For the first time, a popular Fiesta spot might come with a price tag this year;
Organizers of Fiesta De Los Reyes at Market Square plan to charge each visitor $5 during peak hours to offset security costs implemented after a deadly shooting in 2024.
“We want to keep it family friendly. We want to make sure everyone’s safe,” said Elaine De Los Santos, the interim executive director of the Rey Feo Consejo Educational Foundation, which organizes the event. “And in doing that, there’s a cost.”
Two years ago, just after midnight, 18-year-old Mikey Valdez shot and killed 20-year-old Albert Cisneros Jr. at Market Square. San Antonio police then fired several rounds, killing Valdez at the scene.
Two bystanders went to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and two others were treated at the scene.
The shooting prompted organizers to boost security at Fiesta De Los Reyes last year. Fencing went up around Market Square, and organizers hired security to check bags. Everyone who entered had to walk through metal detectors.
All of that came at a cost. The organization that hosts Fiesta de los Reyes — and uses its revenue to fund scholarships — lost money last year, De Los Santos said.
“We want to keep putting this festival on, but unfortunately our organization can’t keep losing money either,” De Los Santos said.
City Council still has to approve the $5 fee, which will only apply to people ages 13 and older. If it does, festival goers will see QR codes when they arrive at Market Square. They can scan the code to pay the entry fee online. Or, they can pay cash.
Fiesta De Los Reyes also plans to offer a $25 “season pass” for people who want to enter Market Square at any time on any day.
The event will charge the $5 fee only during Fiesta’s busiest hours. During the daytime on most weekdays, Fiesta De Los Reyes will be free to enter.
The fee applies during the following hours: