A Night In Old San Antonio®

This is one of my favorite events around San Antonio! Be aware, during the time of this event finding parking is near impossible. I recommend carpooling or even parking a couple miles out and ubering to the event. The best thing about it is that all the profits made during this event goes straight back to San Antonio Conservation Society, which is responsible of keeping local historical buildings in good shape! This event is 90% volunteers and it just shows how awesome San Antonio people are! Keep it up San Antonio! 👍

So much fun! NIOSA is my favorite Fiesta event. They have all these areas with food from different regions. Plenty of beer, wine and wine margaritas. It gets very crowded. Go early and leave early. Chicken on a stick and eggrolls are delicious.

Oh we had so much fun and ate a lot. Bring enough cash as it could get a bit expensive. Come the first day if possible because it gets suuuuuper crowded.come early.

Really great time! Kind of packed but awesome live music and amazing food!!

2024 NIOSA final night was great. Crowd was awesome and vibes made a fantastic time

This is the event that I have been anxiously waiting for!! Now this is what my culture is about and I feel like I'm with my family here.. Keep it up San Antonio and let's party! 🥳 Viva Fiesta!! Vamos!

A chance to try all sorts of foods and drinks

Please hire an event planner, project manager, do something. The idea is great. But you need to change the location, reduce the number of tickets sold, rearrange the places where vendors setup for better flow, improve band stages & sound equipment. The place was so crowded that in the event something going wrong, things would have been terrible. No metal detectors. Come on we can do better.

Really enjoyed NIOSA23. We had an amazing time. Met wonderful folks and ate tons of food. Crowded on Thursday and Friday night, even after a Friday night deluge, but it didn't keep the folks from festejando. Friday night was the last night and no rain will deter your hardcore Fiesteros. Most booths took tickets, and ticket booths were everywhere. Entrance was cashless, but ticket booths less so. Tip: Dont be afraid to get cash before, ATMs were on the grounds but that's where the non-food associated lines were. Plenty of friendly people (shoutout to my YES! pal, Carolina), and an overall good time. Can't wait to do it better next year. See ya in 2024.

26 Apr 2023 Well, the layout is pretty much back to normal. However, the ongoing construction along Nueva St. has made a casualty of Clown Alley. I briefly spoke with a NIOSA official who said some hard decisions had had to be made about the reduction of booths. It appears the Clown Alley games were the victims. The carnival-like food was still there, as well as karaoke was back!! I sang three songs. Yes, I'm addicted. I was sad about the games. Up until seven or so years ago, we had chaired the Wiffle Waffle game booth for about 20+ years. Frontier Town was back in all its glory. Shypokes, yum. Fast Draw suds. Beers were on the small size. I don't drink here, just eat. The anticuchos were freakin' tender and delicious. Chicken fajita taco pretty good with pico. Quesadillas were on corn. Good, but a little greasy. Hey, it's NIOSA! We were there at opening and stayed a couple of hours. When we left, you could still walk around reasonably well. People were still behaving. Ha, ha. We were so happy to be back to paper tickets and not the weird bracelets! Go there and support a good cause.

A wonderful fiesta event, the crowd seemed to be more varied old, young, families, and the food choices with more variety not just chicken on stick but very tender and tasty steak on a stick, plus Mediterranean and Asian options. Multiple bands were playing but the crowd was chill not like the frat beer party of the Fiesta Oyster Bake. It's best to get there early because even on a weekday it starts to get crowded around 7 pm.

If you happen to get a request to deliver something to their main office, pass on it. I left my home to deliver 2 coffee and 15 sugars (for 2 coffees?), 15 minutes away, to a lady named "Mandy" who works there. Parking was banned at the Starbucks local to her, so I drove to the next closest one. I figured, for $13 sure why not. After I handed them to her directly she cancels the order and I get $0. From my house, it looks like this organization lacks integrity.

Where to begin? The whole layout of this poorly planned event invites dizzying levels of congestion. You will be cramped in like sardines. The congestion is so bad that there's dozens of police offers barking orders at people in an ultimately futile attempt to maintain some level of order. The vendors seemed nice, but you will be waiting in a long line to buy coupons for food and drink. Side note: no one cares how much you've had to drink, so please stop stacking your cups in some sad attempt at looking cool. You're not.

What an awesome, fun filled, social, party to attend. So many wonderful vendors, bands around every corner, people dancing everywhere, fun around every corner. Lots of fun photo opportunities. This year they did paid wristbands, no cash or card allowed for any purchases once inside. You can load your wristband with $25, $50, etc. Each vendor scans your wristband and deducts the purchase amount. There must be at least 5 bands and indoor bars with DJ's to party at. All upbeat fun, makes you want to move, great music at each band. Food vendors all from all around, there's a meat section, a Chinese section, a mexican section, it goes on....so meat kabobs, turkey legs, tostadas, drinks, fried mushrooms, the list goes on. You won't be disappointed, the list goes on. Enjoy a rocking good time. PLEASE wear comfortable flats!

