If you’re planning to have a few beers, margaritas or other “adult beverages,” line up a P.A.S.S.–a person appointed to stay sober–before you get into your car.

If you think you’ve drunk a little too much, and you’re at one of the events on the list below, call Yellow Cabs (222-2222) or San Antonio Cabs (444-2222).

Drivers have vouchers good for up to $20 to get you home safely.

• Fiesta de los Reyes at Market Square, April 20-29.
• Tejano Explosion, April 19-29.
• NIOSA, April 24-27.
• Fiesta Cornyation, April 24-26.
• A Taste of the Northside, April 25.
• ●Fiesta San Fernando, April 25-28.
• Battle of Flowers Parade, April 27.
• King William Fair, April 28.
• Fiesta Flambeau Parade, April 28.

Fiesta safe–drive sober!

Unfortunately, we’ve learned that several errors crept into the copy and were never found. We want to fix that. Here is the correct information:

• The NAACP Youth Council’s Youth Image Awards are scheduled for April 7 at the Holiday Inn, 77 NE Loop 410.
• The All American Canteen’s ticket prices are $75. The event is to take place April 21 at the Convention Center.
• The Senior Fiesta, sponsored by the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, takes place April 26 at Wonderland of the American Mall.
• St. Philip’s College CultureFest and Rib Cook-off starts at 10 a.m. April 26.

The Fiesta Commission sincerely regrets making these mistakes.

Please tell your friends, colleagues and family members to check the Fiesta Commission’s Event web pages for the correct information regarding all official Fiesta events.

And as you look at your copy of the magazine or brochure—or the virtual magazine on our website—if you see another mistake, let us know.

If you can’t make it to the office, you can read a virtual version on the official Fiesta^® website.

The magazine includes:

• Greetings from the Fiesta^® Commission president, the mayor and the Fiesta^® military coordinator.
• Details about every official Fiesta^® 2012 event.
• Biographies of Fiesta^® kings and queens.
• Photos of the 2012 military ambassadors.
• Background information about the organizations and people who make the Alamo City’s biggest festival possible.

Copies of the magazine will soon be available at some local H-E-B stores and other locations around town.

Credit for the beautiful publication goes to:

• Ad Ideas, the company that designed the cover and interior pages.
• Shweiki Media, which has printed the magazine for five years.
• H-E-B, which donated the printing.

The St. Philip’s College CultureFest and Rib Cook-off starts April 26 at 10 a.m.

What follows? Eight hours of hot bands, beautiful arts and crafts, magical entertainment and the best ribs in the Alamo City!

The Fiesta^® San Antonio Commission apologizes for its mistake. We encourage you to help get the word out about this great Fiesta^® event.

Follow the Battle of Flowers® ladies' advice, and recycle at Fiesta events!

Fiesta® is San Antonio’s biggest party, and nobody likes a messy party.

People also want to be able to do the right thing of recycling their beverage containers when finished with them. That’s what Fiesta® Verde is all about–by helping keep Fiesta® as clean as possible and recycling Fiesta® trash instead of it ending up in the city’s landfills. But that effort takes volunteers to help with three of the biggest Fiesta® events: the Battle of Flowers® Parade, the Fiesta Flambeau® Parade, and A Night in Old San Antonio (NIOSA).

So we’re asking if you can spare some time help keep Fiesta® clean as a Fiesta® Verde volunteer.

Keep San Antonio Beautiful is a nonprofit focused on recycling and sustainability. It has partnered with Fiesta® Verde to help provide volunteers and manage the effort. KSAB is recruiting volunteers to help as team captains and volunteers for the parades and all four nights of NIOSA.

Volunteers will receive a special Fiesta® Verde t-shirt and enjoy the events while helping keep our city clean. Team captains will help manage the Fiesta® Verde teams recruited for the events. Everyone will have the  satisfaction that they are helping make Fiesta® the Party with a Purpose.

