Fiesta San Antonio is coming up April 15-25, and this city “deep in the heart of south Texas” is getting ready to celebrate. The sounds of salsa and mariachi brass mingle with the flavors of sopes de pollo and tacos al pastor.  A stream of parades offer a non-stop procession of bunting-bedecked floats, horse-drawn carriages, marching bands and smartly outfitted military regiments. Fireworks light up the night sky. This is a party with a capital P, a blowout with a capital B. I’m talking about Fiesta San Antonio.

My first trip to this city fortunately coincided with the heart of Fiesta. It’s a 10-day event that always takes place in April (the dates vary from year to year). This also is a good time to visit San Antonio in general; spring is still in the air and the formidable Texas summer heat doesn’t yet have you in its merciless grip.

I really enjoyed the Battle of Flowers Parade. The first one was in 1891 and actually did include a flower battle; half the parade’s carriages, floats and bicycles went in one direction and half in the other, with participants throwing fresh blooms at each other as they passed. This parade has a Mardi Gras feel to it while still keeping everything in family-friendly territory. And I know it doesn’t have anything to do with cultural pride or historical appreciation, but I really dug the Kiss float with dudes in full Kiss regalia just like Gene, Paul, Ace and Kitty Kat back in their rock and roll all night and party every day ’70s heyday.

Another Fiesta highlight is A Night in Old San Antonio, better known as NIOSA (knee-oh-sa). What started out as a group of society ladies serving food and drinks from river barges has become a four-night celebration of ethnic heritage that sets up in La Villita, a re-creation of San Antonio’s original settlement. You pay to get in, and it’s wall-to-wall people having a good time. The aromas wafting from row after row of food carts left me weak in the knees.

If you don’t want to pony up for NIOSA, just head over to Market Square, where Fiesta festivities are free. Things were already on a roll when I arrived at noon one day. A really good band was cranking out Latin-inflected rock that had one elderly señora exuberantly shaking her booty and little kids jumping up and down with delight. The food carts selling taquitos all had long lines. Four mini corn tortillas topped with grilled chicken or steak, onions, a shower of cilantro, a squirt of guacamole cream and a splash of lime juice, they’re simple, savory perfection.

You’ve probably gotten the idea that you won’t go hungry at Fiesta. Very true—but don’t forget the local restaurant scene. I love Mexican food, and I figured it was a slam dunk that San Antone would excel in that regard. I found out about Rosario’s by asking the concierge at my hotel for a restaurant recommendation. Equal parts restaurant and bar, Rosario’s is lively, loud and fun. Conversation and raucous laughter bounces off walls painted in vibrant oranges and yellows. There’s cool Latino art (Frida Kahlo and portraits of lovely, mysterious looking women) and big windows that let in lots of light.

The food? Current, San Antonio’s free newsweekly, gives best-in-the-city props to Rosario’s for salsa, mole and micheladas. I can vouch for two out of those three. I didn’t try the michelada, a popular Mexican alcoholic beverage similar to a Bloody Mary but made with beer instead of vodka. The version at Rosario’s eschews the shortcut of using a Bloody Mary mix in favor of a freshly whipped-up concoction that includes lime juice, hot sauce and pepper, and comes in a chilled glass rimmed with spiced lemon-lime salt.

The house salsa, served in a glass decanter, has a gently smoky taste redolent of garlic. It’s not particularly hot, but it’s very flavorful. Okay, it’s addictive—so addictive that my friend and I went through three decanters, scarfing it down with the very good chips. And the chunky guac we paired with house-made tostadas was muy delicioso.

Mole is a classic that takes a lot of effort to prepare authentically. Rosario’s version contains traditional ingredients like peanut butter, chocolate, garlic and a dozen different kinds of dried chili peppers. It’s ladled over chicken enchiladas that share a plate with Mexican rice and refried beans. The first thing I tasted was the semi-sweetness of the chocolate, which was soon overtaken by the restrained heat of the chilies. The flavor is rich and complex. My friend had enchiladas Mexicanas, a vegetarian dish of three queso fresco-filled enchiladas served with cabbage lime slaw and grilled jalapeños and garnished with fried potatoes, carrots, cilantro and diced avocado. He earnestly pronounced it “the best Mexican food I’ve ever had.” 

Tell you what—if I lived in San Antonio I wouldn’t miss Fiesta, and I’d eat at Rosario’s all the time.