I agree that in this day and age, and in this country, this coronation is most unusual. Thought by many to be one of the most magnificent and unusual events of its kind in the country, the Coronation of the Queen is an unforgettable evening for the whole family. The group chose its first Queen that year and staged her coronation at the Old Beethoven Halle. After the court is seated within the magnificent stage setting, musicians and other entertain the royalty and the audience.įounded by San Antonio businessmen and community leaders in 1909, The Order of the Alamo celebrates Texas’ heroic struggle for independence from Mexico. All wear elaborate dresses and trains spangled with glittering beads, crystals, and jewels. With a spectacularly set stage, the symphony orchestra performs the accompaniment as visiting and in-town Duchesses make their full-court bows, followed by the presentation of Her Royal Highness the Princess, and the Coronation of Her Gracious Majesty, the Queen. The character of this royalty is perhaps best conveyed by the official description of the queen’s subsequent public coronation:Īn evening of beauty and fantasy awaits those who attend the Coronation of the Queen of The Order of the Alamo, one of the central features of Fiesta San Antonio. 1946), The Music of Fiesta, 1999/2018, detail of upper section.ĭuring Fiesta, the most exalted cabals of the Anglo American power elite - which until very recently excluded people of Mexican descent - convene private rituals in the Alamo church, where they choose their royalty.
One might reasonably conclude that this entire victory celebration is upside down - not just the Alamo church building in Raul Servin’s painting. The oldest event now associated with Fiesta, the Battle of Flowers Parade, which began in 1891, was likely inspired by a parade in Mexico City at which competing groups threw flowers at one another. The defeat of Mexico is celebrated annually in San Antonio on a massive scale, often with Mariachi music, Mexican costumes, Mexican food and beer, and tequila-fueled margaritas. My modest proposal: keep the party, lose the war. But it is time for Fiesta to secede from San Jacinto.
(See: “Reduced by half, Fiesta 2021’s slate of events still offers plenty for revelers to enjoy,” San Antonio Report.) That’s a good start. It also resulted in a reduced schedule for 2021 - including the elimination of signal events, such as the coronation of the Queen of the Order of the Alamo - and the displacement of the festival from April to June 17-27. The Covid pandemic forced the cancellation of Fiesta in 2020. Fiesta celebrates this battle with lengthy festivities in April. On April 21, 1836, Texian forces defeated and massacred the Mexican army and captured Mexican general and president Antonio López de Santa Anna. I propose that the San Antonio celebration known as Fiesta be decoupled from commemorations of the battles of the Alamo and of San Jacinto.
Cordova, from the exhibition “The Other Side of the Alamo: Art Against the Myth,” Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, San Antonio, 2018. 1946), The Music of Fiesta, 1999 with additions in 2018, acrylic and mixed media on masonite, 72 x 60 inches, collection of the artist.