Battle Of Flowers Parade

The Battle Of Flowers Parade is the highlight of Fiesta in San Antonio. Fiesta is an 11 day party in San Antonio and on the final Friday afternoon, we have a street parade downtown to commemorate the Battle of Flowers. This day is a holiday in San Antonio. Schools are closed and so are a lot of businesses.

When I first moved to San Antonio, ten years ago and heard about this day, I envisioned tulips fighting daisies with swords and fists. Absolutely hysterical! I have since learned that the Battle Of Flowers commemorates the Battle of San Jacinto, when Texas won its independence from Mexico on April 21, 1836.

The parade honors the Alamo's heroes and everyone who participates in it is asked to bring a flower wreath to put on the front lawn of the Alamo as they pass by.

Interestingly enough, this parade is not on the San Antonio River. It is a normal marching parade in downtown San Antonio.

The 2009 parade is on Friday, April 24 and starts at 12:45pm. If you cannot make it downtown, you can watch it live on local television. This year's theme is Hats Off To Texas. The parade is one of the biggest parades in the United States, attended by over 300,000 and watched by many more at home who have the day off from work.

Nine high school bands in the San Antonio area are chosen to march and play in the parade. It is a great honor to be chosen to be in the parade. A lot of families take their children and teens and go down and cheer for the bands from their high schools.

No matter what the weather is like, this is a crowded parade route filled with happy San Antonians and visitors from all over the state. The visitors pour into San Antonio for Fiesta, and especially for the final weekend.

Tickets to sit in the Alamo Grandstands and the Cenotaph Stands are $18. Tickets to sit on the Alamo Street bleachers are $15. To sit in the Maverick and Broadway bleachers, the cost is $12 for 2009.