Practically a citywide holiday, the Battle of Flowers Parade is a Fiesta staple. And over the last two weeks, area schools have been gearing up with their own parades.
Showing shoebox floats have been a tradition for elementary kids for decades. San Antonio plants the seeds of "Fiesta Fever" at a young age.
At San Antonio Academy, fifth-graders spend time mentoring the pre-K boys. They work as a team to create one-of-a-kind floats.
“I think I’ll remember getting to help them and getting to help them learn about Fiesta,” said Wesley Nye, a fifth-grader at San Antonio Academy.
The float crafting day took place two days before the school parade. With the float making taking place at school, the responsibility of creating the works of art is off the shoulders of parents.
At Will Rogers Academy, school officers blocked off sections of the street to allow students to walk around the school in style. The elementary campus also elected their own Fiesta royalty. Edison High School band members attended to provide the perfect marching beat.
At Thousand Oaks Elementary, parents get a huge shout out for helping the first grade class show off works of art.
“My mom made it, and it’s all thanks to her. She worked all night and be tired,” said first-grader Kameron Wright, whose float sported metallic paper, Mardi Gras beads, and his favorite action figure toys.
“I made it with my mom and I used a tissue box and a shoe box to make the head and the body,” Caydence Doty said. “Unicorns are actually my favorite animal. They’re magical and they can make rainbows.”
Over at Leon Valley Elementary, it’s a community affair. Firefighters, cops, veterans, the mayor, and even Batman show up to see the second graders’ floats.
“Fiesta is definitely part of our heritage,” Principal Rebecca Barron-Flores said. “We come out and we have a good time with the kids.”
The masterpieces didn’t happen overnight. Many of the kids revealed that it took them three days to complete their floats.
“We have a great community here. San Antonio, Leon Valley, different parts of the city, and everybody’s getting out to do their celebration,” said Richard Gillam with the American Legion Audie L. Murphy Post No. 336.
The parades celebrate one of San Antonio’s greatest traditions, cultivates creativity, and camaraderie at a young age.