Some members and long-time volunteers said they were shocked by the decision and are collecting signatures to try to force a special meeting to discuss it. They asked why they hadn’t been given a say in the beloved four-day celebration at La Villita, a hallmark of Fiesta, and questioned the financial losses cited for the cancellation.
They packed a meeting room at San Antonio Botanical Garden.
“Open every record that you have and let the public understand why you are single-handedly trying to cancel NIOSA and erase years of history and culture,” NIOSA vice chair Monica Reyes told society President Betty Bueché.
Bueché defended the move, which she said was supported by a majority of the society’s executive committee and board of directors. An audit showed the nonprofit has lost $1.4 million over the past four years hosting what used to be its major fundraiser, she said.
“I am implementing the vote of the board,” Bueché said.
The society announced last week that it would suspend NIOSA in 2027 to give the organization time to “review, retool, and reinvigorate the beloved tradition.”
Bueché said attendance has declined in the wake of the pandemic, people are drinking less, which is cutting into revenue generated from the event, and the costs of hosting NIOSA are steep. The event is put on primarily by an army of volunteers, and proceeds go to support the Conservation Society’s education and preservation work.
NIOSA began in 1938 as a one-night street fair called the Indian Festival. It became part of Fiesta in 1946 and was renamed NIOSA in 1948. It is one of Fiesta’s largest events, drawing thousands to La Villita to eat, drink and dance.