Texas A&M University-San Antonio hosted its 11th annual Festival de Cascarones on campus on April 30, where the public celebrated the last day of the Fiesta with an outdoor celebration.
Live music filled the air as dozens of stands were operated by local vendors and student clubs, filling the campus grounds with a new opportunity at every step.
Many tents had students selling food, drinks or hosting family-friendly activities to raise money for their organizations.
Turkey legs, snow cones, chicken on a stick and boba were some of the different treats sold to guests.
Each tent was located in its own special area: the Kidz Zone, Madla Mercado, Cab Cravings and Grillville.
In the Madla Mercado, the Honor Student Association sold chili cheese fries.
Vice President Clara Rodriguez was running the stand with her fellow members raising money to fund future club activities.
For people visiting the booth, Rodriguez said “I would thank them for investing into this new program established in the past year and [we] hope to grow together with the community.”
The Photography Club set up a photo booth for attendees to commemorate the event with a photo. The booth had pastel-colored banners hung on a wall for guests to use as a backdrop.
“It gives an opportunity for the community to come and take some fun pictures, Fiesta themed,” said Albert Villasana, marketing sophomore and president of the club.
A&M-San Antonio alumna Karla Gonzalez said she has attended the festival for the past couple of years and decided to become a part of the event by leading the KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) Esperanza Baile Folklórico Club onstage.
“I am a Spanish teacher at KIPP-San Antonio and I also teach Folklórico and want to bring my girls to the university so that they can have this experience,” Gonzalez said.
The KIPP performance was held on the main stage where a highlight of the event was a dance that used the song “Un Poco Loco” from the hit movie “Coco.”
Jan Mundine, former executive assistant to the president at A&M-San Antonio, shared how the event is a great opportunity to meet new and old friends.
“It’s a chamber of commerce type of day,” Mundine said of the atmosphere at the event. “The excitement and the joy of families just having a good time.”
Victoria Esparza, an annual fan of the event, shared her excitement for how big the festival gets yearly.
“We’ve seen it grow every year that we’ve been coming, so that’s great for the university,” Esparza said.
The event attracted volunteers from multiple career backgrounds such as Julyne Centeno, a training coordinator at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute.
“It’s for people who do not normally go to Fiesta and it’s a great alternative to the downtown Fiesta events,” said Centeno of how the event was beneficial for the school and residents of San Antonio.
“It’s family friendly and dog friendly,” Centeno added.
The golden egg drawing was an opportunity for two A&M-San Antonio students to receive free tuition for a semester, one incoming first-year and one currently enrolled Jaguar.
Maria Pedroza was one of the students who won the golden egg drawing for future Jaguar, a student who is not yet a student at A&M-San Antonio but planning to attend.
“I am excited to not have to pay for my first [semester’s] tuition,” said Pedorza while holding her enormous tuition check. “I am planning to go for a teaching career to teach elementary pre-K.”
Following the announcement of the golden egg drawing, the annual cascarone egg smash was held on the East Lawn. Hundreds of confetti-filled eggs were handed out to guests as they were encouraged to crack them on friends and family in attendance.
Cassadee Pope, a country singer from West Palm Beach, Florida, performed on the main stage in the East Lawn.
During her performance, Pope announced a return to her pop-punk music roots and thanked her fans for the love and support she has received from them over the years.
Pope was the last performer of the day.
