SAN ANTONIO – A Night in Old San Antonio (NIOSA) comes with food, music and decades-old traditions. One of them can be easy to miss: hand-painted signs.
Melissa Johnson is one of the many volunteers helping with a behind-the-scenes project for NIOSA. For the past six months, she has painted signs by hand, which help the event maintain its colorful spirit and authentic vibe.
“I feel very privileged and grateful to be a part of it,” Johnson said. “I think this is just such a big part of Fiesta.”
Johnson said it’s rewarding to contribute something visitors will notice overhead — even if they don’t realize who made it.
“Just to have a little small piece of that … and just to know that I did that,” Johnson said.
She said she wants more people to join in, learn from the longtime volunteers and keep the tradition going.
“There’s so much to learn from these people that have been doing it for so long,” Johnson said. “I think that’s important for the younger generation that’s coming up to really understand and be part of those traditions.”
The handmade signs will be on display throughout NIOSA, which begins Tuesday and runs through Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
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