{"id":417891,"date":"2026-08-27T03:48:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T03:48:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/417891\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T03:48:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T03:48:08","slug":"niosa-will-return-in-2027-but-the-events-future-location-format-remain-uncertain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/417891\/","title":{"rendered":"NIOSA will return in 2027, but the event\u2019s future location, format remain uncertain"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">SAN ANTONIO \u2013 A Night in Old San Antonio will return in 2027, but the longtime Fiesta event could look different as organizers work to address declining attendance, a smaller event footprint and a major financial shortfall.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The San Antonio Conservation Society, which puts on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ksat.com\/news\/local\/2026\/08\/19\/niosa-organizers-announce-reset-staff-cuts-ahead-of-future-redesign\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NIOSA<\/a>, said the event generated no net proceeds this year. About two decades ago, NIOSA was netting roughly $1 million annually, according to Betty Bueche, president of the Conservation Society.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cAny changes to it are important to a lot of people in the community,\u201d Bueche said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">For 78 years, NIOSA has raised money for the Conservation Society\u2019s preservation and education programs. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The organization provides tours for fourth-grade students, offers grants to owners of historic homes and small business buildings, supports an endowed professorship at the University of Texas at San Antonio\u2019s School of Architecture, and recognizes historians and others involved in preservation efforts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The society also has helped save historic sites including the Granary at Mission San Jos\u00e9, the Espada Aqueduct, Casa Navarro, the Old Ursuline Academy and the Aztec Theatre.<\/p>\n<p>Attendance, space and the economy<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Bueche said NIOSA\u2019s recent financial challenges stem from several factors, including lower attendance and reduced space at La Villita, where the event has been held in recent years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">She also pointed to broader economic pressures and a national decline in attendance at similar events.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cPart of it is not having sufficient disposable income,\u201d Bueche said. \u201cPart of it is that people are being conservative right now and saving their money.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Bueche said people are increasingly selective about how they spend their money, making it important for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ksat.com\/news\/local\/2026\/08\/21\/niosa-redesign-have-longtime-san-antonians-worried-about-losing-a-fiesta-tradition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NIOSA to remain an appealing experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Community suggestions<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The Conservation Society has asked the public for ideas about how to reshape the event. Suggestions have included moving NIOSA to another location, changing the time of year, updating the music and entertainment, changing the food offerings and addressing downtown parking challenges.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">One location community members suggested is the Coliseum grounds near the Frost Bank Center on the East Side.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cSpecifically, the Coliseum grounds have been suggested, and we have a strong interest in the East Side of San Antonio,\u201d Bueche said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Bueche said the Conservation Society has supported preservation projects on the East Side and is particularly interested in the historic Baptist settlement area. However, no location or format has been finalized.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The Conservation Society is scheduled to meet with NIOSA team members on Thursday, Aug. 27, to discuss specific ways to reduce the cost of producing the event. Bueche said the Conservation Society, a 100-year-old organization, has \u201creserve\u201d funds available to help launch the next NIOSA once leaders decide on a plan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cRest assured that we will have an event,\u201d Bueche said. \u201cWhere it will be and exactly what it will consist of, those are the things that we\u2019re discussing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The Conservation Society also said it has paid its own expenses and city fees related to NIOSA. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Since 1988, the organization has paid nearly $15.3 million in fees to the city, according to Bueche. It has also contributed $5.2 million to the La Villita Fund, which she said has a remaining balance of nearly $900,000 for improvements at La Villita.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">The society plans to continue collecting public feedback before deciding on NIOSA\u2019s next location, timing and format.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Read also: <\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2026 by KSAT &#8211; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SAN ANTONIO \u2013 A Night in Old San Antonio will return in 2027, but the longtime Fiesta event&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":417892,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[29286,96,7185,13747,14620,34182,82,84,83,51314],"class_list":["post-417891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-antonio","tag-conservation-society","tag-east-side","tag-fiesta","tag-freeman-coliseum","tag-la-villita","tag-niosa","tag-san-antonio","tag-san-antonio-headlines","tag-san-antonio-news","tag-we-follow-through"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/417891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=417891"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/417891\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/417892"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=417891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=417891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=417891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}