![[Flag of San Antonio, Texas]](../images/u/us-txsa.gif)
5:9
image by Pete Van de Putte, 1 March 2012
Last modified: 2020-05-30 by rick wyatt
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5:9
image by Pete Van de Putte, 1 March 2012
See also:
Text and image(s) from American City Flags, Raven 9-10 (2002-2003), courtesy of the North American Vexillological Association, which retains copyright. Image(s) from American City Flags by permission of David B. Martucci.
The field of San Antonio’s flag is divided vertically into blue
at the hoist and red at the fly. In the center is a large white five-pointed
star on which is the Alamo outlined and detailed in black. The height
of the star is nine-tenths the flag’s width; the height of the Alamo is
one-fourth the flag’s width.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10, 2002-2003
The flag is an updated version of an earlier flag
which bore the name of the city and state. Pete Van de Putte, president
of Dixie Flag Company, suggested to Mayor Nelson Wolff that more
people might fly the flag if it were less expensive, perhaps by eliminating
the costly lettering.
Flag adopted: 27 August 1992 (official).
John M. Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10, 2002-2003
The original flag was designed by William W. Herring, a
Spanish-American War veteran. The sketch he made of the flag is dated
28 May 1933.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10,
2002-2003
The San Antonio flag was changed in 1992. It is vertically blue and red, with a large white star (almost top-to-bottom) in the center upon which is an outline drawing of the Alamo in either black or blue. Much nicer!
Al Kirsch, 20 June 2000
Actually the current flag since 1992 has been around since 1932. However, the flag had the words San Antonio above the Alamo and the word Texas below the Alamo. This was changed in 1992 when NAVA had their yearly conference in San Antonio and informed the City Council that it was a faux pas to use words on a flag. Thus the words were removed. However, flag
stores still sell 4"x6" flags of the City of San Antonio with the words on it.
Chris Pinette, 19 June 2000
The municipal website states:
"The City of San Antonio's official flag was designed in 1935 by William Herring, deputy commander of the Texas Department of United War Veterans. Herring designed the flag for the national convention of the United Spanish War Veterans being held in San Antonio that year. The original design featured the Alamo superimposed in the center of a white Lone Star of Texas. The Lone Star shined from a field of one-half blue, representing loyalty, and one-half crimson red, which represents the blood that courses through the veins of every loyal Texan. Originally, the words "San Antonio" and "Texas" were printed across the top and bottom of the flag.Ivan Sache, 30 July 2005
City commissioners unofficially adopted the flag in 1935 and two copies were made, one for City Hall and the other for the Chamber of Commerce. However, no action was taken to formally adopt the flag's design until 1976. In 1992, the City was informed that it was no longer acceptable to have words on a flag. City Council passed a resolution to alter the flag's design to the more practical design that is used today."
From NAVA's "American City Flags" (Raven 9/10): "Pete Van de Putte, president of Dixie Flag Company, suggested to Mayor Nelson Wolff that more people might fly the flag if it were less expensive, perhaps by eliminating the costly lettering. So a practical consideration led to an aesthetic improvement.
Nathan Lamm, 31 July 2005
![[Earlier version of the flag of San Antonio, Texas]](../images/u/us-txsa3-l.gif)
image(s) by permission of David B. Martucci
image(s) from American City Flags,
Raven
9-10 (2002-2003), courtesy of the North American Vexillological Association,
which retains copyright.
![[1932 Flag of San Antonio, Texas]](../images/u/us-txsa2.gif)
image by Blas Delgado, 19 February 2001
The earlier version of the flag
had large white block letters
curved over the star, with SAN
AN on the blue half and
TONIO on the red. In the
same letters, TEXAS was centered
horizontally between the
star’s two lower points, with the “X” half on the blue and half on the red
field. The flag was presented to city council on 18 April 1935 by the
United Spanish-American War Veterans, but not adopted officially until
1976. The depiction of the Alamo is described variously as having
been rendered as gray and as silver and gold. The official colors are
PMS 286 (blue) and PMS 200 (red).
John M. Purcell, American City Flags,
Raven
9-10, 2002-2003
![[1917 Flag of San Antonio, Texas]](../images/u/us-txsa1-l.gif)
image(s) by permission of David B. Martucci
image(s) from American City Flags,
Raven
9-10 (2002-2003), courtesy of the North American Vexillological Association,
which retains copyright.
