Despite City Council recent approval for the organizers of Market Square’s long-running Fiesta de los Reyes event to charge admission to the event for the first time, the gathering will remain free for its first two days, officials confirmed Monday.
The Rey Feo Consejos Educational Foundation, which runs Fiesta de los Reyes, won’t collect admission Friday and Saturday, April 17-18, but it’s not because the nonprofit group is is feeling generous. Instead, it comes down to a legal technicality.
Although City Council on a controversial 7-4 vote last week approved the Consejos to begin charging $5 admission to Market Square during the annual Fiesta event, that vote was insufficient for the city ordinance to change immediately.
Under city code, eight “yes” votes are required for an ordinance to change immediately. Because the tally was one vote short, the Consejos must wait 10 days after the approval — in this case until April 19 — for the change to take effect.
That means the Consejos can charge $5 admission to Market Square after 1 p.m. April 19 and April 24-26. The admission price also will apply after 6 p.m. April 20-23. The nonprofit — which uses the event to raise scholarship money — will use the fee to offset the costs of providing additional security following a deadly 2024 shooting at Market Square.
However, Yvette Ramierez, the president of the San Antonio Farmers Market Association, told the Current the admission fees will hurt the bottom line of vendors at the mercado.
For his part, District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, said he voted against the ordinance change because it’s racist and classist.
“You see young brown boys and automatically assume trouble,” McKee-Rodriguez said during last week’s council debate. “When in reality, children and families are begging for things to do in our city. Fiesta does offer that opportunity — sometimes an expensive one — but Market Square is always accessible.”
Those interested in attending the Fiesta de los Reyes this year can buy their tickets in advance by visiting the event’s website.
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