Fiesta San Antonio is over. Start planning for next year!

San Antonio is known for the Alamo and its beautiful River Walk, which play starring roles in the annual Fiesta de San Antonio.

Fiesta brings people from near and far, both locals and tourists, to join in such events as Night in Old San Antonio, featuring food and drink from local eateries and artisan brewers; the crowning of El Rey Feo (the Ugly King) of the Order of the Alamo; and numerous parades, concerts, and block parties. The Battle of Flowers parade is the most famous, and I have vivid memories of marching in it every year when I was in high school band, wearing my wool uniform pants and jacket. April in San Antonio is usually warm and muggy, so it’s a good thing we had a great drum section to keep us motivated to make it to the end of the parade route!

My favorite event is the Fiesta Flambeau parade, the largest night parade in the US. It is kicked off by the University of Texas Longhorn Band and features show bands from all over the country, drum-and-bugle corps from the military, Shriners riding tricycles, and beautiful floats—everything and everyone lit up with colorful twinkling lights. It’s a great way to finish off Fiesta.

It's not too soon to make your plans for Fiesta 2015!