SAN ANTONIO – One of San Antonio’s biggest Fiesta events will not take place in 2027 as the Conservation Society of San Antonio reevaluates Night in Old San Antonio amid financial challenges.
The announcement means La Villita will be without Night in Old San Antonio, commonly known as NIOSA, next April. The festival typically draws thousands of people to the historic village for food, live music and cultural celebrations.
“There is no one, even those who voted to suspend it; there is no one who is happy that we felt the need to suspend,” said Betty Bueché, president of the Conservation Society.
The decision came less than a month after Bueché told KSAT that an event would take place.
“Rest assured that we will have an event,” Bueché said in an Aug. 26 interview with KSAT. “Where it will be and exactly what it will consist of, those are the things that we’re discussing.”
People who visit La Villita and attend NIOSA every year said they were disappointed by the announcement.
“It’s sad, you know,” one woman said while walking through the nearly empty village.
Tia Todd said NIOSA attracts visitors to San Antonio and brings additional business to the area.
“People actually come to San Antonio for NIOSA,” Todd said. “That kind of is a bummer. That’s one of the biggest festivals in this area. So, of course, it’s going to affect our jobs.”
An area business owner said the prospect of losing NIOSA next year is concerning.
“The idea of it not being here next year, as a business owner, is a bit scary,” she said.
For many Fiesta-goers, NIOSA is a longstanding tradition. The event dates back to the 1930s.
“It was like the thing that we did when we were in high school and college,” one woman said.
Chris Leos, a board member with the Rey Feo Scholarship Foundation, said the loss of NIOSA is difficult, even if the pause lasts only one year. He said other Fiesta organizations are also facing rising costs, including insurance and security.
“We’re just trying to keep Fiesta de los Reyes on track as well because every year it just seems to cost a lot more due to insurance purposes, security,” Leos said.
Leos said the foundation plans to continue its Fiesta events and hopes it can help fill some of the gap left by NIOSA.
“We are staying afloat, trying to keep it afloat, and hopefully we can see what we can do to help out, to fill in the blanks for NIOSA,” he said.
The Conservation Society of San Antonio has not announced what will happen with NIOSA in 2028. Community members said they hope the organization can find additional funding and possibly a new location to bring the festival back.
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