In my opinion, NIOSA is the premier Fiesta event. Going strong since the mid-1800's this event is sponsored by the San Antonio Conservation Society and the great work they do preserving the history of San Antonio and the surrounding areas. I also think this is the only event that celebrates, through theme and food, the various cultures that make-up San Antonio. Where else can you purchase escargot and champagne, then walk around the corner and buy egg rolls and potsticker Some folks stay away because of the crowds. I recipes arriving when the gates open at 5:30, stroll the grounds, eat good food and then head out by 8:00. This is the best way to beat the NIOSA shuffle Regardless of when you arrive, this is a Night In Old San Antonio must be on your Fiesta event list.

Long lines, hard to pay, nothing going on, and it isn't getting better. They need a bigger venue, but it now has the charm of going through airport security to wait in line for a warm beer. Save your money and go to a nice restaurant. It's a sad, dangerous (if hundreds of cops needing to be there, you shouldn't be there with kids) tourist trap.

I L.O.V.E a Night in Old San Antonio! yes yes, I know what you are thinking...but the crowds? the people? the beer spilling? the weather? My answer to that is: that's what makes it so special and exciting!!! Anyways, with all that in mind believe me when I say that I don't like the crowds and beer spilling as much as you do. I am 5'1' and I get suffocated if I spend too much time in NIOSA. That is why my rule of thumb is to ALWAYS come on their first night which is a Tuesday and get there right when they open and leave early. This year we were there for about 3 hours and we spent almost $100 between my husband and I ( that chicken-on-a-stick life is expensive y'all!). I literally can't afford to stay at NIOSA longer than 3 hours and that is why we try to limit our time there. With the expenses aside, NIOSA is so much fun because it celebrates all the different cultures that make San Antonio the amazing multicultural city that it is today. Some of my favorite areas are the Irish, German and Foggy Bottom aka. chicken-on-a-stick heaven. Some of the things you need to know before coming here are: - They only allow small purses or clear bags. This also includes diaper bags. - This event is CASH ONLY. - You can purchase wristbands and tickets the day of the event. - Thursday is college night (don't go that day). - Don't try to sell medals at NIOSA because you'll be asked to leave.

I had a great time at this event. They have a few updates that have made things easier. I purchased my entrance fee and $20 for food and drinks. When you arrive you find the tent where the bracelets are picked up. They scan the code sent to your email and you get your bracelet with a QR code that has your balance. There are tents along the way in case you need to add more funds to your account. When you go to pay for any food or drinks they just scan your code. Even if there are long lines, everything moves so fast because of the cashless and card free payments. The food was good and the drinks were cold. Parking wasn't terrible either. I was expecting to pay $30 but I only paid $5 and walked about 10 minutes. I definitely recommend you go earlier rather than later as the crowds build.

Some tips for 1st Time Fiesta Attendees: Be ready to battle the crowd and possibly get some drinks spilled on you. Come to this fun event with an open mind. Bring lots of cash to purchase your coupons. Price of drinks and food have increased drastically over the years but the demand for this fun event will continue driving up the prices. Wear comfortable shoes unless you absolutely feel like you have to wear heels to look good (not a gender specific comment). Dress with the Fiesta spirit in mind- bright colors, crazy fiesta hats, beads, garland, etc. No such thing as being out there. You're at NIOSA to have fun and let loose. Get ready to dance or sing along. There's a variety of bands you can go to so get your move on. Have a blast and VIVA FIESTA!

NIOSA is a signature event during FIESTA that runs for a select number of days within the La Villita area. There is not only plenty of vendors selling food, drinks, and merchandise, but you can also see some live entertainment within each zone. This is not a place for someone who doesn't enjoy crowds. You will be bumping into people and see folks carrying stacks of plastic cups honoring their drunken badge of FIESTA glory. Everything is available to purchase via coupons and you can buy the coupons from ticketed booths via cash or card. I think it's fun to enjoy once or twice, but avoid Thursdays as they're college night.

Best friend, drinks, food and crowds. What is that the recipe for? Sounds like A Night in Old San Antonio! The crowds (college night) built up fast and it was incredibly hard to move in some spaces, but it wouldn't truly be NIOSA without that. Lots of music, sound, food booths and color everywhere made it a great evening. Nothing like watching the Hokey Pokey being done the way it was meant to be! Made me want to put my left foot in, take my left foot out. Ha! But really, there was food for anyone and everyone. Drinks from water, to beer, to wine, to sodas. Just be ready to wait for the more popular items. But have fun and and enjoy San Antonio's party! Thanks Cindy, for inviting me. You are awesome!

