Revelers danced Saturday afternoon at Sunken Garden Theater as the Taste of New Orleans returned to Fiesta San Antonio, even as gray skies and wind made the day feel cooler than usual. The San Antonio Zulu Association marked the event’s 40th year by crowning and introducing a Zulu King, Danny Peters, for the first time.
The weather did not keep people away, and the association said it kept a close eye on conditions. Brown said the cooler air could work in the event’s favor because the food selection helps keep things in balance. “We know it is chillier, but that just means you eat more spicy food,” Tremell Brown said.
Cajun food vendors from San Antonio and beyond lined up for the long-running Fiesta tradition, which mixes food, music and scholarship fundraising. Brown said the event provides between 20 and 30 different scholarships each year, one reason the association treats the annual gathering as more than a party. “We’re blessed to have a community like San Antonio. That’s 40 years of them supporting what we believe in,” he said.
The association joined the Fiesta Commission as a participating member organization in the 1980’s and hosted its Fiesta West event shortly after that. Fiesta West later became The Taste of New Orleans, which has grown into one of Fiesta’s prime events. Yardbird Wings from the Rio Grande Valley came as a first-time vendor, while Andrae Baker said he partnered with Mark’s Outing to showcase at the event. “The taste, as far as I know, it’s really a place where everybody gets together to kind of show off the different talents in their foods that they present to the people,” Baker said.
For regulars such as Vallerie Hartfield, the pull is as much about the atmosphere as the food. “I do make a point to come,” she said. “It’s a very wonderful time. And you hear our Louisiana music, which I am a Louisiana person. So I love it out here.” Brown said the anniversary and the new Zulu King were meant to remind people the group has deep roots in the city. “Every time they see our Zulu King, they’ll understand that we’ve been here for a long time and we’re looking for another 40 more years,” he said.