For more information and to either register for an orientation as a team captain or to sign up as a volunteer contact Christina Aronhalt with Keep San Antonio Beautiful.

NIOSA Volunteer Needs:

• April 24-­‐27, 9:30-­‐11:30 p.m. (help with one night or all four)
• Volunteers must be 21 years of age and older
• Small groups of up to 12 welcome
• Volunteers will help collect recyclables
• Volunteers will receive a T-shirt and admission to NIOSA on an alternate night

Battle of Flowers® Parade Volunteer Needs

• Friday, April 27, 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Volunteers 12 years of age and older welcome (12-14 years of age need to be accompanied by an adults
• Small and large groups welcome
• Volunteers will monitor recycling bins and encourage spectators to recycle

• Tuesday, March 13, 6 – 7 p.m.
• Thursday, March 15, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, March 20, 12 – 5 p.m. (open office hours, please schedule a time)
• Tuesday, March 27, 12 – 5 p.m. (open office hours, please schedule a time)

For more information or to print flyers for distribution click on Volunteers and Team Captains.

The painting, by Alamo City native Marcelino Villanueva, celebrates the city’s history, culture and art.

Castro noted that Fiesta is a time for families and friends to come together to celebrate their relationships.

Fiesta Commission President Evangelina G. Flores invited Castro and Villanueva to unveil the image at the climax of the official ceremony. The poster and Fiesta gear using all or part of the design are now available at The Fiesta Store, 2611 Broadway.

The unveiling was the highlight of the party, but far from the only attraction. The event spread out over three floors. Gowns, uniforms and crowns of former Fiesta royalty were on display.

On the first floor, six artists created paintings that were auctioned off later in the evening. The auction raised more than $2,000 for the Fiesta San Antonio Commission. The proceeds will help the commission help its 100 local nonprofit member organizations with their Fiesta activities.

Musicians–Hot Sauce, guitarist George Gaytan and the Bill Patterson Band–added their own artistry to the event. On the third-floor patio guests enjoyed refreshments provided by Sea Island Shrimp House and Tiago’s Cabo Grille.

Back on the first floor, a mini-Fiesta Store began selling 2012 merchandise as soon as the poster was unveiled. One very popular item was the full 2012 Fiesta Poster Pin.

Only a limited number of the full sets is available now. After this week, the store will offer the pin in sections. The top two pieces will be sold first. Each of the six papel picado “charms” will become available monthly through April.

The poster unveiling marks the start of the Fiesta season. It may seem very early to start thinking about Fiesta, which doesn’t start until April 19. But that’s less than 170 days away!

One reason for revealing the poster and opening The Fiesta Store in November is to give everyone a chance to offer their friends and family Fiesta presents for Christmas. The store is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (until 7 p.m. Thursdays) through Dec. 23. Note that it will be closed Nov. 11, 24 and 25.

The store staff invites you to come in and see all the great present ideas and stocking stuffers.

The poster unveiling was open to Fiesta Commission members. Next up for the members is a Christmas party at the store Dec. 1. The event includes holiday entertainment, refreshments and Fiesta Santa. If you’re interested, you can go to the online store to purchase your membership right now.

The City of San Antonio and the YMCA are hosting the event along four miles of Broadway, all closed to traffic. Thousands of folks are expected along the route, riding bikes, jogging,  skating, skate boarding or just strolling.

At the Fiesta Commission’s property you can say hello to Miss Fiesta San Antonio and one of her princesses as they roller blade around the area. You can wave to Shucky and Pearl, the official mascots of the Fiesta Oyster Bake.

We invite you to become a member of the Fiesta Commission while you visit. New members will receive a free Fiesta poster from our historical archive. You can also shop in The Fiesta Store before moving on.

Two “Friends of Fiesta” organizations will be on hand:

• The National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Volunteers will be promoting another great fitness event, its upcoming Bike MS: Valero 2011 Alamo Ride to the River, Oct. 15 & 16, between San Antonio and New Braunfels.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters is looking for you to help local kids. Any adult who wants to become involved as a volunteer mentor or in other ways can sign up.