First timer here! I've never been to Fiesta before, so wanted to make sure that we put it on our bucket list before residency was over. So here's the real deal from start to finish! Also, if you're really in the festive mood, decorate the largest sombrero you can find with large obnoxious things so your people can find you in the crazy crowds. Also advisable to wear something comfortable - that includes clothes and shoes. I wore sandals and a dress and was pretty comfortable the whole night. We went on a Thursday from 6pm-8:30pm. Left the med center at 5:30pm, made it to downtown by 6. Also by 8pm, it was SO hard to move through the crowds, so I'd suggest leaving by then if not by 7:30pm. 1. TICKETS: Buy your tickets online ($12) versus at the door ($15). There's always going to be a long line at the door, so make it easy and buy it online. The tickets that you buy are good for any day of NIOSA. 2. FOOD TICKETS: None of the stands take cash/card. Buy your tickets at one of the many kiosks ($1.00/ticket). 3. FOOD: The first thing you should eat is the chicken on the stick (7 tix), so make a bee line for the Mr. Chicken stand at Froggy Bottom! Always a long line, so go there first. Roasted corn, definitely get yourself a roasted corn (4 tix)! (These are found everywhere) Hay Market - bean puffy taco (4 tix). Clown Alley for the fried cheesecake (3-4 tix). I heard the kabobs were also very popular (7 tix)! There are some vendors that had only meat in the Hay Market, but if you go to a different area they sell the kabobs with veggies. I'd hold out for the kabobs with veggies. If you're thirsty, get yourself a refreshing preparada alcoholic beverage at south of the border. They also have variations of this drink with different flavors all over the area. 4. TRANSPORTATION/PARKING: do yourself a favor and Uber/lyft your way downtown. I think this is one of those experiences where it's more of a "once in a lifetime experience" rather than something I'd do every year because of the meh food and crowds.

NIOSA is something every San Antonioian should experience at least once. It's this massive block party in La Villita that goes on Tuesday-Friday night during Fiesta. That being said, this year I decided my husband should have his first Fiesta and NIOSA experience. (It's my third year). He could only manage to handle the crowd from 530-630. It was just too crowded in his opinion. Moving past the insane crowds, the food here is really good. I always love the potato skins ($4.. err 4 tickets) from the Irish area and the grilled fresh in front of you kabobs (7 tickets). Drinks are poured to the very top of the cup and usually range from 5-7 tickets. When you add everything up, this does become a pricey night out but it's for a good cause and fiesta only happens once a year! (For 11 days!)

Not organized at all. I went on first day and it was horrible. It took an hour to pick up my wrist band - that they said would be better to pre pay when all those buying there were faster.

This was officially my first Fiesta event as an adult. (What? I've been stationed here and there the last couple decades. Cut me some slack!) I really liked the fact that I could buy my tickets online because I pretty much walked right in to buy my food tickets, while others had to wait to pay for entry and THEN buy food tickets. Let me say this now: those food vendors are making a KILLING at Fiesta. I bought about $40 in tickets at first (because I'm a Fiesta 'Noob') and within 20 minutes I was down to about $5 in tickets. Food and drinks are NOT cheap at Fiesta. But your best bang for the buck will be the turkey legs. Don't skip out on that treat like I did! I ended up getting sausage on a stick. The biggest rip-off I saw was pretty much just meat tenders on a stick. For the amount I saw them putting on, the price was ridiculously over-inflated. For a state like Texas that prides itself on meat and seems to have an abundance of it, you'd think you could buy those things a little cheaper. I ended up getting sausage on a stick with a roll, which cost me about $6, which was one of the better deals on food. But I did like how they split the area up into zones, so you could find the food you wanted depending on the zone. I pretty much skipped past the 'Mexico' zone because - DUH - I live in San Antonio. I can wait until I get outside of this thing to get good tacos for cheap and much more of it. The place was incredibly packed. There's really no other way to describe it. And if you're there solo, it probably wouldn't be much fun since it was definitely the kind of event you go to with a group of friends. If you're with friends, you'll have a great time drinking and mingling with everyone else.

While I love all things Fiesta ... maybe it's because I am getting older, but if you don't get to NIOSA right when it opens and leave within an hour and a half, you end up being like cattle and herding your way through every walking area of NIOSA. I don't know if they need to make it a bigger area and expand it or if they need to 100% LIMIT the amount of tickets sold for entry for each day considering it's Tuesday - Friday ... but for pete's sake, it's not fun at all after an hour in from when it opens because you genuinely are shoulder to shoulder everywhere you go. There's so many fun things to see and do and music to listen to but it's VERY difficult to navigate and truly enjoy the event. I MIGHT take this fiesta event out of my things to do for the future if they don't do something about everyone being a herd of cattle. It's the number one complaint after being at NIOSA for an hour, all of a sudden it turns into cattle herd flow. We've done the whole, find a spot to "plant" yourself with friends and that doesn't work either, and navigating your way through a line for food or drink vs. being in a line to walk somewhere else, it gets VERY mixed up and you end up waiting forever to go anywhere. THE PROS: German town is fun, since it's in a building and again if you show up early, it's enjoyable for music, food, and people watching. Sausage Sampler on a stick was fantastic. 4 different sausage pieces on a stick and mustard ... YES! 3 Cascarones on a stick for 1 ticket was a great idea, none of the other Fiesta events had this vendor booth and it was a great idea. Very fun and festive.

