Fiesta '07 is history

The 2007 edition of San Antonio's party-to-end-all-parties is over. Finis. Kaput. Done & history!

As I declared in the previous posting, I won't go into detail about Fiesta events I attended, since I covered these a year ago. However, I shall share any unique or otherwise notable happenings.

The Texas Cavaliers River Parade on Monday evening had a new originating point this year: the former finish point on the river near Municipal Auditorium and the Central Library. Thus the floats floated down the river, for once. Being in my accustomed viewing spot, I was now near the start rather than the finish of the parade route!

As usual, two or three barges passed by to commence the River Parade, and then there was a long gap of several minutes before the remainder began to pass. But this time during the gap we had some excitement! A woman on the opposite bank fell inte the river (it's only little more than waist deep). While she was attempting to climb up out of the water, a man on my bank decided to play rescuer and dove in. By the time he swam to the other side spectator there had assisted the woman out of the river. Then they had to turn their attention to assisting the wannabe hero!

Also, this year I personally knew two float (barge) riders: my Councilman "Chip Haass" and another LCA brother, and undergrad from UTSA. Both of them tossed me throws, chip a string of green beads adn the UTSA Lambda Chi an '07 UTSA Fiesta medal.

Tuesday evening's Tejano Explosion, a Fiesta event presenting live concerts by several Mexican-American musical artists, had Emilio Navaira in its line-up. I went to Cattlemen's Square (on the near Westside) to hear Emilio, who was probably THE leading male star in Tejano music during my second sojourn in Texas (1992-94) -- only to discover that due to the strong threat of thunderstorms the concert had been moved to Sunday evening. Oh, well!

The extra time I thus found on my hands allowed me to attend a debate at the Semmes Branch Library (far northeast, on Nacogdoches Road) of the two candidates for the District 10 Council seat. They are Rey(naldo) de los Santos and John Clamp. Both made favorable impressions, but I'm leaning toward voting for the former candidate.

Each Wednesday evening for three or four years I've gone to "Fiesta in Blue", a concert at Laurie Auditorium on the Trinity University campus featuring the excellent Air Force Band of the West (headquartered at our own Lackland AFB). As always, the musicians looked superb in their dress blues (the military uniform equivalent of the tux) and sounded jsut as superb! This time they ahd a guest performer, John Johnson of the country-rock group Little Texas. He sang a patriotic song of his own arrangement just before intermission. Following intermission he was joined by a quartet of the AF Band who had exchanged the dress blues for apparel that included shirts that resembled the flag of Texas. They backed him up as he sang three greatest hits of Little Texas: "You Gotta Kick a Little", "What Might Have Been" and "God Blessed Texas". On the latter, which rapidly became an unofficial state anthem, we of the audience were up, clapping, stomping feet and singing along!

. "God blessed Texas, with His own hand
. Dropped down angels fron the Promised Land
. Gave them a place where they could dance
. If you wanna see Heaven, brother, here's your chance
. I've been sent to spread the message:
. Hm-m-m, God bless Texas!"

One major difference of this year's Fiesta experience is that I resolved to NOT just give myself over to ten days of partying. (Cancellation of Tuesday's Tejano Explosion assisted me in this resolve.) Hence, after the Battle of Flowers Parade on Friday afternoon, instead of doing the usual further Fiesta participation I attended a Lambda Chi Alpha initiation ritual. The zeta, or chapter, of St. Mary's University initiated four udnergrads into the Brotherhood, in an old Spanish-mission style church just south of downtown. One of the four has an uncle who is an alumnus of the zeta, and he came down from Austin to witness the ritual also. I cannot divulge details, of course, but the ritual of L.C.A. is well worth foregoing a Fiesta event or two!

The Battle of Flowers Parade was the Fiesta-topper it always is, but I only got to see the Fiesta Pooch PArade from a distance as I rode bus to work on Saturday morning. Instead of my usual concluding the Fiesta experience with attendance at Mission San Jose's Fiesta de la Familia, I went to Fiesta San Fernando in la Plaza de las Islas in front of the Cathedral on my way to Tejano Explosion (to try again to hear Emilio). As I arrived at the plaza one stage was broadcasting recorded music, the song "Hey, David, Who's that Gringo?" This song by David Lee Garza's conjunto band, is on the Fiesta CD for 2005. I truly enjoy this song, because I can easily fantasize about being a "white boy" in a conjunto group. "I may be white on the outside, but I know my heart is refried."

Alas! As I arrived at Cattlemen's Square Sunday evening the sky opened up in a gully washer. It didn't last long, but water got into the sound system. They tried to find a replacement system to keep having the concert. But in vain. So I still haven't heard Emilio live! Oh, well!