Severe thunderstorms forced organizers to cut short Fiesta’s first two celebrations Thursday night, and forecasts calling for more rain in the week ahead could jeopardize more “party with a purpose” events.
That includes the 78th Texas Cavaliers River Parade, scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday night. Forecasts currently show a 50% chance of rain at that time, but anyone who’s spent any amount of time in San Antonio knows how quickly that could change.
Perhaps the Conservation Society of San Antonio’s annual rain rock ceremony, planned for Monday morning at 10 a.m., will keep the showers at bay.
Begun decades ago by a former president of the nonprofit, which hosts Night in Old San Antonio, or NIOSA, each year, the rain rock is hung up after the ceremony to ward off showers for the remainder of Fiesta.
According to the National Weather Service, San Antonio will remain mostly dry going into the weekend, but rain will begin to pick up Saturday evening and Sunday.
Nick Hampshire, meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said he wasn’t sure if storm chances, which will start to lower on Wednesday, would be strong enough to affect Fiesta events.
On Thursday night, heavy rain and whipping winds were severe enough that A Taste of the Republic and Fiesta Fiesta were shut down.
Still to come are the three major parades: the river parade, the Battle of Flowers kicking off at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, April 28, and the Fiesta Flambeau the following night.
The Cavaliers couldn’t be immediately reached for comment about possible rain plans; in general, rain isn’t enough to stop the parade, but lightning is.
Hampshire said that as of now, scattered rain looks more likely than “intense thunderstorms,” with the heaviest shower forecast for Sunday.
“Sunday definitely looks to be a wet day, so there’s a good chance weather will hamper things on Sunday,” Hampshire said. Fiesta de los Reyes is scheduled for Sunday at Market Square.
Hampshire said Fiesta-goers should have a plan in place in case the weather does become severe, such as planning where to seek shelter.
Most vendor booths at NIOSA are covered, said Vincent Michael, executive director of the Conservation Society.
“I would just encourage people to wear a hat or go into the indoor places if we ge a few sprinkles. There are plenty of places in NIOSA where you can avoid the light rain,” Michael said.
The organization is preparing to receive as many as 80,000 partiers, Michael said.
“We think it’s going to be a great NIOSA because we’ve got our full footprint back,” he said. “Last year, we had to be at Hemisfair and now we’re back at La Villita. … It’s going to be just like it always was.”