NIOSA is a fun event to attend for the Fiesta celebration. I recommend Ubering or doing a Ride n Share since Downtown gets packed. Also make sure to bring at least $10 in cash or you will have to use the ATM Machine there which charges a $4.95 fee to withdraw money. I recommend getting their early because it gets packed quickly. Later in the evening there's a section tent called Froggy Bottoms and they play live music which is pretty cool. The band Celsius performed as well as a singer named Julia, they were both really good. I had their Cajun shrimp, chicken on a stick, watermelon agua Fresca, chocolate icecream, sopapilla and chicken tamales. The food and drinks were yummy.

My first time and Wow what an explosion of celebrations for so many cultures. Really y'all should come down to the Party that begins at 5:30pm..... the booths are volunteer run that promote food, spirits, and exploding festa eggs. You have to purchase coupons which are 1$ a ticket and the booths have signs sporting how many tickets you'll need for like sports or food. Also simple signs saying what available. So Beer and Wine are like 5 to 6 tickets. Food runs from 2-8 tickets. I tried several different cuisines....that each have a band playing fitting that cuisine culture. So for me the best was the kabobs in a stick all cooked on hot grills in the middle of a huge area surrounded by other booths that sport corn on the cob or frozen margaritas .... it seemed. The have an Asian area with spring rolls and fried up shrimp so yums. French Quarter area for example had Shrimp gumbo or Crepes. Band playing brassy tunes. Irish area over looked the Riverwalk with sounds of fiddles and Irish foot stomping jigs. Irish beer and food that presented a good feel for the culture of Ireland. So many more area like Frontier and Main Street with more bands and food.... at one point It made me a little dizzy with so much at once and the crowds are huge. What a wonderful festival all possible with people willing to give time to benefit San Antonio Arts and preserve our community ideas and culture made up of many. Lots of security to keep order and I felt very proud of our officers in blue of San Antonio. Fee at gate is I think $13-15 children under 12 with parent is free NOTE: No large back packs, no smoking and no pets unless guide dogs. Chow.

If you do not like crowds stay away! It gets insanely crowded. People line up a half an hour before it opens up. If you are lucky enough to be one of the first people in, head straight for the chicken on a stick booth. The chicken on a stick line quickly grows to over an hour and stays that way for most of the night. You have to use tickets for all food and drink purchases. Unfortunately, you can only purchase tickets with cash so come prepared. Aside from the crowds and fact that it's cash only I do really love this event. As with all fiesta events, proceeds are for a good cause. The area is split into different sections mostly based on countries such as Mexican food, Irish food, German food and China town. Come for a night out with friends to walk around and have a few drinks and some delicious greasy food!

My very first NIOSA, despite living in San Antonio for all of my existence ( I know, I know, I have been hiding under a rock...) I can say that I had quite a great time! Being convinced by a co-worker to check it out, I was hesitant of the crowded, and drunken Fiesta scene. But we went right when it opened and left an hour before it closed. (5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.). Parking lots Downtown are expensive to begin with, but with the popularity of Fiesta, it is even more. $20 to park in a private lot and walk about 2 blocks. Not too shabby, but that is about one of the few options available unless you are taking public transportation or being dropped off. NIOSA is located inside of La Villita which holds decades worth of history. Seems like this event has been around since the 30's. Pretty cool to be part of a classic tradition. As you walk in, there are many different sections which resemble little towns or cultures ( China Town, Clown Alley, Irish Flat, Froggy Bottom, French Quarter, Mexican Market, etc). Each section consist of several booths with different types of food. They also had live bands playing music that corresponded with the theme. My goal was to try some of the popular classics: -Chicken on a Stick (Mr. Chicken). -Fried Oreo (Clown Alley) -Wrangler Margaritas (Frontier Town) -Preparada Alcoholic beverage (South of the Border) - Grilled chicken on a Stick (Main Street) - Sopapillas ( Frontier Town) If I had two stomachs, I would of tried everything! They have quite a variety of foods from frog legs, to fried mushrooms, to steer on a stick, and much, much, more! There were also small vendors selling Fiesta items such as clothing, hats, souvenirs, etc. I had gone on a Wednesday, and there was a crowd, especially as it got later. But it wasn't as bad as I thought. Now I hear that it can get packed on 'College Night' or on the weekends. I felt I had went at a perfect time. I recommend buying your ticket before hand at HEB since it is a few bucks cheaper than buying it at the door. Overall I had a wonderful and fun-filled experience. I will be back next year to try different items and take part in the Fiesta celebration!

