Fiesta UTSA Exhibit
Dia en la Sombrilla, previously Fiesta UTSA, is a UTSA and Fiesta San Antonio tradition dating back to 1978. I had the pleasure of working as Marketing Coordinator for Roadrunner Productions, the organization that leads the event planning for this major student and community event. With this role, I took it upon myself to lead out on creating an informative exhibit on the history of Fiesta UTSA titled: “Discover, Explore, Reclamar” (“reclaim” in Spanish).
What’s the problem?
In 2022, Fiesta UTSA changed it’s name to “Dia en la Sombrilla” due to controversies
Some students/members of the community didn’t understand why UTSA decided to change the name after 70 years
Because of the sensitive nature, we had to come up with a way to educate the community on the name change, in a tactful manner
After meeting with stakeholders, I prompted that we should create an exhibit explaining the historical origins of Fiesta UTSA
We would spend time highlighting the positives (student organization fundraising, community togetherness, and Mexican culture) along with touching on the reason for the name change (inclusivity and history).
This exhibit would meet the community/students where they are: a booth installation at Dia en la Sombrilla
The idea
Our special events coordinator and myself drafted up what we envisioned the exhibit to look like in accordance with our budget
I contacted the archivist at the Institute of Texan Cultures and dove into boxes and boxes of historical photos, documents, ticket stubs, and more
After three weeks of research with the museum and history professors, I wrote copy for the exhibit, scanned documents, and edited photos to place on the exhibit boards
Next Steps
There was never a lonely moment at the exhibit as students, faculty, and community members gathered to read and learn about our city’s history
My favorite comment was from a history professor who asked if I was a history major…my response: “No, but I could be one at this point!”
The exhibit was a learning opportunity for everyone and is now a permanent installation at every Dia en la Sombrilla
The outcome
Navigate right to see my favorite findings through research
The creation of Fiesta UTSA
Pictures from the first Fiesta UTSA
Dia en la Sombrilla today
From 1978 to 2022