Battle of Flowers Parade Tips (San Antonio, Alamo: apartment, buying, school)
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(Forgive me if this is miscategorized or should have been put into an existing thread. I searched the forum and didn't find anything that answered my specific questions.)
My husband and I have decided to throw logic to the wind and take our three year old down to the Battle of Flowers parade this year. I've lived in SA my entire life and have never been, I've only watched it on television.
What are some tips for the BoF newcomer? What's some good advice?
We are doing the sane thing and buying tickets so we don't have to show up ungodly early and fight for a spot. That said, what's the best spot to view the parade from? (Other than at home, on TV, that is! ) I noticed that the Alamo Grandstand tickets are the most expensive, are those the best place to view the parade, or is there a cheaper spot that is better?
What are some items that we should definitely bring?
I want to get my daughter one of those paper flower headbands to wear, do they sell those down at the parade or should I buy one ahead of time? What kind of vendors do they have, if any at all?
I'm loaded with questions, I know, but I'm such a Fiesta newbie. Historically, I have avoided Fiesta like the plague unless it was doing something school related when I was younger.
(Forgive me if this is miscategorized or should have been put into an existing thread. I searched the forum and didn't find anything that answered my specific questions.)
My husband and I have decided to throw logic to the wind and take our three year old down to the Battle of Flowers parade this year. I've lived in SA my entire life and have never been, I've only watched it on television.
What are some tips for the BoF newcomer? What's some good advice?
We are doing the sane thing and buying tickets so we don't have to show up ungodly early and fight for a spot. That said, what's the best spot to view the parade from? (Other than at home, on TV, that is! ) I noticed that the Alamo Grandstand tickets are the most expensive, are those the best place to view the parade, or is there a cheaper spot that is better?
What are some items that we should definitely bring?
I want to get my daughter one of those paper flower headbands to wear, do they sell those down at the parade or should I buy one ahead of time? What kind of vendors do they have, if any at all?
I'm loaded with questions, I know, but I'm such a Fiesta newbie. Historically, I have avoided Fiesta like the plague unless it was doing something school related when I was younger.
My parents have been going for YEARS to both BoF and the Flambeau and my Dad swears by sitting towards the start, near Broadway and 10th. But I know a few family members who love the middle, right before the Alamo. Almost all performers perform in front of the Alamo so they'll do a dry run a few blocks before the Alamo so it's fun.
Tips: I don't have any kiddos but my brother took his 3yr old once and it was a pain. The heat and everything made it for a bad day, so they went to the Flambeau the next year and it was better. A little cooler and night and the lights appealled to the then 4 yr old. But, that's just my uneducated opinion. But, I would invest in uunscreen and to bring copious amounts of personal water and gatorades. I had the pleasure to march in one a few times (band and ROTC nerd alert!!) and everytime it was either dry and hot, humid and hot, or drizzly and hot. Plus with the amount of people, it seems to magnify 20 fold. So bring things to cool you and more importantly your 3yr old down. Monitor for heat exhaustion. Stay hydrated, hydrated, hydrated. Parking is going to be the pain to find so you will probably have to walk a while to get to your seat, so bring a stroller or something for her to sit in. I don't know if children that young HAVE to have a seat purchased for them but do it anyways.
As for the head bands....my Mom bought one years ago at a HEB, of all places. She still has it. The ones at the parade itself are going to be pricier but you can try the Fiesta store or maybe even On Main/Off Main, which is a small knick nack store. And as for vendors, you can pretty much name it and they'll have it somewhere along the parade route.
I wouldn't buy Grandstand tix - no backs to the seats and way to squished in. We sit at Broadway and Ninth - close to the secret porta-johns and food. We always pack a cooler with drinks and I always bake chocolate chip cookies - the guys who sell the seats in our section LOVE them and it's the least I can do since they work so hard.
I also take a couple trash bags - one for trash and one for recycling - and sunscreen.
Oh, and I take a roll of paper towels and a roll of TP.
Where does one get tickets? Front row or nothing. It's a pain in the rump jumping over ppl to try and get out. Or back in..
I would like to know that too. I know friends and family get some through church fundraisers, VFWs, and one time through work. I'm sure there's a central place where people could snag some.
Ugh! The only way I'll bring kids to Battle of Flowers is if we're watching from a friend's apartment along the route, or this year, at our school's viewing party (a fundraiser, located at an indoor site along the route). It's hot and crowded. Plenty of small kids around, but I can't imagine dealing with my small kids and actually enjoying it.
I have to agree... I would only take my kids to the night parade... It's just to dang hot for the day parade and kids get restless pretty quick... My dad used to own a Paint and Body shop at the corner of Broadway and Pearl Parkway and we would watch from there, where we BBQ'd all day and had our own private, clean bathrooms... When I had my oldest daughter we took her for the first time when she was 3 and she had no real interest... The first couple of bands and floats she liked, but after that it got too hot and she wanted to be inside the body shop, in the shade, playing with the other kids...
We took her to the night parade when she was older, about 6, and she liked that better, as she liked the lights and how the bands were lit up...
Good Luck to you all... We have not been to the parades since my dad sold his shop, it's just not the same to us anymore... That and I LOATHE the "Show us your shoes" thing... I refuse to sit there for hours as people scream that over and over...
I have to agree... I would only take my kids to the night parade... It's just to dang hot for the day parade and kids get restless pretty quick... My dad used to own a Paint and Body shop at the corner of Broadway and Pearl Parkway and we would watch from there, where we BBQ'd all day and had our own private, clean bathrooms... When I had my oldest daughter we took her for the first time when she was 3 and she had no real interest... The first couple of bands and floats she liked, but after that it got too hot and she wanted to be inside the body shop, in the shade, playing with the other kids...
We took her to the night parade when she was older, about 6, and she liked that better, as she liked the lights and how the bands were lit up...
Good Luck to you all... We have not been to the parades since my dad sold his shop, it's just not the same to us anymore... That and I LOATHE the "Show us your shoes" thing... I refuse to sit there for hours as people scream that over and over...
Show us your shoes? What is that? (I've never been)
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) I noticed that the Alamo Grandstand tickets are the most expensive, are those the best place to view the parade, or is there a cheaper spot that is better?
But, I would invest in uunscreen and to bring copious amounts of personal water and gatorades. I had the pleasure to march in one a few times (band and ROTC nerd alert!!) and everytime it was either dry and hot, humid and hot, or drizzly and hot. Plus with the amount of people, it seems to magnify 20 fold. So bring things to cool you and more importantly your 3yr old down. Monitor for heat exhaustion. Stay hydrated, hydrated, hydrated. Parking is going to be the pain to find so you will probably have to walk a while to get to your seat, so bring a stroller or something for her to sit in. I don't know if children that young HAVE to have a seat purchased for them but do it anyways. 
