Fiesta San Antonio Leader Offers Crowd Tips: Follow the Flow and Guard Your Beer

Fiesta, San Antonio's largest event of the year, begins Thursday and runs through May 4. Organizers expect more than 3 million visitors to take part in the citywide celebration.

Veteran attendees know that moving through the biggest gatherings takes some skill. Three major parades will draw heavy crowds to downtown streets: the Texas Cavaliers River Parade, the Battle of Flowers Parade and the Fiesta Flambeau Parade. Ticketed seating at those events, however, gives them a more orderly feel.

The crowds at Market Square, St. Mary's Oyster Bake, Taste of New Orleans and Night in Old San Antonio can be a different story. At times, people grow shoulder to shoulder at those events, and the atmosphere can feel less organized.

Experts advise against attending Fiesta alone. They suggest going with a large group of friends and forming a conga line to snake through the crowd. They also recommend turning around now and then to make sure nobody has been left behind.

Fiesta San Antonio Commission President David Christian recently offered his own guidance on getting through the masses while holding on to a cup of beer. "You do ... kind of learn to walk like cattle and go through," he said. "You never want to go against the grain. That's not the smart way to get through the crowd. Keep your beer in front of you... don't stack all the cups because that tells everybody about how many beers you've had. Just throw it away and get yourself a new cup."

Night in Old San Antonio, known as NIOSA, may see the most tightly packed crowds because it takes place along the narrow streets of La Villita.

Market Square can feel much the same. It draws large numbers of people with free admission to its compact grounds.

Because most Fiesta events charge admission, the free events at Market Square tend to appeal to those watching their budgets. This year, Market Square will be fenced in as a way to boost security.