonio texas niosa

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

In San Antonio, Texas, in the month of April, the entire city seems to stop dead in its tracks. Colorful scented flowers made of tissue paper are hung up, the mariachi band members begin to take out their gorgeous costumes from the closet, Ballet Folklorico dancers of all ages fine-tune their routines and the smells of delicious food items from fajitas to funnel cakes begin to fill the spring air. This is San Antonios annual Fiesta week when locals get a chance to celebrate their heritage and honor their past. Fiesta week in San Antonio is full of several different events, but one of the most popular events is NIOSA (pronounced nigh-oh-sah), or a Night in Old San Antonio.

Begun in 1937, NIOSA started with only a few volunteers from the San Antonio Conservation Society who wanted to have a festival that would raise money to help benefit the preservation of historic sites. The festival would also be a way to honor those brave settlers who first came to live in what is now San Antonio. Although it was not officially named NIOSA until the 1940s, the festival would grow from a one day festival to the four day festival that it is now. Now, instead of only a few volunteers, over 15,000 volunteers plan, design and man the huge event that brings in over 100,000 visitors each year.

The San Antonio Conservation Society has a board of directors that elects the chairman who will spearhead the planning along with some vice chairmen. These groups of planners, along with the thousands who volunteer, take the entire year to plan the event. A majority of the money that is raised with this Fiesta event is used to benefit the Societys museum and educational programs. A portion of the money is also used to help restore those historic homes located downtown, in the HemisFair Park and in the La Villita Historic District.

Traditionally, NIOSA is held on the grounds of La Villita on the evenings of Tuesday through Friday during Fiesta week. The grounds are divided up into fifteen distinct sections where each section represents a different cultural inspiration/heritage of San Antonio that helped to make it the diverse city it is today. Within each section, there is a representation of that cultures food, music and costumes.

There are many things to expect at NIOSA each year. There are so many delectable and enticing foods to sample that you may have to loosen your belt by the end of the night. Unlike some of the other Fiesta events, when the grounds at NIOSA get busy, they get jam-packed, so you may find yourself getting up close and personal with your neighbors as you wind your way through the different sections. Be sure to wear comfortable and loose clothing since you will be walking around quite a bit. Also, the temperature in San Antonio on an April night can vary from slightly cool to warm. Because you will be in such close proximity to thousands of other visitors roaming La Villita, if you are a woman, you may not want to bring a handbag that can be easily snatched in a crowd. Instead, keep your money and identification card safely hidden in a pocket or a waist purse.