Worst NIOSA in 4 decades! -and some things you should know before you go this year. I have been attending NIOSA for around 40 years. I started going as a kid w my parents and now take my kids. This is, without a doubt, the worst NIOSA I have ever attended. This year's event was so amazingly mismanaged that it is beyond comprehension. I'll start with the Blast Pass system and it's implementation -and the blatant money grab that it is. Issues with the Blast Pass itself: 1. Once you tighten the wristband, you cannot loosen it. Would have been really good to put into the FAQ page on the website. 2. The system went down a couple of times during the evening. That means you cannot buy anything while they reboot. 3. THE WORST PART: You cannot combine credits for multiple passes into one purchase. End up with $4.00 on a pass and $5.00 on another? You don't have $9.00 to spend. You have 4 and 5 respectively. THIS SHOULD BE ON THE FAQ PAGE. I truly believe this to be a money grab that they fully knew would screw people over towards the end of the night. They did put on the page that no money would be refunded, but conveniently overlooked the part about not being able to combine passes for purchases. Since everyone in my family had a pass, and everything at NIOSA is stupid expensive, we ended up involuntarily donating 20+ dollars to NIOSA. I believe this to be borderline theft. The issues w implementation of the Blast Pass: 1. The lines to pick up your pass or buy pass credits we atrocious in the beginning of the night. We arrived at well after 6:00 and found the no one knew which lines were for what -there were no signs or the ones that were there were absolutely inadequate. People were in line for 40 minutes to find out they were in the wrong line. From what I could tell, this resulted in little to no sales for the first couple of hours of the night. 2. The booths lacked an even remotely adequate number of readers for the passes. I watched a number of volunteers spend almost all evening apologizing for the wait to purchase something. I was in a line for beer that was four people long. There was one reader for four beer taps. The line took as long as a 15 person deep line in previous years. Issues w NIOSA itself: They disposed with any semblance of family friendliness this year. They moved "Clown Alley" to a new spot, which isn't an issue, but they got rid of all of the games for the kids to play. ALL OF THEM. The got rid of A LOT of booths and the ones that were there were badly understaffed. Bottom line for us is that it was, at best, a mediocre night and objectively the worst NIOSA in generations. I know they will try to blame COVID for this, but that excuse fails to address the actual problems with this year's event. The utter lack of leadership on this and the inability to deal with the entirely predictable issues smacks of an epic level of incompetence I have rarely seen in my lifetime. People should be removed from their positions over this. Oh, and it is HOT in June in TX.

I had my first visit to NIOSA this past Thursday and I'm happy to have checked this off my Fiesta bucket list. First, it was incredibly festive from the decorations to the fun music. And, I was really impressed by the diverse food offerings! It's nice that they had other things besides typical "fair" type food. However, the food is kind of expensive for the portion size you get. I sampled the shrimp po-boy (small portion but good flavor), beignets (chewy and definitely not fresh), the potato pancake (basically three tiny reheated hashbrowns), and belgian waffle (meh and you only get a 4th of the waffle). My boyfriend tried the turkey leg and said it was okay and kind of chewy. The standouts were definitely the chicken on a stick from Mr. Chicken and the Smirnoff Preparada with fresh fruit. In my opinion, Oyster Bake definitely has better fiesta food. We arrived shortly after 6pm and before we knew it, it was so crowded! There are areas where you feel like a sardine, especially the Irish section. My favorite section is definitely the indoor area where they serve German food and play polka music. The band played the chicken dance and it was so exciting to see strangers young, and old come together on the dance floor. My advice would be to come early and leave early. We left right before 9pm and unfortunately saw two fights break out as we were leaving. P.S. We parked at the Convention Center parking garage across from the Hyatt and it was only $11!

If you view the concept of Fiesta like Christmas, then NIOSA is your Christmas Eve! Well it is for me at least! People either love NIOSA with a passion ‍ or hate NIOSA with a passion. So what is NIOSA? NIOSA is a 4 day long festival located in the heart of downtown at the historic La Villita. It starts on the Tuesday of Fiesta and goes until Friday. NIOSA has a variety of sections representing different cultures such as a Chinatown area, Irish, French, Western, Mexican and so on. Each area will have music, food and vendors that correlate with that specific area. My favorite, of course, is the Little Mexico area where you can get delicious tacos, K-Bobs, Churros with ice cream, tortas and so on. Make sure you grab you hunny bunny and dance cheek to cheek to some Cumbias and Polkas because if you don't, did you really experience NIOSA? And if dancing is not your style, stick around to watch the abuelitos get down (not kidding! They kill it!) So food, music, fun, shopping, wild Fiesta outfits/hats... what's not to love? Well, it gets crowded! Like packed like a sausage packed! Like you can't breath-packed! Like there are a million people around me and I'm going to pass out-packed! But that is part of the fun! It's hard to explain it, you have to experience it to determine if you will love or hate NIOSA. But some tips for first timers: 1) Go on Tuesday, it's traditionally the slowest night, however, it is still wildly crowded; 2) Thursday is college night, probably the most wild night. You have been warned; 3) Show up early. I believe doors open at 5pm. This will give you an opportunity to taste all the goodies before the crazy long lines! 4) Chicken on a stick is at the Froggy Bottom area. Yes, that is the line.

