Community gears up for Fiesta events
QSanAntonio.com, April 9, 2011

Fiesta San Antonio started this week and the city’s gay community is gearing up for two weeks of parties, parades and special events by GLBT organizations. There's a Fiesta Fandango, a Fiesta Frenzy, Cornyation, a gay limo service to and from Night in Old San Antonio and much more. Check out this list of events and plan your party accordingly.

April 10 -- Fiesta Fandango
Fiesta Fandango is the first annual installment of an evening of entertainment where Gay Pride San Antonio introduces its beneficiaries to the community. Savor local cuisine, and enjoy a festive cabaret show. There will be a light buffet featuring local cuisine! Shows at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Overtime Theater, 1414 S. Alamo at the Blue Star Arts Complex. Click here to purchase tickets.

April 13 -- Elena Guajardo Fiesta Fundraiser
You are invited to join City Council Candidate Elena Guarjardo for a Fiesta Fundraiser for her campaign at the King William home of Dr. Paul Boskind on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 from 5 p.m to 7 p.m. Sponsorship levels for this event are: Show Me Your Shoes Level: $50; Margarita level: $100 - $199; Cacarone level: $200 - $499; and Tiara level: $500+.To RSVP for this event call 210-425-6518

Photos from 2009 Fiesta Frenzy by James Poindexter

April 17 -- Fiesta Frenzy
Now celebrating its eleventh year, Fiesta Frenzy features some of the most popular drag performers in San Antonio. The theme this year is "An Evening of Burlesque."

Featured performers include Jessica Marxx, Layla La Rue, Toni Raven, Autumn Summers, Amber Nixx and Tommie Ross! Join Mistresses of Ceremonies, Eryca Daniels and Alayna Marquez, as they welcome Ballet Del Ceilo, Las Monas, the incomparable Fatanas and River Center Comedy Club's Gloria Sanchez.

This year all proceeds will benefit the historic Josephine Theatre. Tickets are $20.00 general admission and VIP seats for $50.00. Standing room only for $10.00! Dont miss out on the years most celebrated Fiesta event in San Antonio! Call 210 734-4646 for your reservations today!

April 12 -- Gay Night at NIOSA
GayPride SA is hosting limo service to Night in Old San Antonio for just $5 for a roundtrip. Park at your favorite nightspot on the Main Avenue strip and then take the limo to NIOSA. The limo will be running constantly between 5 PM and 11 PM. This event is sponsored by: Essence, Heat Nightclub, Luther's Cafe, The Saint, The Silver Dollar Saloon, Sparky's and Gay Pride SA.

April 12, 13, 14 -- Cornyation
Cornyation has been proclaimed by its organizers as the “raunchiest and cheapest” event of Fiesta. The extravaganza is a stage production that’s part drag show, part satirical revue. Its also the one official Fiesta event that sells out on the first day tickets go on sale for its six-performance run. This year’s show, “The Court of Double-Dip Shellacking” will be staged at the Charlene McCombs Empire Theater.

Cornyation dates back to 1951 when it was produced by the San Antonio Little Theater at the Arneson River Theater as part of Night in Old San Antonio. The show's irreverent pokes at politicians, and prominent and not-so-prominent citizens, caused its demise as part of NIOSA in 1964. In 1982 Bob Jolly and Ray Chavez revived the current version which has remained uninterrupted for 26 years.

Since becoming a non-profit organization, Cornyation has donated over $500,000 to local charities. Tickets, if any are left, are available at the Empire/Majestic Box Office, the Fiesta Store on Broadway and on Ticketmaster.com. The web site is Cornyation.org.

April 15 & 16 -- Battle of Flowers and Fiesta Flambeau Parades
About 30 years ago and probably long before that, the Battle of Flowers and the Flambeau parade routes passed directly in front of the Menger Hotel Bar on East Crockett street. The bar became, at least during the parades, a full-fledged gay bar.

These days, the parades no longer pass by the Menger bar. Instead, they pass the entrance of the hotel at the corner Alamo Plaza and Blum Streets, and GLBT revelers still congregate in front of the Menger to watch the annual processions.

After the Battle of Flowers most folks go to the Bonham Exchange for a post-parade tea dance which begins around 2:30 p.m. and goes on into the evening.

For the past few years, Ron Stinson, proprietor of the Arbor House Bed and Breakfast has purchased a full bleacher section for both parades at Blum St. and Alamo Plaza directly in front of the Menger Hotel and sells tickets to the community.

Stinson still has tickets available for both of this year’s parades at $15 each. To purchase, you can email him at arborhaus@aol.com or call him at 210- 210-415-4872.

April 24 -- Equality Texas Flambeau Fundraiser
For a luxury view of the Fiesta Flambeau there is no better perch than The Penthouse on Main Plaza. For the third year in a row, Penthouse proprietor Dr. Paul Boskind is hosting a fundraiser for Equality Texas. Tickets for the Flambeau fundraiser are $100 and include complimentary food, wine and beverages. To purchase tickets call 512-474-5475.

Click here for the Fiesta San Antonio web site which contains a complete list of all official Fiesta events.