84th Annual Battle of the Flowers Band Festival

[MadisonBandMan1]

Every year San Antonio has a celebration called Fiesta, usually about 11 days long in total. Millions of people from around the world come to celebrate during this time period, culminating in a few major events that attract millions of people to watch together both on the street and on television. The other events will be in another thread. On Battle of the Flowers Day, there is a festival at Alamo Stadium in downtown San Antonio. On average around 32-33 bands enter into this festival every year. Every single one of them is a high school band. Pre-Covid, that consisted of over 5,000 students. Every band marches in a parade around the track and performs a short track show, usually like a minute or so's worth and moves on, save two bands. Three bands every year are selected through public vote to perform their fall show for the crowd during the intermission of the parade. My band was selected alongside Brandeis and Southwest in 2016, and this year is happens to be CTJ, Jefferson HS, and Harlan HS who were selected (All three from San Antonio). When one band is done with their part of the parade they go and sit in the bleachers on the backside, so by the last band the entire back side of the stadium is filled with bands, instruments still in hand. That stadium really starts to roar by the end of it its really cool. Reminds me of a college marching band atmosphere here at UNL. 

At the end of the Parade all of bands then line up in a very tight block formation on the field and back track. They fit ALL of the bands down there. They then perform an awesome show for the crowd (which I must say the students are absolutely suffering during but loving it nonetheless lol. That show HURTS lol. We still get excited nonetheless of giving you that second to none wall of sound that rattles your bones and pushes your hair back 😆) that is accompanied with a massive ending that I won't spoil. I will say that 5,000 bodies of musicians pumping so much energy at you is an exhilarating experience that you really just need to experience for yourself. There really is nothing like it out there. Reminds me a little bit of old school Drum Corps Retreats I must say, similar style. Still nothing like this out there. Anyways enough of my nerdy rant, here are the bands who are attending this year.

PS. One of the local ABC affiliate news networks, KSAT 12 streams the event both on the local tv channel and online for free. I may not remember to hop on here to drop the link the day before or day of but I am sure one of our other locals here will be happy to do that if they are on! It isn't hard to find through google if you want to find it yourself by the way. Enjoy!

Battle of the Flowers Band Festival - April 7th, 2022
Alamo Stadium
110 Tuleta Dr, San Antonio, TX 78212

Antonian College Preparatory HS
Brackenridge HS
Brennan HS
Burbank HS
Central Catholic HS
Churchill HS
Claudia Taylor Johnson HS - Feature Band
East Central HS
Edison HS
Harlan HS - Feature Band
Harlandale HS
Highlands HS
Jefferson HS - Feature Band
John  F. Kennedy HS
John Jay HS
John Marshall HS
Judson HS
Lanier HS
Legacy of Educational Excellence HS
Marion HS
McCollum HS
Memorial HS
Nixon-Smiley HS
Poteet HS
Poth HS
Robert G Cole HS
Sam Houston HS (A crowd favorite every year!!!)
Sandra Day O'Connor HS
Somerset HS
South San Antonio HS
Southside HS
Southwest HS
Southwest Legacy HS
Tom C. Clark HS
Veterans Memorial HS
Wagner HS
 

[Samuel Culper]

If you have millions of people visiting a city of 1.4 million people... I don't want to be anywhere near that mess.  🤣

[MadisonBandMan1]

  On 4/2/2022 at 7:23 PM, Samuel Culper said:

If you have millions of people visiting a city of 1.4 million people... I don't want to be anywhere near that mess.  🤣

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In all honesty, as bad as it sounds on paper, having been in both the crowd and in both parades, it honestly isn't that bad. Not as bad as some other crowds I've been in. The worst part about it is honestly the traffic, and this is coming from someone who is liking crowds less and less with age.

 

[Samuel Culper]

  On 4/4/2022 at 5:09 PM, MadisonBandMan1 said:

In all honesty, as bad as it sounds on paper, having been in both the crowd and in both parades, it honestly isn't that bad. Not as bad as some other crowds I've been in. The worst part about it is honestly the traffic, and this is coming from someone who is liking crowds less and less with age.

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My point was more that there is no way to have "millions" of people visiting the city for Fiesta at one time.

But it is a fun event.

[CTJBandPops]

so - to shout out to MadisonBandMan - yes the city sees a HUGE influx of of visitors for Fiesta - but we don't know what this year will look like as it has been shut down for the past 2 years. this event happens at the "rock pile" that is Alamo Stadium down by St Mary's university. there are more than 30 bands that will march "in review" - they march to the front of the home stands on the track - stop and play a fun tune that has them all dancing and having a load of fun - after the first group of parade bands, - there is a feature band that will perform their 2021 field show, then another group of 10 parade bands - and another feature band - the next group and ends with the last feature band that will be CTJ performing their 2021 field show of "opposites attract".  once they clear the field,  ALL of the bands will return to the field for a mass band performance. this year the Mass band will be Directed by Dr. Cliff Crooms - Director of the Longhorn Band. - I attached a few pics. both of my kids have marched the parade and been in the feature band spot - gotta love fiesta - you can also catch bands at the Battle of Flowers parade in San Antonio on Friday - a tradition since 1891 and one of the oldest running parades in the country. or the Fiesta Flambeau that CTJ will also march on Saturday - a night parade that has all the kids lit up with lights. - VIVA FIESTA!! Lets go Claudia!!! - FYI - these pics where from tonight practice