Didn't make it to Fiesta San Antonio? Happily, the vibe stays alive year-round
I was at the Texas Cavalier River Parade, an integral part of Fiesta San Antonio since 1941, and inspired by the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco in Mexico City. On this night, Mexico's capital city and the one-time capital of Mexican Texas were connected by a cultural thread.
Every April, the city pays tribute to its Mexican heritage with a 10-day calendar of events that serves up the essence of fiesta.
With more than 100 enticing options to choose from, one might not know where to start.
Will it be the oldest event (1891) honoring heroes of the Alamo and Texas independence? At the Battle of Flowers Parade, the route passes the Alamo where riders often halt the floats to hop off and place a yellow rose on the Alamo Cenotaph.
Will it be a charreada (Mexican-style rodeo) at Rancho del Charro or a Chili Queen Cook-off in downtown San Antonio?
Or maybe "A Night in Old San Antonio," a four-night festival within a festival held in La Villita's historic squares to honor not just the city's Mexican heritage, but that of all the ethnic groups that have left their mark on San Antonio?
And surely it must be the Flambeau Parade, the signature event that has become America's largest illuminated night parade. Some 200 illuminated entries – from floats to equestrian units – light up a 2.6-mile route through the downtown area.
If all of this has you excited, it's not too early to start making your plans for next year's Fiesta San Antonio (April 16-26, 2026). But if you just can't wait that long, here's some good news – in San Antonio, it's always fiesta.
The world-renowned Riverwalk probably needs no introduction. Here, along two levels of landscaped walkways on the San Antonio River, visitors can take narrated boat cruises that glide under canopies of cypress, cottonwood and oak trees and beneath elaborate stone bridges.
A fiesta attitude prevails year round at Riverwalk restaurants such as the Iron Cactus (their menu of more than 100 premium tequilas aids in the frivolity) and Little Rhein Prost Haus, a German contribution to the Riverwalk dining scene. Its literal translation "cheers in the house" ensures a perpetual fiesta.
As does the Arneson River Theater, the outdoor performance venue at the entrance to La Villita where the audience sits across the river from the stage while entertained by musical performances from opera to flamenco throughout the year.
A food fiesta
This year marked the arrival of the Michelin Guide to Texas, with 12 San Antonio restaurants receiving recognition, and one Mixtli, a trailblazing Southtown establishment serving modern Mexican cuisine, earning a coveted star.
But even before that, a food fiesta had been in full swing. Another Southtown favorite is Casa Hernan, where owner/chef Johnny Hernandez has turned his former hacienda into an upscale cantina decorated with finds from the art and culture rich states of Mexico.
Just cross over the impressive koi pond into an atmosphere of continuous fiesta, largely due to the genuine hospitality of Hernandez, but also to the impressive selection of hand-crafted cocktails, agave spirits and local beers and small plates such as flautas de pollo (stone ground corn tortillas, chicken, cream, guacamole and salsas.)
If Southtown is up-and-coming in the food fiesta scene, the Pearl District is ground zero. Where the Pearl Brewery once stood, a dining and entertainment zone has flourished, anchored by the third branch of the Culinary Institute of America (pop in for a tour or sign up for a cooking class).
Hotel Emma and its restaurant, Supper, have become well-known in the culinary world, so even if you can't snag a dinner res, stop in for an elevated take on a western saloon at Sternewirth, the hotel's popular bar. But be forewarned – some nights you might have to queue for a table there as well. But it's worth the wait.
My favorite Pearl District eatery has become Brasserie Mon Chou Chou, a stylish spot serving French comfort food. Grab an outdoor table, and you'll swear you're in Montmartre (although with a higher heat index), whereas inside has a distinctly New Orleans feel.
Inside or outside, the atmosphere is always vibrant, and the food is a fiesta for the tastebuds. A recent launch, L'apero Canapes and Petits Four menu, features dishes such as blue crab fritters with lobster aioli; lobster vol au vent (lobster, cognac and cream in a flaky pastry); steak on pave (prime steak on crispy potato with Bearnaise); Pissaladiere (a Nice-style tart with onion, anchovy and mixed olives) and Choux Chantilly (puff pastry with Tahitian vanilla cream) – all accompanied, if you are in a festive mood (and of course you are) with copious amounts of champagne.
New hotel with a fiesta flavor
San Antonio has no dearth of great hotels, both historic and trendy. But on this visit, I stayed at one of the city's newest properties, the Kimpton Santo on the Riverwalk.
Full disclosure: I am not usually enamored with new properties that seem to try too hard to come off as hip and cool. But from the moment I checked into the Kimpton Santo and was handed coins to redeem for drinks in the bar, I felt that no one was trying to be anything but friendly and welcoming in true Texas style.
The architecture is stunning (the swimming pool outside of the rooftop cocktail bar has incomparable views of the city); the staff is one of the friendliest I have ever encountered, and Dean's Steak & Seafood offers the best in prime Texas beef and seafood dishes from chilled Alaskan king crab to whole Dover sole with lemon, brown butter and capers.
If the weather isn't too torrid, opt for a table in the courtyard and have your dinner in the shade of a 100-year-old live oak just across from hotel rooms that were once a part of a German-American schoolhouse predating the Civil War.
With design elements that feature natural woods, terracotta, woven textiles and Tejano pottery, the Kimpton Santo strives to create an authentic experience that celebrates the city.
And after all, isn't that what fiesta is all about?
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