people are demanding an explanation for cancelling NIOSA Wednesday at the Conservation Society general membership meeting.
What is Fiesta without Night of Old San Antonio? San Antonio is going to find out what that looks like since the party is cancelled next year.
Betty Bueche, San Antonio’s Conservation Society president, breaks down what it costs to put on the four-day Fiesta party that has put them $1.4 million in the hole over the past four years.
For starters, they’d need $200,000 to reserve La Villita. That cost is up $5,000 from last year. They’d also have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for security.
“Last year the cost of security was in the range of $380,000,” Bueche said. “There has been several years in the past where it has reached $400,000.”
Bueche says in order to host NIOSA next year they will need at least $600,000. Factoring in the cost of food, drinks and electricity she says the costs add up fast.
Jim Mery, the president of Fiesta San Antonio says they had no idea NIOSA wouldn’t be happening next year.
There was no warning.” Mery said. “We were told the day of. The cost of goods. The cost of security. The decrease in attendance. When you look at all of that they as an organization made the right approach and they have to figure out how to be successful. We will help them if they need our help.”