SAN ANTONIO – Fiesta may feel a little dusty this year with construction going on at seemingly every street downtown, but the show must — and will — go on.
La Villita, the home of NIOSA is undergoing a major renovation and sits amid road closures, construction signs, cranes and other heavy equipment that’s been in place for several projects. Civic Park is under construction at Hemisfair next door, and work is underway at two hotels on Alamo Street.
But 2023 NIOSA Chairman Patti Zaiontz said while some areas of La Villita are still being renovated, it is “ready for us.”
“For the most part, the city and the contractor hurried up and got it to the point where we’re able to use it,” she said.
In 2022, Frontier Town had to be moved to the Magik Theatre parking lot due to construction on Maverick Plaza. This year, Frontier Town will return to the plaza and join the 13 other cultural areas within La Villita’s footprint.
One change, Zaiontz said, is that NIOSA will only take up one lane on Alamo Street for the French Quarter instead of two.
“So the construction in La Villita across the front on Alamo and in Maverick Plaza, and along the side over on Nueva has been finished to the point where we can use it,” she said.
Construction is ongoing on Alamo and Nueva streets, and they have been reduced to two lanes in some areas. Some portions will close entirely for the four-day event.
Still, the setup has already started for NIOSA, which runs from Tuesday, April 25 through Friday, April 28. This will be the event’s 75th year.
It’s one of Fiesta’s biggest events, next to the Battle of Flowers Parade, Fiesta Flambeau Parade and Texas Cavaliers River Parade and others, and can bring in between 15,000-20,000 people per night.
There’s no way to tell, yet, if construction will play a part in attendance at NIOSA, as weather also plays a factor, Zaiontz said.
“Look what the shop owners and the restaurant and bar owners are experiencing on the St Mary’s Strip,” she said. “Any time you have impediments to accessing your site, whether it’s a permanent site or a temporary event site, you’re going to have an issue because people can’t get to you. And if people can’t get to you, they will not patronize you.”
She added that NIOSA is “pretty lucky” because people can still access the site, even with the construction on Alamo and Nueva streets.
However, they are encouraging Fiesta-goers to use the VIA Park and Ride or other rideshare options.
“Because when you get down here, you may not even find a place to park, and if you do it’s got to be expensive,” she said.
The Park and Ride will take people between the Crossroads Park and Ride and the Convention Way Drive, off Market Street. It will be available from 4-11 p.m. each night and is $1.30 each way or $2.60 round trip.
Several other streets around downtown may also be closed for either construction or other Fiesta events. Click here for a guide to Fiesta parking, or see below for a list of current road closures.