The beauty of the Texas Hill Country wildflowers were our introduction to the two week celebration of Fiesta San Antonio, Texas in April 2023. It was a dry winter but the wild flowers were yellow, red, and white through the fields. Of course, there were patches of bluebonnets, but they were past their prime in late April.
My parents came from Colorado in April. We had taken a one and one/half hour drive earlier in the month to eat BBQ, see Bluebonnets and meet friends. Texas may burn up in the summers, but spring is amazing in this southern state. We met our other Texas family and then had coffee at Halcyon in San Antonio.
A dear friend met us for breakfast at Mi Tierra – a San Antonio establishment since before i lived there in 1983. The decorations and the dresses of the servers were so colorful. Of course, the Mexican food shines, even if it is touristy.
How do you celebrate in cities? What famous events have you seen or want to see?
We drove to all the Missions on Mission Road except for two. Mission Concepcion, San Jose, San Juan were an old delight of architecture and places of gathering for the communities a couple hundred years ago.
“Fiesta has grown over the years to a 10-day celebration featuring more than 100 events that feature music, food, sports, pageantry, military and patriotic observances, exhibits, and parades. Nonprofit organizations sponsor every activity.” Fiestasanantonio.org
We attended King Rey Feo coronation (unbelievable pageantry) at the San Antonio Cathedral. Women arrived in swirling colors of beauty and costumes from George Washington time in 1700s .
We boarded boats to take us to the Coronation Party at the Convention center along the famous Riverwalk. The party continued long after my parents, who are 85 years old, were ready to leave.
Fiesta continued with a “Pow Wow” to celebrate the Native American culture. Costumes of eagles and wolves created the visit at Texas A and M Southwest. The rain storms washed out the planned Mexican Rodeo, so we missed that evening event.
Then the priests brought the Chest of the Covenant of God to its place in the Inner Sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, under the wings of the cherubim. The outspread wings of the cherubim stretched over the Chest and its poles. The poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the entrance to the Inner Sanctuary, but were not noticeable farther out. They’re still there today. There was nothing in the Chest but the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb where God made a covenant with Israel after bringing them up from Egypt. With all Israel’s leaders present, the priests took up the Chest of God and carried up the Chest and the Tent of Meeting and all the holy vessels that went with the Tent. King Solomon and the entire congregation of Israel were there at the Chest worshiping and sacrificing huge numbers of sheep and cattle—so many that no one could keep track. Bringing all this to a climax, King Solomon called in the leaders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the family patriarchs, to bring up the Chest of the Covenant of God from Zion, the City of David. And they came, all Israel before King Solomon in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month, for the great autumn festival. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1Kgs.8.6.1Kgs.8.9,1Kgs.8.3.1Kgs.8.5,1Kgs.8.1.1Kgs.8.2&version=MSG The Message \
Festivities continued and we were in the caravan with King Rey Feo – Larry Kurth and his queen consort – Abby Kurth. We went from a fancy party to a Southwest Cultural Art Center to high tech Boeing Center sponsored exhibits to the military celebration at Ft. Sam Houston. What an experience for us all, but especially my parents.
Our last day at Fiesta San Antonio concluded along the Riverwalk to see the Cavaliers Parade at night. The boats were fantastically decorated and music filled the air. Walking with my parents was slower and more limited. May I live to be their age and still be willing to play at Fiesta!