"A Night In Old San Antonio" (NIOSA) announces dates and plans for 2026

Discounted tickets available through January 4, 2026

SAN ANTONIO, Nov. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- "A Night In Old San Antonio^®" (NIOSA^®)—a four-night festival that celebrates the city's diverse cultural legacy—will be held April 21- 24, 2026 from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. nightly during Fiesta San Antonio^®. It is held in La Villita Historic Arts Village in the heart of downtown.

Celebrating its 78^th presentation in 2026, NIOSA is the top fundraiser for historic preservation in the United States—living up to its motto as a "Celebration for Preservation." It is solely produced by and benefits The Conservation Society of San Antonio—one of the nation's oldest and most active historic preservation organizations that celebrated its 100^th anniversary in 2024.

Through the magic of 155+ food, drink and atmosphere booths and entertainment stages; continuous live musical acts; decorations; souvenirs; and many dedicated volunteers, NIOSA brings the city's heritage alive in its 14 cultural areas. San Antonians have consistently voted NIOSA as their favorite event; it was listed the #1 Fiesta event by San Antonio Current, which called it an "essential experience."

SO MANY THINGS REMAIN THE SAME (for the better!):

• NIOSA 2026 will occur again on the La Villita grounds—as it has for the past 77 years. 
• NIOSA will still:
  • serve NIOSA favorites including 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
  • feature NIOSA's favorite entertainers who will be back every night for continuous entertainment
  • sell its popular NIOSA souvenirs, including the 2026 NIOSA medal and signature collectible beer cups
• NIOSA will unveil its 2026 medals in late January in a private ceremony open to the media
• Best way to get discount tickets in advance of NIOSA is to join the Conservation Society of San Antonio by end of March 2026; discounted member tickets are $15/pp—and new members have the added benefit and satisfaction of supporting San Antonio's historic preservation and protection of its natural resources.
• Discount tickets for 2026 NIOSA are on sale now to the public through November 30 for the rock bottom price of $15 each—no limit! Stocking-stuffer tickets at $17 each on sale December 1-January 4. These tickets are good for ANY night of 2026 NIOSA. These discount tickets are only sold online at https://niosa2023.ticketspice.com/a-night-in-old-san-antonio-2026.
• Children 12 and under are admitted free with paying adult.
• NIOSA occurs rain or shine; no refunds on tickets.
• No restaurants produce or sell food at NIOSA. All proceeds benefit the Conservation Society.
• All of NIOSA—including the food booths—is run by an army of 10,000 volunteers from the chairman to the booth chairs and booth workers. All booths are run by volunteers; many are second or third generations of a family to "man" a NIOSA booth. Volunteers come from all over the country to volunteer at NIOSA.
• Situated at the peak of the NIOSA organizational volunteer pyramid is 2026 NIOSA Chair Julie Terrill. She is assisted by Vice Chairs Erin Angle, Monica Reyes, Anita Gonzalez and Abbi Power, and DeAnna Keesee as NIOSA Treasurer.
• On average, NIOSA gives the Society over $1 million annually to fund the Society's preservation of historic properties and parks and awards scholarships, grants, and funds to researchers and private and commercial property owners for academic purposes and to maintain or restore historic properties: education programs such as the preservation seminars, scholarships, resource library and house museums. 
• NIOSA invests well over $1 million in our community by using local suppliers and paper goods. In addition, NIOSA usually pays nearly $1 million to lease La Villita; pay SAPD security; obtain health, fire and electrical permits: and donate to the La Villita restorations fund.

NIOSA pays homage to the city's diverse culture with food, music and décor that transforms the village into 14 distinct areas: The Mission Trail area celebrates the early years with colorful façades of the San Antonio Missions. Explore the amphitheater built in 1941 on the beautiful Riverwalk in the Arneson Theatre area. Find tastes from Asia in China Town. Enjoy beignets and escargot in French Quarter. The old west comes alive in Frontier Town with its famous Shypoke Eggs and country music. Enjoy Potato Skins in Irish Flat. Tejano sounds and famous handmade Maria's Tortillas are found in Haymarket. Have nostalgic fun in Clown Alley. The music in Froggy Bottom rocks as you wait for the infamous Chicken on a Stick. It's always the 4th of July in Main Street USA. The Mexican Market area features great music and the very popular Anticuchos beef kabob. Find sizzling sausage and a German Oompa band in Sauerkraut Bend. Sample cuisine such as Pollo Ranchero, influenced by Northern Mexico in South of the Border. Colorful Spanish murals will surround you in Villa España.

HISTORY: The Conservation Society held its first harvest festival in 1936. Until 1946 (with breaks in 1943 and 1945 because of the war), it was held in the fall—under different names and with slightly different themes and locations. In 1946, city officials asked the Society to hold its event during Fiesta. In 1948, the one-night festival was called "A Night In Old San Antonio" for the first time. By 1958 it expanded to four nights and, in 1966, the name was registered and trademarked.

PROCEEDS: From 2010 to 2020, more than $12 million was netted at NIOSA to enable The Conservation Society to continue its 99-year mission of preserving historic buildings, objects, places and customs. The NIOSA committee presents the Society with profits to fund the Society's preservation of historic properties and parks throughout the city and neighboring counties, as well as education and advocacy programs such as $1.6+ million (yes, $1.6+ million) in renovations and improvements to La Villita since 2000 and $2.5 million (yes $2.5 million) in building grants available to all San Antonians—and that is just a few examples.

Since 1960, the Conservation Society Foundation's Heritage Education Tours have been a San Antonio tradition where fourth-grade students from area schools receive free guided tours of some of the city's most significant historic sites. After a 5-year hiatus, these tours started again in 2025. Approximately 800 students toured the Mission San Juan and Yturri-Edmunds Historic Site with knowledgeable experts from the Society, San Antonio Mission and National Park Rangers. Proceeds from NIOSA help fund this outstanding outreach effort, in order to raise future preservationists and good stewards of the city's treasures. 

The Society also produces and hosts NIOSITAs (private mini-NIOSAs) in La Villita's historic plazas for conventions, meetings and any group that loves a fiesta to raise additional funds. The Conservation Society was the first organization in San Antonio to produce these outdoor festivals for private groups, establishing NIOSA as the premiere caterer of "fiestas."

For more information, visit https://www.niosa.org/, contact (210) 226-5188 or [email protected], or follow NIOSA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NIOSA.NIOSA/ and Instagram at www.instagram.com/anightinoldsa/

SOURCE A Night In Old San Antonio