King William Fair: A Family-Friendly San Antonio Fiesta Event

A not to be missed San Antonio Fiesta event is the King William Fair located in the oldest historic district in Texas. Starting in 1968 as a small art exhibit the King William Fair has now turned into a parade, arts and entertainment exhibit and food extravaganza. The event raises funds to support not only the work of preserving the King William historic district but other arts, education and community projects.

Admission is by paid wristband. Adults must purchase a $5 wristband to enter but children under 12 are admitted free of charge. Food and drink are charged by a ticket system. Tickets are available for purchase at various ticket booths throughout the Fair. When you enter the Fair you are given a map outlining booths and a schedule of all entertainment times. The admission fees support nonprofits in the San Antonio area.

King William Parade: San Antonio Fiesta Treat
Each year the fair kicks off with wildly unique parade themed around a particular topic or event. Here's a video complete with marching flamingos. The parade combines traditional bands from local high schools as well as unique bands only found in Texas. The 2009 parade theme is live theater. Expect the unexpected, but know it's all family friendly.

King William Fair Activities
Family friendly activities continues with a special area just for parents and kids called Kids Kingdom. All the activities here are ones children will enjoy. There are crafts, entertainment, games, and rides.

A different entertainment choice is available every hour in the Kids Kingdom. Children and their parents can watch magicians, jugglers watch traditional dances such as flamenco or salsa or watch hip-hop dancers. Music ranges from conjunto to R&B and Mexican Folklorico. The Kids Kingdom is located in Mills Park between Washington and Beauregard.

For those wanting to find a special piece of art or handcrafted jewelry there are over 150 different arts and crafts artisans selling original handcrafted works. You'll find stained glass, paintings, and ceramics not to mention one of a kind jewelry. Prices vary from very reasonable to expensive. It's a great place to shop for unique gifts for others or yourself!

The entertainment is always one of my favorite parts. There are several stages set up throughout the Fair area as well as roaming street acts. The entertainment schedule starts at noon and runs till 6pm. You can choose any number of music styles: rock, pop, Americana, swing, folk, jazz, world music, Latin or fusion.

And from the 2009 schedule there are lots of choices if you're a rock 'n roll fan. Ever heard of: Texas Chicano Garage Rock, San Antonio rock and roll, Tex-Mex Irish Klezmer, Latino, Folk, or Calypso rock? Well you can sample those rock and roll styles at the Fair. My personal favorites are the Andean folk musicians. I can listen to their music for hours.

Not in the mood to listen to music but are still looking for entertainment? There are magicians, jugglers, belly dancers, and traditional dancers such as Flamenco, Salsa and Japanese dances.

Fair Eats And Treats
Great fair food is always a part of the King William Fair. Besides the usual carnival and fair food of funnel cakes, kettle korn, turkey legs, and pickles, you'll find raw oysters, Italian ices, and frozen lemonade. Plan on getting tickets, as bringing coolers is not allowed. Portable food is always in great supply whether it's chicken on a stick, shrimp kabobs, sausage on a stick or corn dogs. So you can eat as you walk through the various Fair areas.

And if you want to rest your feet and eat, there are tables set up to have your special meal or snack. There's Greek food with baklava, dolma, gyros and falafel wraps. You can also sample some of Texas's famous German heritage sausage. Mexican heritage isn't left out with lots of gorditas, empanadas, kolaches, tortilla wraps, fajitas, and that Texas special Frito pie.

For those of you who haven't heard, Frito pie is a combination of two San Antonio favorites, Fritos and chili. Frito pie is chili poured into a small bag of Fritos. It's a messy treat with the cheese and onions, but definitely delicious.

Plan Ahead
The one challenge of the King William Fair is parking. There is no parking available in the Fair area. King William streets are narrow and pretty much closed off to on street parking during the Fair. The recommendation is to park downtown or use public transportation to come to the fair. For more information on parking http://kwfair.org/parking/index.htm

Dates for the King William Fair as follows: 2010 - April 24, 2011 - April 16, 2012 - April 28, 2013 - April 27, and 2014 - April 26. If you would like more information about the King William Fair go to http://kwfair.org
or call 210-271-3247.

Whether you're a resident of San Antonio or visiting during April's Fiesta, the King William Fair is one San Antonio Fiesta event you won't want to miss. Bring your family and enjoy the fun!