BATTLE OF FLOWERS PARADE

Thousands of parade-goers cheered the return of a Fiesta highlight that hadn't been held in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic.

The Battle of Flowers Parade returned to San Antonio on Friday to full effect and adoring fans.

The Battle of Flowers Parade has kicked off in and around downtown San Antonio.

Yes—schools will be closed.

In a tradition that started long before her time, Rose Garcia for years taught family how to craft flowers out of delicate paper and foil.

While this year’s new route disrupted long-standing traditions for many families in San Antonio, business owners and employees on Main Avenue said they are excited about the change.

Celebrate Fiesta at the Battle of Flowers Parade on April 8.

The Battle of Flowers and Fiesta Flambeau parades have long been part of Fiesta tradition.

The birth of Fiesta San Antonio, the spring event that has come to define San Antonio, can be traced to 1891 and a horse-drawn parade.

The Battle of Flowers Association removed the float that celebrated Russia from its public school section due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

A conversation between the Battle of Flowers Commission and Southside High School students resulted in a new float in support of Ukraine.

The parade is less than a month away.

Fiesta Commission officials on Wednesday will announce a location move for the 2022 Battle of Flowers Parade and the Fiesta Flambeau Parade to an alternate route from previous years.

Fiesta has a certain charm that’s able to captivate the minds of people who have either lived in San Antonio forever, or those who have just discovered the celebration for the first time.

The KSAT Explains team dives into why we celebrate Fiesta with royalty and medals.

The safe, virtual Fiesta Porch Parade runs until May 24 and is a city-wide decorating competition for homes, schools and businesses.

Viva Fiesta San Antonio!

The safe, virtual event is a city-wide decorating competition for homes, schools and businesses and runs from April 23 to May 24. A total of 7 winners will be chosen.

Photograph shows children and attendants on parade float entered in Battle of Flowers Parade. Photograph shows parade float. (UTSA Libraries Special Collections)Mary de Zavala and Mattie Smith in their horse-drawn carriage decorated for the Battle of Flowers Parade. (UTSA Libraries Special Collections)A Fiesta parade float celebrating the Filipino community in San Antonio. (UTSA Libraries Special Collections)A Fiesta parade float from Pioneer Flour Mills.

SAN ANTONIO – The Battle of Flowers and Fiesta Flambeau parades have been canceled in 2021 due to concerns over COVID-19, parade officials announced Monday. The cancellations come on the same day that Fiesta San Antonio officials announced that other Fiesta 2021 events are being postponed until June. You may request a refund of the ticket price to the Fiesta Flambeau® Parade online beginning Feb. 15. This year would have been the 73rd year that the Fiesta Flambeau Parade would have lighted up the streets of the Alamo city. Fiesta Flambeau Parade officials said they are looking forward to the 2022 parade, which is scheduled for April 9.

As a way to give people a little break from the coronavirus pandemic, KSAT12 will be rebroadcasting last year’s Fiesta parades on the days they would have occurred this year. The Battle of Flowers Parade will re-air on KSAT12 Friday, April 24 from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. The parade and pre-show will also be livestreamed online on KSAT.com and on KSAT-TV’s streaming app, available on most smart devices. Sit back and enjoy more 2019 Fiesta parades right in the comfort of your home. Click here to see photos from the 2019 KSAT Insiders Battle of Flowers Parade Party.

Fiesta crowds in 1946 were 'uncontrollable' after five years without the party during WWIIFront page of the San Antonio Express-New Evening News on April 27, 1946. Front page of the San Antonio Express-New Evening News on April 27, 1946. Record shows San Antonio's party predecessors did in April 1946, when the city was able to Fiesta after years of war. The April 27, 1946 edition of the San Antonio Evening News reported a "climatic" scene of the first parade in a while. Fiesta fans like business owner Garrett Heath believes history will repeat itself and the postponed party will be similar to 1946.

The proceeds for San Antonios event, sponsored by several womens clubs, would go to buy war bonds. A news photograph shows the scene of the 1979 sniper attack during the Battle of Flowers Parade. After World War II, decisions were made to create events run by more middle-class organizations, she added. Much of that growth was in the Latino population and the middle class; many soldiers who trained here during the war returned to make San Antonio their home. For the 2.5 million Fiesta revelers, and for all the nonprofits that profit from it, what would spring in San Antonio be like?

One of San Antonios signature Fiesta events has a new date. The Battle of Flowers Parade will take place Nov. 13, organizers announced at a press conference Sunday evening. We feel that our events must go on, Battle of Flowers Association President Anna-Laura Block said. On Sunday night, organizers with the Battle of Flowers Parade and Band Festival confirmed both events would proceed as expected in November. The band festival does not have a concrete date just yet, but Band Festival Chair Cameron Armstrong said officials at Alamo Stadium already indicated they are willing to work with the event to get it scheduled.

Parade association officials held a news conference to reassure the public that the Fiesta favorite will be held. “The Battle of Flowers is where Fiesta began 129 years ago, and we won’t be stopping now,” said Anna Laura Block, Battle of Flowers Association president. If the Battle of Flowers did not step up, we would not be serving our community,” she said. In addition, the Battle of Flowers Bands Festival, which is held at Alamo Stadium, will also be held. COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019.

SAN ANTONIO – Happy birthday to KSAT 12′s wonderful Good Morning San Antonio anchor Leslie Mouton! Check out what Leslie said about her battle with breast cancer, her must-have snack food and what event she loves to cover most. What has been one of the biggest highlights of your career at KSAT so far? While the diagnosis and the battle were frightening, the station and the community embraced it and lifted me up. I love the Battle of Flowers Parade - hosting it every year is a true honor!

SAN ANTONIO - It's official, the theme for the 2020 Battle of Flowers parade is "Viva Las Flores!" Next year's parade on April 24 will mark the 129th annual Battle of Flowers parade, the second-largest day parade in the U.S.Battle of Flowers parade commemorates the victory at Battle of San Jacinto and celebrates the diversity and heritage of Texas. The parade's 2020 Grand Marshall will be Commander Eileen M. Collins, an astronaut who has logged more than 872 hours in space. "The Battle of Flowers Parade began with and continues with flowers," announced 2020 Parade Chairman Melissa Branch. It is our great honor to call them Honorary Grand Marshal for the 2020 parade," Branch said.