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Are you a fan of flowers, parades, fiestas, and having a good time?
Then the battle of the flowers parade is the place for you. Each year. Each year in our charming city of San Antonio hosts this 126-year-old tradition in the month of April during Fiesta San Antonio.
The Fiesta festival is so large, only Mardi Gras in New Orleans surpasses it in total number of visitors in the U.S. The Battle of Flowers Parade has become one of the most popular events for both locals and visitors alike.
Keep reading on and discover 5 amazing facts that make this parade unique.
The glitz, the glamour, the incredible attention to detail all stems from the fact that the parade is made up entirely of women. That is right, the Battle of the Flowers Parade is the only large scale parade in the United States coordinated entirely by women.
All of the parade volunteers and participants are women. They wear distinct yellow outfits coordinated with yellow hats. All of the operations are directed by these lovely ladies with the help of the Texas Army National Guard.
The tradition dates back to 1891 when an affluent group of San Antonian women decided to hold an event in honor of the heroes, both men and women, of the Alamo.
The heroes of the Alamo fought in the battle of San Jacinto, and that was the battle that led to Texas independence and the beginning of the Republic of Texas.
It's estimated 15,000 people attended the first parade in 1891. Now, the record attendance is calculated at just over 350,000 people attending the annual parade in San Antonio.
Even more impressive is this figure does not include the 2.5 million people tuning in to watch on their TVs or mobile devices. Add in the participants and volunteers who make this parade happen every year, and you’ve got an event that rivals the largest across the globe!
The Battle of the Flowers Association invites public high schools to participate in the parade. The association builds nine floats, and each year different schools are invited to take part in the parade.
Some of the participants include members of the band, student leaders, cheerleaders, and the pep squad. Fiesta is often regarded as a festival celebrating the community, and celebrating the young women leaders within the San Antonio community.
What does "show me your shoes" mean? What started as a bunch of women in heels wanting to be more comfortable on the parade floats began a tradition of today where the queen, princess, and duchesses wear sneakers, boots, and other forms of comfortable shoes.
But it’s much more than that. The “Show me your shoes” has become both a crowd pleaser and a sight to see. The ladies have stepped up their game each year to put on more elaborate customized footware in more and more creative ways – you just have to see it!
When the ladies show their shoes at the request of parade attendees. They reveal bedazzled sandals, customized sneakers, boots and even bunny slippers.
We hope you enjoyed reading about this fun San Antonian tradition. Maybe you'll make it to the battle of the flowers parade next year or share this information with some of your friends.
Our company takes great pride in providing fiesta medals for the Fiesta Festival. Look for our medals at the Tricentennial Fiesta 2018. If you need more information on us and the work we do, please visit us or call us at 1-877-351-6883
Filed Under: Battle of the Flowers Parade, Fiesta San Antonio Event
