As soon as spring begins to bloom, it’s like this house starts to sprout, too. By late March, the walls of Charles Ray Francis and David Chavez’s home are covered with colorful paintings, cherished photos, precious artifacts, and tinkling medals, all of it a physical manifestation of their history with and love for Fiesta San Antonio. “My mother used to take me, my sisters, and neighborhood kids to the day parade, which is a real tradition that we did for years and years,” Francis says. “I still do Fiesta every single year.”
The annual festival, celebrated in the San Antonio region since 1891, honors the heroes of the Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto. The story goes that a group of women decorated carriages, baby carriages, and bicycles before throwing flowers at each other, inspiring the name “The Battle of Flowers.” By 1895, the celebration had grown to a week-long event.
Today, the 11-day celebration includes three parades, over 100 events, and more than 100 nonprofit organizations that benefit from the festivities. Celebrations are held across San Antonio, and in Schertz, Windcrest, Alamo Heights, and, yes, even in Boerne. The Texas Cavaliers marks its 100th anniversary this year by crowning their next King Antonio, and the El Rey Feo Scholarship Foundation will uphold their nearly 80-year tradition of supporting San Antonio students by crowning their own “Ugly King.”
As a spectacular celebration of vibrant artwork, music, food, culture, and traditions, the party generates more than $340 million for the San Antonio area and attracts more than 3.5 million people each year. Attendees can experience Mexican, French, Chinese, German, Cajun, Indian, and many other cuisines that have made San Antonio home.
It’s this blending of history and culture that enchants visitors and residents alike. And for Francis and Chavez, it’s kept them steeped in Fiesta's traditions for more than 50 years. “You have to embrace the culture,” Francis says. “You need to study the culture of it, why it brings so many different cultures together, and understand how so many different people have different backgrounds. Then you can get together, party, and have a nice time.”
Throughout the home of Chavez and Francis, there is memorabilia from their many years attending Fiesta events. From Night in Old San Antonio (NIOSA) posters made in the 1980s to a wide variety of ceramic decor to shadow boxes filled with Fiesta medals, the duo thoroughly enjoys Fiesta's festivities. Fiesta history resounds throughout their home as the festivities draw near. “Every year I go to Fiesta, I look and see if there's something new and I purchase it,” Chavez says. “These are items we just started collecting because we have events at the house, and want it to be decorated.”
Chavez came by his love for Fiesta honestly. His mother, Estela, was a seamstress for many years. Growing up, Chavez remembers watching her create dresses for several parade participants. “That was a lot of work,” Chavez says. “I don't know how, but she was a housewife and still had time to do that. So those are memorable times. She was an incredible woman.”
His medal collection also takes him back. Chavez’s earliest Fiesta medal dates to 1972. He has collected more than 200 over the intervening decades, and his most prized adornments are now housed in two large shadow boxes.
When they were younger, Francis and Chavez say they would attend events every night for all 11 days. Their Fiesta always started with the River parades, then NIOSA, Cornyation, the King William Fair, and more in a jam-packed celebration. “We used to be more active in San Antonio, but we have had our time,” Francis says. “We still enjoy going and doing events at Fiesta, but we pick and choose.”
These days, the pair loves bringing Fiesta home to Boerne. They ensure that plenty of food, drinks, and games fill the air with Fiesta spirit at their local celebrations. “Everyone’s getting better at what they bring,” Chavez says. “It grows every year. Everybody's busy socializing, having a good time, and that's what makes it so nice for us.”
Rather than just eating and partying, Fiesta San Antonio is about uniting the cultures that have shaped South Texas, past and present. For Chavez and Francis, history and art are the aspects of Fiesta that display that the most. “It’s not just about the party, the food, and the history,” Chavez says. “It’s also about the art. You learn a lot from people who were here in this town’s history. There’s a little bit of everything for everyone.”
“You learn a lot from people who were here in this town’s history. There’s a little bit of everything for everyone.” —David Chavez
The Fiesta Hit List: Party Like a Local
Don't let the 100+ events at fiestasanantonio.org overwhelm you. We’ve narrowed down the chaotic fun to the absolute essentials recommended by David and Charles Ray. So grab your cascarones, flower crowns, and get your grito ready—you’ll be puro before the first person shouts, “Show me your shoes!”
Oyster Bake (St. Mary’s University) | April 17-18 | oysterbake.com
Texas Cavaliers River Parade | April 20 | texascavaliers.org
Night In Old San Antonio (NIOSA) | April 21-24 | niosa.org
Cornyation | April 21-23 | fiestacornyation.com
Battle of Flowers Parade | April 24 | battleofflowers.org
King William Fair | April 25 | kwfair.org
Fiesta Flambeau Parade | April 25 | flambeau.org
In Boerne
Texas Corvette Association Open Car Show (SJRC Texas) | April 17 | texas-corvette-association.com
The Circle for Life Motorcycle Ride (Donate Life Texas) | April 18 | thecircleforlife.com