NIOSA falls in my top three Fiesta events easily, hell, it can contend for the top spot on occasion. Allow me to give you the tips of the NIOSA trade so you too can make the most out of your time here. First things first: how do you describe NIOSA to first timers or out of towners? Simple: NIOSA is basically San Antonio's version of EPCOT (World Showcase). NIOSA is divided into 15 different areas. Park N Ride: DO IT! Don't argue with me, suck it up, play it safe, pay the $5 round trip each and take advantage of it. You'll not fight with traffic, you'll be dropped off and picked up at the front gates, it's just much better than the alternatives. Tickets: get them IN ADVANCE. It's faster. It's cheaper. You're gonna thank me in the long run. They're available at HEB, the Fiesta Store, and other places. Tickets at the gate go for $15 while advance tickets are around $12. If you have your ticket(s) already, just go directly to the entrance gate. Don't get in line because everyone else is, don't fall for that, they're buying their admission. Just go to the gate and get in the event. You will also be tempted to wait in the line at the main gate to purchase your food and drink tickets, RESIST THIS TEMPTATION. I promise you there will be plenty of places to get them inside the event with a way shorter line. The Food: oh my stars and garters, I could write a novel on this, but I'll do my best (no promises) to keep this brief....ish. That being said, I'll highlight my favorite items and where they're located. Haymarket: home to Maria's Tortillas. My nipples get hard just thinking about this one. True story, my first time I was like "you're joking, we are not waiting in a line for a damn half hour for a tortilla." This was when I was a member of the church of the non-believers. I don't know what they do but they make something as simple as a hand made, corn tortilla, filled with butter, cheese, and salsa into an art form. We go through the line at least twice per trip to NOISA. South of the Border: the Aguacates are out of this world. A fresh halved avocado, filled with sour cream and salsa. This thing is melt in your mouth goodness. Check it out. Mission Trail: this locale will treat you to Armadillo Eggs. No, don't worry, they're not actual armadillo eggs, nor are the akin to calf fries. They are jalapenos stuffed with your choice of either cream cheese or cheddar cheese, then they're covered in a biscuit batter type coating and baked. Warm, bubbly, gooey goodness. International Walkway: this mix n match area is where every food type that doesn't warrant its own area is allowed to coexist in deep fried goodness. Don't pass up the gravy slathered deep fried mushrooms or the deep fried ravioli. China Town: their cheese wontons make me do a happy dance, and after a few beers, that is quite a sight to behold. The Beer: oh oh oh the beer. I have enough NIOSA cups to play a game of beer pong with them and I am in no way saddened by that statement. Throughout the event you'll find plenty of beer booths, and depending on where you are, the selection varies. Do yourself a favor and be sure to visit Sauerkraut Bend for some of the best beer selections in the event. Also do the chicken dance and get your picture with the chicken. When Do I Go? Friday is the final night and it's after the Battle of Flowers Parade, so you can bet your sweet bippy it'll be the most packed then. Thursday is apparently college night so use your best judgment. We prefer to go on Tuesday as we find that is the least crowded of the days and Wednesday isn't too much more packed. Keep in mind: Cash is KING. Do not expect anywhere to accept credit cards and you must use tickets to purchase any and everything within the event. Yes, it's going to be hot and crowded and busy and sweaty and expensive, know that going into this. Don't be surprised by any of that-this is a super popular event and tons of folks love it. Expect it, prepare for it, deal with it. So there you have it. My guide to all things NIOSA. Follow these simple tips and be ready to have a great time. Thank you for entertaining my NIOSA version of "War and Peace" and see Ya Tuesday Night!

2018 NIOSA: what a whirlwind of people, food and festivities. This was our first NIOSA and I'm not sure what we expected. What we found were pavilions filled with great food and drink with people of every walk of life enjoying life. We drank, eat and enjoyed the people watching. Police presents was strong yet not overbearing, cheers to that. Over all we enjoyed the festivities-

I just can't imagine giving any Fiesta-related event less than four stars. In my opinion, it's the most wonderful time of year! I'll admit, my first NIOSA I swore off the event and promised myself I would never go again. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I'm pretty sure my ass was grabbed at least thrice, my feet were sticky and dirty by the end of it, and I was extremely frustrated with my lack of skills when it came to balancing roasted corn and a beer cup. Alas, somehow I got talked into a second time (c'mon, food, booze, and sweat...all things I love) and my eyes were opened to a world of possibility. So, my advice, which is actually in line with my life's motto, try it twice. The first time, you will undoubtedly be less than thrilled. But the second time around, you'll know what to expect, you'll know your way around, and you'll enjoy the event much more. NIOSA takes place at La Villita which is then divided into little "hoods" all showcasing various genres of food and drink. For example, the Main Street Area has deep fried All-American stuff, Clown Alley has typical carnival food like cotton candy and corn dogs, China town has egg rolls, etc. I most look forward to visiting the assembly hall which is the German-influenced area. You CANNOT MISS the cloggers! They are the highlight of NIOSA in my opinion and man can those Senior Citizens clog. They take it super seriously, wear coordinated outfits, and really get the crowd in there crunk. Also, you should take a peek at the karaoke in Clown Alley. It gets particularly interesting towards the end of the night... Worried about parking? Consider taking the VIA down there which will drop you off literally across the street from La Villita. If you prefer to drive yourself, just venture a few blocks down on South Alamo and find some street parking in Southtown/Lavaca. It's FREE. If you pay for parking during Fiesta, either you're lazy (I'm sometimes guilty of this) or just don't know any other way.

