SAN ANTONIO – Fiesta is in full swing and for the second time, Los Patios Community Partners hosted a Sober Fiesta party.
“Are you having a good time?” Reporter Leigh Waldman asked.
“Yeah,” Morgan Hartman, with Morgan’s Wonderland, said.
Sober Fiesta brought out people of all ages from all over the community.
Los Patios hosted the event for the second year with 20 other organizations, including substance disorder centers and recovery houses.
“It’s just a safe place to come out and enjoy fiesta without the alcohol,” David Junkin, clinical director of the Alamo Center Education and Treatment, said.
Brandon Dyer is a board member for Los Patios Community Partners, a nonprofit that is trying to break the generational cycle of substance abuse in San Antonio.
This event is personal to Dyer.
“My dad didn’t like going to theme parks like SeaWorld and Disneyland was really hard for him because they sell alcohol in those places and he didn’t want to be around that when it was happening,” Dyer said. “So these kinds of events have these big community events give a voice to those people who need, you know, just to get away from the temptation.”
The Sober Fiesta comes just three days after UT Health San Antonio opened a 20,000-square-foot facility that offers comprehensive substance use treatment services and research by addiction medicine specialists.
According to UT Health San Antonio, one in 10 Texans struggles with substance abuse disorder.
This new facility will health provide treatment to those who otherwise wouldn’t have access.
This event at Los Patios combined the Fiesta fun and flavor with people who are passionate about making a more inclusive Fiesta.
“It’s really exciting that we were able to be a part of this. This is a wonderful event that has taken place and it’s something close to my heart as well as for our family,” said Sirena Zimmerman, owner of Un Poco De Todo.
There are plans for an even bigger third year for the Sober Family Fiesta event.