SAN ANTONIO – Fiesta returned to San Antonio bigger than ever this year. We have seen crowds fill NIOSA, parades and an onslaught of medals being handed out over the last two weeks.
So, how has everything gone from the Fiesta Commission’s perspective? Steve Rosenauer, executive director of the Fiesta Commission, joined Leading SA Sunday to break it all down, starting with preparations.
“I tell you, it was exciting and challenging. It was exciting in the fact that we were based on the numbers. We were looking at a full Fiesta in 2022. So the organization, the Fiesta Commission, was very happy to get back to a full Fiesta. But challenging in the fact that we did have Fiesta June and with the Fiesta Commission, that many of our member organizations basically having the plan and implement the ‘21 Fiesta at the same time to begin the plans for 2022. So a lot of credit goes to the volunteers and staff, not only at the commission, but for all of our Fiesta member events for pulling off this, this great feat... It looks like everything was a success,” Rosenauer said.
There were a few big changes you may have noticed, including some of the cashless systems.
“One of the things that COVID-19 provided was an opportunity for organizations to maybe relook at their events and to try to implement some new strategies because the cashless system was done at several of our Fiesta events. Each organization that had that will have to evaluate the success of the logistics to see if they want to maintain that,” Rosenauer said.
And of course, the route changes for the King William Fair Parade and The Fiesta Flambeau Parade.
“As far as the parade, yeah, that was definitely a challenge this year, but the city with construction that was occurring on many of the streets, especially Broadway, we really had to work together. And it’s just amazing how many logistics are involved in moving the parade route. But one of the things working with the city is we cannot confirm future years. So it’s really kind of a year to year basis, right? Right now, based on the on the construction schedule for many of the streets. But anyway, it was just a great feel and credit to Battle of Flowers and Fiesta Flambeau for really working together,” Rosenauer said.
The numbers are still coming in, but so far, it appears to have been a success!
“The projection for the Flambeau Parade was 750,000 people and walking the parade route a couple of times, it was just every bit about that,” Rosenauer said.
And Rosenauer credits the full Fiesta team.
“Really establishing the theme this year of resilience and the theme of the poster... We really wanted to celebrate the resilient spirit of not only the Fiesta organizations, but the citizens of San Antonio, and we really captured that our events did a great job of capturing that resilient spirit. The numbers, I think, are going to come in very positive just based on what we saw in all the events that we attended,” Rosenauer said.
You can watch the full Leading SA interview in the video player above.