A Final Word about Fiesta & 27

Yesterday in my posting about the end of Fiesta, I mentioned that I had attended 27 events of S.A.'s great annual party. Well that actually becomes true tonite, when I visit the "Mexican Spirit of Fiesta" exhibit at the Witte Museum. I've done this every year of living here, because the museum is free on Tuesday nites & its annual Fiesta-specific exhibit remains for some days after the end of the party.

Also, 27 is counting every event I went to on any given day, even if I also visited it on other day(s). This is the way they count Fiesta events in print publicity, get the 100+ events they announce. Therefore, I count each of my three days of attending Fiesta(s Fantasías) del Mercado in the Mexican Marketplace. Each year I'm there on two or more days,because it's so accessible, it's free, and the four stages feature a different line-up of musical entertainment each day.

I was reviewing the Fiesta brochure to make sure I was recording each of the events I attended. Then compared it with info about Fiesta in various of San Antonio's newspapers and the tourist/visitor monthly magazines. In a Spanish language newspaper I read a headline "Fiesta: 10 días de no perder la sonrisa." How true, how true! "Ten days of not losing the smile!" I noticed that a tourist magazine categorized the events. Good idea, since that helps put some order to those 100+ events (again this counts each of the days an event takes place). Here are the categories, with events I attended (most free admission):

Military: Fort Sam Fiesta (this year I didn't go on-post but watched the fireworks finale with my neighbor Dennis), US Air Force Band of the West "Fiesta in Blue" concert in Laurie Aud. at Trinity Univ., All-Veterans Salute at the Vietnam Memorial downtown.

Parades: River Parade, Battle of Flowers Parade, Pooch Parade.

Family: (they included "Earth Day" at Woodlawn Park in this in the magazine, but I haven't yet made that one; perhaps next year?), Fort Sam Fiesta (see above in Military), Mission San Jose Fiesta de la Familia.

Music (Live): the parades (except Pooch), Ft. Sam (but I didn't hear this aspect as I watched the fireworks from a distance), Mercado, UTSA Fiesta, Air Force Band "Fiesta in Blue" concert, Tejano Explosion, jazz festival concert at St. Mary's Univ., Fiesta San Fernando, MSJ Fiesta de la Familia.

And then, one could also categorize some events as "block-party" style, such as MSJ, San Fernando, Mercado - and King William (historic neighborhood south of downtown) and NIOSA in La Villita in downtown (I attended neither this year).

Oh, and how about food events? Whoops! That would be almost all Fiesta events! The ones I attended that did NOT have food were "Fiesta in Blue", the art exhibits, St. Mary's jazz concert and the Pooch Parade. Good! My stomach needed the rest! :-)