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A Proper Primer on Fiesta San Antonio Etiquette

22 Apr 2024 By: Diane Gottsman

Fiesta Etiquette 2024 | etiquette expert Diane Gottsman on SA Living with colorful fiesta props on table
I recently had the pleasure of training the five nominees for Miss Fiesta San Antonio 2024. Ciara Davila was named Miss Fiesta 2024. She serves for 12 months, making over 250 appearances at important events, representing the city. The five finalists receive scholarships from the Foundation, along with invaluable training centered around public speaking, interview skills, team building, and overall professional development. It’s quite an honor.

Fiesta is all about celebrating the city and the culture of beautiful San Antonio. It’s a local celebration, as opposed to a celebration like Mardi Gras or the Olympics! (Almost as exciting, however.) This year’s Battle of Flowers Parade will be held on April 26, 2024. This founding event is expected to draw a crowd of more than 550,000 to our city and is entirely produced by a team of women volunteers. San Antonio Current spotlights what to expect: “Floats, buggies, marching bands and people from all walks of life will be bedecked with elaborate costumes, paper flowers and colors galore as they make their way through the streets of downtown San Antonio.”

Here are a few ways to show your Fiesta spirit at the events from April 18th – 28th, plus a link to their official calendar of events.

Fiesta San Antonio Etiquette

Color Is Key

You will see an array of beautiful colors at the events, and getting in the spirit by wearing your own vibrant hues of orange, green, purple, and blue adds to the fun. From block parties to elaborate parades, showing your spirit is the key to a fun-filled event.

Prepare For Fiesta Fun

Review the calendar of events and remember to be generous with the amount of time you give yourself to get around due to detours and crowds. Review parking information before you leave home. Pack plenty of sunscreen, a portable bowl of water for your pet, sunglasses, hats for the kiddos, and a healthy dose of patience. Other helpful extras recommended by Axios SA include a power bank for your phone, a portable fan, hand sanitizer, and cash.

Eat Before You Go

There will be great food options and crowds of people waiting for their chicken on a stick and gorditas—you don’t want to arrive with hungry kids and growling tummies. Save some room for your favorite foods, but don’t skip your regular meal.

Show Us Your Shoes

While you want to look cute and stylish, you also want to be able to walk for miles and your shoes are an important component of your Fiesta fun factor. Find a shoe that you both love and will be able to wear all day, in all kinds of weather. Keep in mind you will be stepped on at least once.

Medals Are Fun and Support Local Business and a Worthy Cause

Fiesta medals and piñatas

Nonprofits and local businesses have wonderful and creative medals to add to your collection. My San Antonio explains, “Originally, they were given out exclusively by Fiesta royalty but have since grown into a local industry.” From the Humane Society to local news stations, there are plenty of fun and beautiful medals to adorn your Fiesta wear.

Plan For Pet-Friendly Happenings

If your dog does well in crowds of people and can handle the noise level, there is a long list of pet-friendly Fiesta events. Don’t forget their leash, food, water, and sunscreen to protect the sun-sensitive parts of their body. The Dog Guide SA published a list of pup-approved events you may want to consider—this year’s Pooch Parade is April 27 and benefits Therapy Animals of San Antonio.

Cascarone Etiquette


Cascarones are hollowed-out egg shells, dyed in bright colors, and filled with confetti. You can make them yourselves, buy them from a retailer, or find them lined up on roadside stands during the week of Fiesta. They are a symbol of goodwill and good luck in San Antonio, but you must know how to crack them over someone’s head without inciting a battle.

For more information about working with Diane, America’s “Go to” social and professional (manners) skills authority, please visit The Protocol School of Texas. 

See what Diane is up to by following her on Instagram and Facebook. Find etiquette inspiration on her Pinterest account and keep up with her latest tweets. For more of Diane’s etiquette tips, refer to her posts on Inc. and HuffPost. 

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Diane Gottsman

Diane Gottsman is a national etiquette expert and modern manners professional, sought out industry leader, television personality, accomplished speaker, Huffington Post blogger, author, and the owner of The Protocol School of Texas, a company specializing in executive leadership and etiquette training. Diane is routinely quoted in national and international media including The New York Times, The BBC, CNN, Bloomberg Business Week, Kiplinger, Huffington Post Canada, U.S. News and World Report, and Forbes. She is the resident etiquette expert for two popular morning talk shows, SA Living and Good Day Austin. She has been seen on The TODAY Show, HLN Headline News, WGN Chicago, and CBS Sunday Morning. Her clients range from university students to Fortune 500 companies and her workshops cover topics ranging from tattoos in the workplace to technology at the dinner table and the proper use of social media.