Food and family the focus for many at Fiesta San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — Fiesta San Antonio is well underway with plenty on the schedule through Sunday.

Even after a weekend jampacked with Fiesta events, families were out in droves at the Fiesta De Los Reyes at Market Square Monday.

Alexandria Zapata brought her daughter out to enjoy her first Fiesta — and some of the iconic experiences that come with it, specifically the gorditas.

“I grew up in San Antonio and my mom would always bring me,” Zapata said. “It’s something that was a part of me, so bringing the kids is just amazing.”

For others, like Angel Aviles, Fiesta is an annual tradition for him and his wife to enjoy since they began dating more than 10 years ago.

“It’s been so long since we’ve been back at Fiesta so to be back is like a breath of fresh air,” Aviles said. “So here we are again, enjoying some beers, enjoying some good times with family, having some chipas tacos and gorditas.”

After two years, Aviles described being back at Fiesta after two years a breath of fresh air.

“Really, I just enjoy the culture,” Aviles said. “Enjoying the bands, enjoying everyone getting back together, enjoying a sense of normalcy. Getting back to normal, just enjoying that moment and being able to have that bond and enjoying the culture.”

(KTSA News/ Katy Barber)Tonight, the Texas Cavaliers will bring the largest parade yet to the San Antonio River Walk led by Parade Grand Marshall Randy Rogers

More than 50 floats were designed to celebrate the Texas outdoors by the design firm behind the annual Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans.

Tuesday will bring the start of A Night in Old San Antonio in the La Villita downtown arts village. NIOSA will bring live music along with food and drinks in a cultural celebration of the Alamo City through Friday.

NIOSA will kick off with a traditional grand opening ceremony and parade that will begin near the Fairmont Hotel and ends at Casa Villita.

The Ford Mariachi Festival will take over the River Walk Tuesday through Thursday  starting at 6 p.m. featuring student mariachis from high school and local college programs,

The inaugural Fiesta FitFest will kick-off Friday with a special opening ceremonies at 6 p.m. followed by a free Jack Ingram concert around 8 p.m.

The Fiesta FitFest 5K/10K will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday and the ancillary events include the Alpha Warrior Challenge, a workout with WBA Champion James Leija Boxing. Live music accompaniments include Los Callejeros and Volcan.

The Saturday event will also include a Q&A session with two-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador and a L’Étape San Antonio kids ride.

Sunday will be one for the races as the first annual L’Étape San Antonio by Tour de France will commence for more than 2,000 cyclists. There are three routes — 100 miles, 6 miles and 25 miles — that will begin at UTSA into the Texas Hill Country.

The Battle of Flowers Parade will kickoff on a new route Friday at 9:30 a.m. starting at E. Locus Street and N. Main. The parade will continue down N. Main turning onto Lexington and through Madison Square Park before turning onto N. St. Mary’s Street and then turn right on Brooklyn.

The parade will turn on Avenue E and go past Alamo Plaza before finishing the route on Commerce Street.

The Fiesta Flambeau parade on Saturday will follow the same new route.

You can see the full Fiesta 2022 schedule at fiestasanantonio.org/official-fiesta-event-calendar. Fiesta has events daily through Sunday, April 10.