SAN ANTONIO – The Battle of Flowers Band Festival is the latest Fiesta event to get the ax for 2021 thanks to the coronavirus pandemic which has also caused the cancellation of other beloved events like the Battle of Flowers and Fiesta Flambeau parades.
The Battle of Flowers Association announced Wednesday that the decision was made to cancel the band festival after the Fiesta Commission rescheduled the party with a purpose from April to June 17-27, 2021.
“Working with every school district in the city to successfully produce the Battle of Flowers Band Festival, we are so lucky to have this partnership,” said Battle of Flowers Band Festival Vice President Cameron Armstrong. “But we feel strongly that it is unlikely to continue at the level in which our participants and spectators expect after the school year has ended in June 2021.”
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Armstrong said the association is looking forward to continuing the band festival in 2022.
The Battle of Flowers Band Festival hosts more than 5,000 area high school students in a marching band competition and performance that draws roughly 20,000 spectators to Alamo Stadium each spring, according to a press release.
Battle of Flowers President Anna-Laura Howell Block noted that the cancellation of the parade and the band festival “comes at a time when our city and the rest of the world are continuing to fight a disease that has the ability to adversely impact the health and well-being of both spectators and participants,” in both events.
School-age participants make up a major portion of the Battle of Flowers parade, with approximately 70% of the roughly 12,000 participants representing San Antonio area high schools and colleges.
Fiesta Commission officials previously stated that the June dates were chosen “so that Fiesta can continue its mission of supporting many local non-profit organizations while maintaining its No. 1 priority, the health and safety of all Fiesta guests.”
For a full list of which events are set to move to the June dates, click here.