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Fiesta San Antonio
When: 10 days surrounding April 21 [check for this year's dates]
Where: Throughout San Antonio with most events along the River Walk or Paseo del Rio
Throw together three and a half million people, 150 events, lots of food, and barrels of margaritas. Add a good dose of Texas pride and the partying spirit of Old Mexico. What have you got? The recipe for another year of Fiesta San Antonio, a party that wakes up this South Texas city and draws revelers from across the US and Mexico.
Since 1891, this 10-day event has celebrated Texas independence; the party was later expanded to recognize the many cultures that make San Antonio what it is today. The festival always centers around April 21st, the anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto which won Texas its independence from Mexico.
While the event may have been founded for the purpose of commemorating Texas heroes, today the emphasis is on Texas-size fun. Events kick off about 10:00 every morning, although most of the serious partying takes place much later in the day in the form of music festivals, elaborate parades, and serious noshing with everything from Tex-Mex to German to Cajun offerings. While most events wrap up by midnight, the party continues at nightclubs along the River Walk until about 2am.
Crowds are thickest along the River Walk or Paseo del Rio, the meandering arm of the San Antonio River that winds through downtown. Located below street level, this is ground-zero for the vacationing population, a shady walkway lined with hotels, sidewalk cafes and bars, and colorful nightlife. During Fiesta, the busiest stretch lies between La Mansion del Rio hotel at Navarro Street all the way around the horseshoe-shaped stretch of the river to La Villita historic area at Presna. However, the River Walk stretches for a full two-and-a-half miles, so away from the partying crowds there's plenty of opportunity for touring, a relaxed walk or just a few minutes beneath a riverside cypress tree enjoying the perfect antidote to fiesta-- a siesta.
Also see:
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