It's almost Fiesta time San Antonio, and that means that the Oyster Bake will be coming up this next weekend. While I'm sure that many San Antonio residents eagerly look forward to this event, I nust confess that I do not. In a nutshell, here's why.

     I'd heard lots about this Fiesta event from friends and co-workers, and I love oysters: baked, steamed, on the half, or any way that can be devised to enjoy them. I was primed to go. Bring on the bivalves!

     Late Friday afternoon we parked our car at the Crossroads Mall, and got in line with hundreds of other people to take one of the Via shuttle buses for the short ride to St. Marys to avoid the traffic and parking mayhem at the Oyster Bake. So far, so good. The bus ride was an easy and inexpensive way to get there. On arrival, we got our bearings, purchased our tickets and coupons for food and drink, and set off to explore the grounds. So, this was an Oyster Bake, "Texas Style", and whoa, there were lots of folks out to enjoy it. I mean LOTS of people! It was impossible to move, except in one direction, circling around to the right along with all the other patrons. We angled right and left through the crowds to get to the food and beverage vendors lining each side of the venue, exchanged coupons for a couple of beers, thought about turkey legs momentarily, but no way. I was primed for oysters. The crowds were getting thicker and thicker, and I was shuffling my feet to avoid tripping on the empty beer cans littering the ground. I was reminded of Thoreau's comment about why he did not like cities and crowds: I have to take "big steps and little steps". I'd seen lots of food and beer vendors, but nary an oyster did I see after two circuits around the grounds. It's posssible we missed them in the crowds, but I don't think so. We decided to "call it an evening" and head back home to La Fonda for margaritas. The adventure was not over yet! We boarded the bus to take us back to Crossroads (along with a bunch of intoxicated merrymakers). Not so very long into the bus ride, we heard the unmistakable sounds of retching from behind us, and turned around just in time to see a young lady barfing all over the center aisle, filling the bus with the odors of undigested beer and food. I'll enjoy my oysters at the Dry Dock Oyster Bar at the corner of Fredericksburg and Wurzback!

Fiesta Oyster Bake 2008
April 18th and 19th - The first weekend of Fiesta!

Friday, April 18, 2008 - 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 19, 2008 - 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

The first Oyster Bake was held in 1916 on the banks of the San Antonio River in conjunction with St. Mary University's downtown campus when a small group of alumni gathered for their annual meeting and election of officers. Until the early 1940s, the only people in attendance were dues paying members of the then all-male ex-students association of the university.

When did the Fiesta Oyster Bake become an official Fiesta San Antonio event? In 1974, the Oyster Bake became an official Fiesta San Antonio event.

Who coordinates the Fiesta Oyster Bake? The Fiesta Oyster Bake is produced by San Antonio Special Events, LLC., held on the campus of St. Mary's University and coordinated by a couple of staff members, an all-volunteer Executive Committee, a few hundred key volunteers and managers and 7,000 volunteers who contribute about 50,000 volunteer hours.

I don't like oysters, what other types of food and beverages do you offer at the Fiesta Oyster Bake? Yes we do have oysters, but if you do not like the delectable shellfish, we offer more than 50 food and beverage items. Our orders include the following:

100,000 Oysters (baked, fried and raw)
25,000 Fried Chicken Breasts (Chicken on a Stick w/jalapeno)
3,000 lbs. Beef and Chicken Fajitas
6,000 Turkey Legs
6,000 Hamburgers

3,000 Slices of Cheesecake
7,500 Ears of Corn
2,500 lbs. Sausage
21,000 gal. Beverages (beer, soda, lemonade, tea, etc.)

How do I buy the food and beverage items?
All food and beverage items must be purchased with special Fiesta Oyster Bake coupons. We have five coupon booths available on Friday and ten coupon booths on Saturday. Our food and beverage prices are very affordable so that all of our patrons can enjoy all that the Fiesta Oyster Bake has to offer.