NIOSA was "A-Ok." As much as I want to rave about it (Sorry Walter!) , I could not have left the event feeling underwhelmed and extremely happy to be able to have my space again. You had little enclaves of different parts of the world with unique foods of different regions. There were some areas of entertainment like dancers and singers, as well as another spot to actually dance. The actual content of the festival was pretty good. However, THIS EVENT IS SO PACKED. You're literally floating in a sea of humans, and maybe because I'm shorter it felt like I was having to pay extra attention not to have my eyes poked out since so much of the food options being sold were served on sticks. I literally haven't been so squished between people since I was a teenager taking the Korea subway system during work rush hour, you were literally like sardines in a can. If you're in a group, I highly recommend forming a cha-cha line of some sort to keep y'all together as you snake from location to location. One lady had a giant flower for her group to find her within the crowd. I was so jealous. Drinking also helps. It's a little difficult finding a spot to be able to stand and eat / talk without having to move out of the way every other second. I HIGHLY DON'T RECOMMEND this event for people how are legit claustrophobic and don't do well with too much stimulus. Unless my future hot rich husband in the future of next year takes me to NIOSA, I'm really not sure if I'll go back.

Oh my gosh, NIOSA (Night In Old San Antonio) is the Fiesta event of all events! No where else can you go to get fajita tacos, bratwurst, fried mushrooms, and pizza all in one place! I will say, if crowds aren't your thing, then this is not the place for you. Although there's a section called, clown alley, I would really leave the kids at home.

Niosa is an annual 4 day Fiesta event held at La Villita in downtown San Antonio. It's nothing but pure fun, meet up with friends, drink, people watch, drink, listen to music and more drinking. Each area has it's own unique foods and music is every where.

It's NIOSA. One of the, if not,the best event at Fiesta in my opinion. It's four days of awesomeness it runs 5:30-10:30 PM. You're coming here to try some good food, drink beer, and mingle with the best peeps in SA. Dress casual because it gets crowded and you will probably get some beer spilled on you. The thing here is so off your Fiesta medals you collected or sport a custom made hat. People get crazy with their hats at this event. Grab a sombrero and go to work. Put some lights and streamers on it or just make into the city skyline. It's a great event and yes it can get expensive. You need food/drink coupons. Expect to about $2-5 a pop for food items. Beer and wine is $4-5. It's all for non profit of course. Get there early wink:wink when they open. Head to Mr. Chicken (chicken on a stick) and get it with a jalapeno. It's located in the Froggy Bottoms area. Then make your way to get some Anticuchos (beef kabobs) behind the German building. Now you've just made 2 of the best food choices of your life. Then go and indulge on everything else. What makes this event unique is you have many different cultural areas that influenced San Antonio. You can get Mexican, German, French, Country, Cajon, American, Asian, Irish food. The Irish potato skins are also pretty good. There is plenty of live music and beer. The German area will have some German beer and peppered throughout you will find the Mexican import beers you just have to look. Don't get the sangria or margaritas unless you like them made with wine. Eat some food, drink some beer, walk around for a bit, then find a spot and enjoy the night. You're bound to run into some people you know especially if live here. Get tickets in advance. It's usually $2-3 cheaper. As far as travel. That's up to you. The park-n-ride is cool it's $5 round trip taking the bus. That's per person. You will stuck be stuck in the same traffic as everyone else just minus the parking. In my opinion it works out the same. It's $5 per person and it's $10-30 to park depending on the spot. If you roll with 4 people that's $20. You could find some parking and control when you want to leave if you decide to stay downtown for a bit because NIOSA ends at 10:30. This event isn't great for small children and I can't understand why I continue to see this year after year. It gets crowded, no strollers, it's loud, and this time of year it's hot and humid. Bring the teens but skip out on the elementary age or lower. The first night, Tuesday, is the most mellow night you could take a chance there. It's not as crowded and all the locals have dubbed it the "family night". Wednesday is also a good night. Friday and Thursday are crowded. Thursday is crowded because most business and all schools/colleges are closed on Friday. It's a popular festival event. It's gets crowded and it's expensive like any other big city festival. Don't go to this event thinking $20 (after admission) will get you far and don't go to this event thinking you're the only person there.

Viva Fiesta!!! Although you're supposed to call it "knee-oh-sah," but I'll always call it "Nye-oh-sah." This is such a fun Fiesta event! It goes on four nights during Fiesta. Each night has its own kind of vibe. Tuesday is sorta family night. It's the tamest night out of the four. Wednesday is better to go and get a lil' rowdy, since there's a bit larger crowds. Thursday night is college night, which is crazy wild. Friday is just so packed, it's a mob scene. They've recently started expanding NIOSA to S Alamo to try to reduce some of that congestion. But that hardly worked. NIOSA works on a premise that's sort of like Disney Land, where you have Irish Town, and Beer Alley, and Chinese Land and French, etc. The different ethnicities are arranged throughout La Vallita. You can go from Japanese to Italian back to Thai within a few booths. It's fun! Yea, it is a bit on the expensive side. But I recommend volunteering for one of the groups that sets up a booth here. You'll do a little work, and then get to spend the rest of the evening at your leisure! Viva! I always recommend doing some pre-partying beforehand down the street. Beers are expensive here. The food is amazing though! That's where the best part is. Bring cash, because you have to buy tickets. This is probably the best place in all of Fiesta to get food on a stick, which is always a SA favorite! Viva Niosa!

