Fiesta De Los Reyes has kicked into high gear at Market Square in Downtown San Antonio for Fiesta.
Isaiah Alonzo/Isaiah Alonzo for MySA
For 135 years, Fiesta San Antonio has filled the streets with flowers, fun and family traditions. Now, one of its most accessible events is charging a $5 gate fee for Fiesta de Los Reyes, one of the last free, family-friendly events held at Market Square. Despite concerns and backlash from residents, the San Antonio City Council approved the admission fee for certain hours.
After debating the fee change, the City Council approved it in a 7-4 vote. Mayor Gina Ortiz and Councilmembers Jalen McKee-Rodriguez (District 2), Ric Galvan (District 6), and Teri Castillo (District 5) voted against the fee.
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City Council discussed the change to Fiesta de Los Reyes early Thursday morning after Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones proclaimed the approval of various organizations’ participation for San Antonio’s Fiesta celebration this year. Fiesta runs from April 16-26, and Fiesta de Los Reyes is its largest event, attracting over 250,000 people.
Why did Fiesta de Los Reyes add a $5 fee?
Following the previous Fiesta security enhancements, the city was responsible for staffing security, and the Rey Feo Consejo Education Foundation (the Consejos) was responsible for financing fencing and screening attendees through private security contractors. These security measures implemented last year led to a significant financial loss, according to members of Fiesta de Los Reyes.
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“I will tell you, and my board members of my organization will tell you, I have fought for years to keep this event free because it is the people’s event,” Frank Garza, a board member of Fiesta de Los Reyes, said at the meeting. “However, last year, with the increased security, which I will tell you, everyone who went to that event was so impressed with the increased security … The increased security is a great benefit to this event, but it comes at a cost.”
Event hours will run from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., with the proposed gate fee starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 17, and continuing through April 23. During Fiesta weekends, the gate fee will start at 1 p.m. Visitors who enter earlier can remain inside without paying. The gate fee will not apply to children under 12.
Concerns on admission change for Fiesta De Los Reyes
Market Square representatives have protested the gate fee, advocating for the gate fee to remain one of the last free Fiesta events. This decision finalizes new rules for the traditionally free event at Historic Market Square, drawing immediate reaction from local organizers and city residents who had opposed the admission fee.
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Yvette Ramirez, a third-generation vendor and president of the Farmer’s Market Tenant Association, asked City Council to stand up for the constituents and for the small businesses that have served the community for generations.
“Market Square has been established as a free and public space for the people of San Antonio, allowing any third party to control access to a historical cultural public asset sets a dangerous precedent,” Ramirez said. “Once the door is open to privatizing a public space, it raises questions on what other public spaces in San Antonio could be subjected to the same treatment in the future. Market Square belongs to the people. It is a place where culture, tradition, and commerce coexisted for generations, and it should remain open and accessible to the public.”
Thelma Gonzalez, a business owner at Market Plaza, said the area is home to 54 tenants, all of whom are now business owners of San Antonio. She added that there are over 100 locally owned businesses in the Market Square area. She opposed the gate fee because the area has always been a public, free space.
“We are deeply concerned about the proposed $5 entry gate fee. It risks reducing foot traffic, harming small businesses, and limiting access to families who have visited the space freely,” Gonzalez said. “It also contradicts the spirit of Fiesta, a celebration meant to bring the community together and to create, not create financial barriers.”
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Where are the funds going to?
This year, the revenue from the gate fee will be distributed to the Rey Feo Consejo Education Foundation (the Consejos), which uses proceeds to fund scholarships and education programs.
Chief Downtown Officer Shanon Miller presented the initiative to charge a gate fee for Fiesta De Los Reyes. Miller stated that the Fiesta De Los Reyes event is projected to generate a fiscal impact of $37,500, which will be deposited into the Market Square Fund. When Fiesta commences in San Antonio, the Consejos predict ticket revenue will amount to approximately $400,000; and $250,000 will be retained by the association, with 25% will be disbursed to the city.
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“Last year, as a result of security enhancements, the Consejos saw a financial loss, and that is what we’re trying to address this year,” Miller explained.