San Antonio’s first official flag was adopted on 25 January 1917. The flag has a white field with a large blue silhouette map of Texas in its center and SAN ANTONIO in large white block letters across the center portion of the state. Below the city’s name is the Alamo, in a buff color and marking the geographical location of San Antonio. The flag is 48 by 65 inches and its designer was Arthur Storms, a Shriner from the Alzafar Temple. The Shriners (a social and philanthropic men’s organization) used the flag regularly at their national conventions in various cities for many years, but as time went by it was all but forgotten at city hall, even though it apparently was the official city flag until 1976.
From: www.yanaguana.com/documents/saflag.html
The municipal flag was designed by Arthur Storms, captain of the panel of Alzafar Temple. Upon a background of white is seen a map of the state of Texas in blue. The Alamo is depicted in white, with the words "San Antonio," also in white. Mr. Storms outlined his idea to Herbert Bernard, artist, who drew the flag. The one to be presented to the city officials and to fly at city hall will be 65 by 48 inches.Source: The San Antonio Light, Sunday, January 28, 1917, page 5., microfilm copy.
![[City seal]](../images/u/us-tx-sa).gif)
image located by Paul Bassinson, 23 January 2020
Source:
https://www.sanantonio.gov/Portals/0/Images/MuniAR/CitySeal1_smaller.gif
Paul Bassinson, 23 January 2020
![[Fiesta San Antonio Commission, Texas]](../images/u/us-tx-sa-fsac.jpg)
image located by Esteban Rivera, 12 August 2018
Vertically divided blue and green with the logo centered.
"Fiesta San Antonio" (or simply "Fiesta") (English: Festival) is an annual
festival held in April in San Antonio, Texas, and is the city's signature event
(along with some events held in the following surrounding cities: Boerne,
Schertz, Windcrest, Balcones Heights, and Alamo Heights) since the late 19th
century. The festival began as a single event to honor the memory of the
Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836)
and the Battle of San Jacinto (April 21, 1836).
In 1891 a group of citizens decided to honor the heroes of the Alamo
and Battle of San Jacinto with a Battle of Flowers. The first parade had
horse-drawn carriages, bicycles decorated with fresh flowers and floats
carrying children dressed as flowers. The Belknap Rifles represented the
military. The participants pelted each other with blossoms. The Battle of
Flowers Parade is the only one in the country to be planned and directed
completely by women. Today it’s the largest parade in Fiesta. It’s second in
size nationally only to the Tournament of Roses Parade (see message #217870).
With the immediate popularity of the “grandmother” of Fiesta events—the
Battle of Flowers Parade—and other early activities, Fiesta soon needed
someone to coordinate the festival. The Spring Carnival Association was
established in 1906 to organize the festival. Some years later the Fiesta San
Jacinto Association took over Fiesta responsibilities. In the 1950s
dissatisfaction grew among many Fiesta organizations over Fiesta San Jacinto
Association operations. In 1959 those groups withdrew from the association
and formed a new one—the Fiesta® San Antonio Commission.
The
commission is led by a volunteer committee that includes members of Fiesta
organizations and community leaders. It has a small full-time staff, seasonal
employees and volunteers. The commission provides funds for Fiesta events
that are not financially self-supporting. The organization itself is funded
entirely by the private sector and receives no direct city or other public
funding. It relies heavily on membership dues, corporate partnerships,
carnival income and licensed merchandise sales. The commission is an
independent nonprofit organization."
Sources:
https://www.fiesta-sa.org/about-fiesta-san-antonio,
https://www.fiesta-sa.org/history-of-fiesta and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiesta_San_Antonio
The image of the flag is from
http://sachartermoms.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/witte_fiesta_san_antonio_flag.jpg
(source:
http://sachartermoms.com/2014/05/13/summer-escape-fairytale-fiesta-exhibit-at-the-witte-museum/witte_fiesta_san_antonio_flag). It is a horizontal flag, split into two vertical stripes, left being blue,
and right being green. It is surrounded by a golden fringe. In the middle, a
bit to the upper edge, there's a circular white background logo with the Alamo fort in black outline.
Below the logo, there are two white laurel branches, one on each side, and on
top, a five-pointed white star with an inner red fringe. The flag is the
official Fiesta San Antonio flag.
For additional information go to Fiesta SA (official
website): https://www.fiesta-sa.org/
Esteban Rivera, 12 August
2018