I love NIOSA and I have worked there as a volunteer for thirty years. It would have been awarded 5 stars but last year I had to go to the bathroom ( I take diuretics) and after finally making my way across the river of crowds to Beethoven Hall the cops said I could NOT use those rest rooms downstairs because I wasnt working at the 'correct' booth. I had my workers arm band on too. I was pissed off because I had been using these all this time. I barely made it to Frontier land to use the workers rest rooms behind the sausage grills. If you are volunteering your time for this event as a booth worker ALL rest rooms should be available to us. There arent enough rest rooms as it is. They used to have portapotties behind the house in the Italian section for workers only they are gone too. WTF??? Live music is a big plus. Take cash because you have to buy coupons for all items. Beer- the only good beer is in the German section in Beethoven Hall unless you like the crappy tasting light beers. The food. I strongly recommend Bongo Bobs beef ka bobs in the Spanish section. My wife loves Mr Chicken in the spanish section. They should put in some tapas somewhere in that section. Anticuchos are also good behind Beethoven in the Mexican Market. I think Maria's tortillas a waste of time. They are good but not worth the wait even for workers. German sausage is really good. irish potato skins are yummy. Aquacates we love. In the French section go for the crawfish etouffe and beignets doughnuts.You have to try the Japanese yak-i-tori chicken ka-bobs in the southern end of Chinatown. Frontiertown has lots good food like steak on a stick and other items but I really REALLY miss the Calf fries. The southern section has fried oreos and cheesecake and they have southern staples. . International section has greek gyros, frog legs and fried mushrooms. There are some malt drinks that are good but not cheap. It isnt cheap but it is a great time. Best block party in the USA. Dont drink and drive take VIA instead.

For most people this event might not rate so high. But for all the reasons that others would give Night In Old San Antonio a low score , I rate it highest. First off this event draws a very large crowd, in a not so large space. I am a people watcher so i love the crowd. Then there is the price. For that you have to visit the web site , because this is the party for a cause.http://www.saconservation.org/. There are many Great Fiesta events but this is the one that has my name on it. It has over 2 hundred different Food booths, with 15 different ethnic areas. I know this year at hit up at least half of them, so next year i will catch the ones i missed. I know i didn't give alot of insight to this event, but its a must be present to win type experience. See you all there next year. I'm officially making this a UYE for next year.

This was a great night in a great city. A Varied selection of foods. Drinks. Music. The experience was beyond words. As a newcomers to the city, we highly recommended it to anyone looking to experience San Antonio. We will definitely return.

NIOSA was definitely a must-do on my San Antonio bucket list, but now that it's been conquered, I don't think I'll double-dip - here's why: 1) PRICEY! $15 for entry when food and drinks are over-priced is odd. Considering the fact that I didn't once see a soul without a purchased item, I don't think $15 is fair. However, I do think the riff-raff (not to be rude) doesn't attend because of this entry fee. 2) Lines - lines were tough, but for the most part, even drunk people kept their cool. Good on you, San Antonians. 3) Crowds - At the end of the day, this is a festival of sorts, and you have to be okay with crowds, people potentially spilling a beer on you, or getting in contact with the bare, sweaty skin of another human. I've seen worse at concerts and such. I'm pretty intolerant of other sweaty people, but I could handle NIOSA. 4) Beer & Food Options - this is really the reason I wouldn't return. Sangria was okay, but for $5 it wasn't enough in volume. The beer ($4) wasn't a great selection for the most part. Lots of low-end beer was available, and I found one spot with hard cider and blue moon. However, the food wasn't really exciting except the mexican area, but we're in SATX, so I'd expect tex-mex to be amazing, anyway. Overall, my fiance and I spent about $100 on NIOSA, and we won't again. The company we kept was much more exciting than the event itself.

This event is a disaster with small children. First off, they don't allow strollers. It is so crowded! Unless you can strap your kid to your body like I did my littlest one, be prepared to deal with a tired and sweaty child either running into a sea of people or refusing to walk any more. And it was way too steamy out tonight to enjoy wearing my baby. We finally found a place to sit down, and I could hear 3 different bands competing with each other. They should at least be spaced out more. The steak on a stick was very good, but not worth $6 by any means. Summary: hot, crowded, loud, and overpriced. We left after an hour and went to eat at Señor Veggie's. That was the best decision we made all night. Niosa cost us $50 total for 2 adult admissions, 2 small strawberry frozen drinks, 1 corn cob, 1 steak-on-a-stick, and 3 cascarones. And now I have a headache.

I love this event during Fiesta in April!! It is so fun!! Of course you will pay an arm and a leg just to eat and drink but it is so worth it. It does get crazy so if you don't like crowds this isn't for you.