Tim Morrow has been showing up to Battle of Flowers since he was a kid.
Now, the president and CEO of San Antonio Zoo is this year’s grand marshal — a role he said carries a meaning he never anticipated.
“I’ve been watching Battle of the Flowers since I was in the ’70s, since I was a little child,” Morrow said. “To be in it now is exciting, but to be the grand marshal and get to represent the amazing theme this year — and opening up the possibilities in the minds of all the children in San Antonio — makes it even more exciting than I could have ever imagined.”
A San Antonio kid through and through
Morrow didn’t just grow up near the zoo — he grew up inside it. He remembers the school field trips, the mold-o-ramas, the sky ride at Brackenridge Park. Those childhood memories, he said, make his current role feel especially meaningful.
“Coming back to my hometown, my childhood zoo, and being able to be the president and CEO and make changes and improvements and really impact the city has been really fun for me,” he said.
His career path, though, wasn’t a direct route. Morrow said he once had a passion for law enforcement before stumbling into his true calling. He compares the journey to navigating San Antonio’s roads.
“Life is like the highway system in San Antonio,” he said. “There’s often detours, or roads closed, or you have to go another way around to get to something that you’re ultimately trying to get to.”
He found his way to animals early, even if a zoo career never seemed realistic.
“I was always the kid that brought home the stray animals and had frogs in my room and turtles in my room,” Morrow said. “I’ve just always loved animals, but never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d ever be working at a zoo.”
Fiesta is personal — and now it’s professional
For Morrow, Fiesta isn’t just a work obligation. He and his wife went to NIOSA (A Night In Old San Antonio) on one of their first dates. He has attended parades nearly every year of his life.
“Those 11 days are my favorite part of the year in San Antonio,” he said. “The weather’s great, the flowers are blooming, the city’s alive, the city’s excited.”
The zoo now has its own official Fiesta event — Festival de Animales — a two-day celebration that closes out the season. Morrow said the zoo has intentionally leaned into its San Antonio roots, including a redesigned entrance meant to evoke the energy of Fiesta.
“We built this front entrance to really represent San Antonio, to feel like Fiesta,” he said. “We have the papel picado, we have the music playing, people are dancing. It’s just a really fun entrance and really sets the tone for the day.”
Giving back, the San Antonio way
Beyond the exhibits and events, Morrow said the zoo’s deeper mission is community impact. Each year, the zoo donates nearly $1 million in tickets and experiences to local nonprofits, churches and schools.
“I think that’s really the San Antonio way,” he said.