NIOSA may look different this year, but e-tickets and easy-to-use blastpass remain. “A Night in Old San Antonio”®(NIOSA) returns in 2022 with the wonderful food, great entertainment and fun that has made it one of the top fundraisers for historic preservation in the country.
The four-night festival, part of Fiesta San Antonio®, will run April 5-8, 2022 from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. nightly. NIOSA brings the city’s heritage alive in its 14 cultural areas through the magic of 160+ food, drink and atmosphere booths and entertainment stages, continuous live music acts HERE; festive décor, souvenirs, and thousands of dedicated volunteers.
Due to ongoing construction in La Villita, the footprint has changed this year, spreading across Alamo Street and putting a few areas and booths in new locations. The move allows more space for the crowd at the popular event.
NIOSA will continue two innovations that added convenience last year—entrance e-tickets replacing paper tickets, and BlastPass, a cashless, touchless wristband used to purchase everything from food to beer to cascarones at the event.
This is the 73rd presentation of NIOSA, solely produced by and benefitting the Conservation Society of San Antonio, one of the nation’s oldest and most active history preservation organizations.
For 2022 NIOSA will:
occur in the heart of downtown San Antonio on the grounds of the La Villita Historic Arts Village District and HemisFair with its four+ acres of historic buildings and cobblestone streets.
Feature booths run by volunteers making food or beverages; many volunteers are second or third generation volunteers.
• serve the foods NIOSA has created or perfected, prepared and is known for including these favorites: Mr. Chicken, Maria’s Tortillas, Anticuchos, its signature German Sausage, Bongo-K-Bobs, Shypoke Eggs, Beignets, Fried Mushrooms, Yak-i-Tori, Steer on a Stick, Gorditas and Fajitas de Pollo. Click HERE for map of grounds and list of foods.
• feature NIOSA’s favorite entertainers who will play every night of NIOSA. Click HERE for schedule.
• sell its popular NIOSA souvenirs, including this year’s Fiesta Medal: Viva La Vida, HERE on its website and on the NIOSA grounds.
• sell beer in its signature collectible cups.
• be put on by an army of volunteers, led by the Society’s Fourth Vice President/NIOSA Chairman (Jana Foreman this year) who is ultimately responsible for everything from decorations to cascarones and security. She is assisted by three NIOSA vice chairmen and a treasurer; 14 area chairmen; booth chairmen for hundreds of food and drink booths, and NIOSA staff.
• have First Aid stations in Chinatown, Frontier Town, Clown Alley, Mission Trail, South of the Border and Haymarket areas.
• continue as one of the top Green events during Fiesta with recycle bins in all of its 14 areas so guests can reduce, reuse and recycle.
A bicycle valet is offered outside the NIOSA gate at the corner of Alamo and Nueva streets from 5:30 – 10 p.m. Bicycles (not motorcycles) can be locked up in this supervised area. Cyclists must bring their own lock/chain. VIA Metropolitan Transit may offer Park and Ride services.
E-tickets will be accepted at NIOSA this year and can only be purchased at https://www.niosa.org/p/tickets . Tickets will be sold at the gates. Entrance tickets are $20 for adults. Children ages 12 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. However, there will not be children’s games. Guests must present an e-ticket purchase code by cell phone or a print-out of the ticket code at the entrance gates where it will be scanned.
All NIOSA guests must purchase BlastPass—a cashless, touchless wristband that guests must use to purchase everything on-site at NIOSA (food, beverages and mementos). BlastPass stores credits on the wristband for an easy payment process that is a convenient, cleaner way to pay for items, with no need for paper coupons that can easily get lost.
BlastPass can be purchased on the NIOSA website OR on the NIOSA grounds at the many convenient BlastPass stations. Those stations will also allow guests to load more money on their wristbands. For more details, visit BlastPass FAQ on the NIOSA website.
COVID policies and protocols will be constantly updated HERE on the NIOSA website. NIOSA will not require a mask for guests and volunteers. NIOSA will not require proof of vaccination status. Additional trash receptacles, recycle bins and hand sanitizer/hand wash stations will be provided.
The Conservation Society of San Antonio was founded in 1924 by thirteen dedicated women determined to preserve historic buildings, objects, places, and customs relating to the history of Texas, The Conservation Society of San Antonio now boasts more than 1,700 members, with tens of thousands volunteering to execute A Night In Old San Antonio® (NIOSA®) the largest preservation fundraiser in the country.
The Purpose of the Conservation Society is to preserve and to encourage the physical and cultural preservation to keep the history of Texas legible and intact to educate the public, especially the youth of today and tomorrow, with knowledge of our inherited regional values.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Visit https://www.niosa.org/, contact (210) 226-5188 or niosa@niosa.org, or follow NIOSA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NIOSA.NIOSA/ and Instagram at www.instagram.com/anightinoldsa/.