Fiesta San Antonio Commission cancels medal ceremony, future of Fiesta to be announced today

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) – One pre-Fiesta function has been canceled amid coronavirus concerns, and we’re expecting to find out the future of the 11-day event later this morning.

The leaders of about a hundred participating member organizations in Fiesta San Antonio were scheduled to receive their official Fiesta Commission medals Thursday evening at Beethoven Halle and Garden, but the meeting was canceled several hours before it was scheduled to begin.

In an email sent to participants and invited guests, Fiesta San Antonio Executive Director Amy Shaw said, “We’ve heard from a number of our Fiesta family members about their concerns over gathering some 200 people this evening for our BoC medal meeting. We have decided to cancel the event.”

Shaw said they were making arrangements to donate the food and those who were to receive the special medals were encouraged to stop by the Fiesta San Antonio Commission office on Broadway to pick them up.

The Order of the Cascaron also was scheduled to induct two new members into the group of outstanding Fiesta volunteers. The organization is making other arrangements for the induction of Rhonda Calvert and Laurence Kurth.

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Fiesta San Antonio Commission President Jeanie Travis have scheduled a news conference at 10 this morning concerning Fiesta schedules.

More than 100 events ranging from music and food booths, to sports, pageants and parades are scheduled April 16-26. About 2.5 million people attend Fiesta, pouring about $340 million into the San Antonio economy.

The cancellation last week of South by Southwest in Austin raised questions about whether Fiesta San Antonio would be called off.

There have been some suggestions that it could be postponed.

KTSA News will be at the news conference this morning and we’ll bring you the latest.