It’s almost here, San Antonio: the best time of the year. Fiesta, the one-of-a-kind celebration of San Antonio’s history and culture, kicks off on Thursday. And while there are a ton of reasons to love Fiesta (the food, entertainment, cascarón confetti that just doesn’t seem to go away), we think we can all agree on the best part: all of that celebrating supports our community and the people in it. Each Fiesta event benefits a nonprofit or military organization, meaning you should feel good about staying out on a weeknight or ordering that second chicken-on-a-stick.

While you’re at Fiesta this year, we encourage you to learn more about what each event supports and how that impacts our community and shared vision. And if you need some more ideas on how to celebrate, here’s how some of our Partner organizations are getting in on the fun (including a couple brand new Fiesta events)! When you support these agencies, you help them drive more progress toward the shared goals we created together:

• Explore the history of Fiesta with The Witte Museum during their Pop-Up! Fiesta in the Galleries. Visit at any point during Fiesta (April 19th-29th) to see Order of the Alamo coronation robes and vintage Fiesta posters displayed throughout the recently expanded museum campus.

• Get your steps in at Any Baby Can‘s 14th annual Walk for Autism and Superhero 5K on Saturday, April 21st. Help raise awareness and support families with individuals of all ages diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

• Head outside for the San Antonio River Foundation‘s Flotilla Festival on Saturday, April 21st. Located along the Mission Reach of the Riverwalk, this family-friendly event includes a water parade, costume contest, music, and more.

• See the beautiful Botanical Garden at the height of spring during Viva Botanica on April 21st. Enjoy fun Fiesta-themed activities with the kids and shop for San Antonio-friendly plants at the plant sale.

• Support SA Youth at their annual Chips N Salsa celebration on April 21st. Enjoy casino tables, Salsa dancers, fusion food, and Fiesta libations at Brick at Blue Star.

• Cheer on your favorite school or athletes at the first San Antonio Sports Team Tough Fiesta Challenge on Friday, April 27th. Students will represent their high schools as a team and compete in tug of war and obstacle courses.

• Get to the San Antonio Zoo for Fiesta de Animales, April 28th and 29th. Take a tour of South America during this daytime event dedicated to highlighting the Zoo’s South American conservation efforts.