On location in San Antonio

It’s party time in San Antonio and PAX is here for the celebration!

This week, the annual Fiesta takes over the southwestern Texan city for nearly two weeks of fun, food and a commemoration of Texas culture and history, a celebration that began in 1891 as a tribute to the defenders of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution of 1836.

The San Antonio CVB and Travel Texas are currently hosting a group of Canadian travel professionals to see all the destination has to offer during this festive time of year (the Fiesta runs from April 16-26), when many local residents take a week off to enjoy live music in the city’s Market Square (one of Fiesta’s main hubs) before the balmy spring weather flares into a full-fledged Texas summer.

Located only two hours from the Mexican border, the strong Latin influence on San Antonio is immediately evident, from the colours of Fiesta ­– in the luchador masks and pottery lining the shop walls of Market Square – to the smoky, sweet southwestern flavours available in every restaurant grill.

These factors came together as we made our first stop, a mid-afternoon lunch at the popular restaurant La Margarita, for a family-style meal of nachos and fajitas amidst the Fiesta revelry. The meal was followed by a stroll through Market Square, as crowds of Fiesta-goers made their way through the various stalls and shops set up in the former farmer’s market.

After a brief respite, the night continued with a Fiesta River Parade held along the city’s infamous River Walk (where I’ll be returning to this week), a network of paths along the San Antonio River lined with restaurants and shops of every kind, where boats lazily meander along several miles of water.

The parade, an annual event founded in 1941 and drawing thousands of onlookers to the river’s banks, features dozens of floats crammed with costumed characters, musicians of all styles and even some U.S. military personnel.

In addition to Fiesta events, I’ll be visiting the city’s many tourism attractions, ranging from world-renowned historic sites like the Alamo and the city’s many other Spanish missions, to more contemporary draws like SeaWorld and stops at local breweries which are crafting San Antonio’s reputation as another go-to destination for boutique beers.

Tomorrow: Water, water everywhere – SeaWorld and a return to the River Walk for a taste of Old San Antonio.

PHOTO: (Front row) Debra Bustos, Economic Development and Tourism, State of Texas; Jackie Budd-Primeau, Merit Travel; Julie Laverty, CAA South Central Ontario and Andrew Walker, Flight Centre Canada;(Back row) Salvador Garza, San Antonio CVB; Mireille Chartier, Chanteclerc Tours; Nathalie Lauzon, Velo Quebec Voyages; Juan Forteza, Travel Texas/VoX International; Thomas Rado, The Gibraltar & Palme Group Limited; Sandra Robsyze, Toundra Voyages and Anthony Tumminieri, Aimia.