Take a close look at the images. Several artists have won the competition more than once. But in general, you’ll see that the posters all take very different views of Fiesta San Antonio. That is, there’s no one “look.” The Fiesta San Antonio Commission, which sponsors the annual poster competition, gives artists few guidelines regarding content. And the winning artists have let their imaginations run free.

So have all the folks who’ve entered their artwork over the years. Just because they didn’t win–or even make it to the top 10 finalists–doesn’t mean their art wasn’t good. It’s like the Miss Fiesta San Antonio Pageant (which takes place this Saturday, Feb. 5). All the young ladies on stage are wonderful. But only one will go home with a crown.

As you may know, the Fiesta Commission moved its 2011 Poster Unveiling date. Up through last year, we kept the poster under wraps until mid-February. Then we had the unveiling, then The Fiesta Store opened a day or two later.

But some of our leaders last summer asked why we waited so long, when we had chosen the poster in July. So we had the unveiling and the store opening in October. Fiesta fans have been able to buy posters and poster merchandise ever since.

We plan to continue that calendar. So we’re moving the poster call for entries up to March, with an entry deadline of June 3. We’ll be publicizing the contest later this month. But don’t wait! If you’re an artist, break out your colors now. Tell your friends. Remember, the winning artist receives a $5,000 prize.

So go back to the MySA.com slideshow, and get inspired!

Have you ever seen the “back side” of Fiesta San Antonio? Do you know how all those 100 nonprofit organizations put on the events that make our Fiesta the city’s biggest, best festival?

You can get a glimpse behind the scenes at 10 a.m. Monday at Palo Alto College’s Performing Arts Center, 1400 West Villaret Blvd.

Fiesta San Antonio Commission President Sam Bell Steves II and Councilman Philip Cortez are to present symbolic checks showing how the commission helps make Fiesta possible. The checks will be handed to people representing more than 200 local nonprofit organizations. They range from Scout troops to Palo Alto College, our host for the event.

One check represents funds the commission has given over the past 20 years to its participating member organizations, like Palo Alto, to help them with the cost of their events. The college produces the popular PACfest (April 14, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.).

The other check shows how much street chair vendors–Scout troops, church groups, PTAs, civic clubs, etc.–could have raised since 1992 if they sell every chair. Those 105 groups may use that money to fund a camping trip, go on a mission trip, or buy equipment or supplies.

It’s likely that everyone in San Antonio has been touched at some point by one of those Fiesta organizations.

So come join us as we celebrate our success! Because we’re Fiesta, we’ll have music and refreshments in the lobby after the event. And we’re planning a surprise giveaway, too.

As we hope you know, Fiesta comes earlier this year–April 7-17. We changed the schedule to avoid having Fiesta coincide with Holy Week. The decision to move Fiesta earlier has generated some comments. But we believe our decision was the right one for San Antonians and visitors.

Another change is that The Fiesta Store is open for business. We started selling 2011 merchandise back in October, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Starting Jan. 8 the store will also be open 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays.

If you can’t make it to the store at 2611 Broadway, you can shop at our new online store. Remember that you can buy memberships on line as well as t-shirts and Fiesta medals.

The office will be closed Friday for New Year’s. Once we’re back next week, we’ll all be focusing like a laser on the details of Fiesta, which will be just three months away! That may sound like a long time. But think about it–wasn’t Labor Day just a few days ago?

You can once again plan to start your Fiesta celebration at Fiesta Fiesta, April 7 in front of the Alamo. We’ll have great live entertainment, kings and queens, the opportunity to exchange pins and medals, and a special children’s area. Watch our website for details.

And Pin Pandemonium will be back by popular demand. The event, sponsored by FiestaMedals.com, is set for April 8 at Main Plaza. Again, more details to come soon.

Again, Happy New Year from all of us here at the Fiesta Commission!