The red badges of Fiesta

San Antonio explodes with colors and flowers every spring for its annual Fiesta, an 11-day celebration unique to Texas that began as a way to honor the heroes of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto. Organizers hosted a horse-drawn parade of women in 1891, and said females pelted each other with flowers. Today, there are more than 100 Fiesta events sponsored by local non-profits with money raised pouring back into the community.

This year, the fun takes place April 20-30 with parades, art fairs, exhibits, concerts — you name it, all throughout San Antonio, including on boats traveling up and down the San Antonio River.

And then there are the medals. 

iPhone Pokemon Medal

Official Fiesta 2017 Medal

Almost every event, organization or participant creates a medal that they pin on to sashes, lapels, and coat jackets. Some are simple and neat while others vibrant and extravagant. Some are officials and some are created by sponsors. 

You can tell who’s involved heavily in the annual festival by the number of medals pinned to their chest. They wear them proudly. And it's a sport to see how many you can nab each year.

Tourists can snag a medal or two if they're lucky or purchase them at the Fiesta Store. Easier than a medal are the faux flowers sold on the streets of San Antonio, or the confetti eggs people break to add even more color to the festivities. 

Cheré Dastugue Coen is a food and travel writer living in South Louisiana who is the author of several Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire and the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.