Calendar

The Battle of Flowers Parade is the oldest event and largest parade of Fiesta San Antonio, attracting crowds of more than 350,000 on the second Friday of Fiesta. It is the only parade in the U.S. produced entirely by women, all of whom are volunteers. The women, dressed in yellow on parade day and wearing yellow hats, direct operations with the assistance of the Army National Guard. Several school districts within San Antonio treat the day of the Battle of Flowers as a local holiday and consequently don't hold classes.

"Fiesta San Antonio" (or simply "Fiesta") is an annual festival held in April in San Antonio, Texas, and is the city's signature event (along with some events held in the following surrounding cities: Boerne, Schertz, Windcrest, Balcones Heights, and Alamo Heights) since the late 19th century. The festival began as a single event to honor the memory of the battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto.

Fiesta is the city's biggest festival, with an economic impact of $340 million for the city. More than three million people take part, in more than 100 events that take place all over the city and beyond.

The festival began in 1891 when local women decorated carriages, baby buggies, and bicycles with live flowers met in front of the Alamo, and threw the blossoms at one another, thus inspiring the name "Battle of Flowers." Soon, other activities were added to the flower parade, including balls, parties, and a carnival. The celebration's name changed over the years from Carnival to Spring Carnival to Fiesta San Jacinto and, in 1960, to Fiesta San Antonio.

The Battle of Flowers Parade Association began crowning a Carnival Queen in 1895. In 1909, local businessman John Carrington established The Order of the Alamo with the purpose of crowning a queen, a princess, and 24 duchesses — 12 from San Antonio and 12 from out of town. Coronations of local "royalty", a carnival, and other activities became the forerunners of today's fiesta. In 2016, fiesta celebrated its 125th birthday with special events and ceremonies.

SOURCE: Wikipedia
IMAGE: BattleofFlowers.org