Beginning with Fiesta® 2013, the Fiesta San Antonio Foundation assumed responsibility for the long-standing Miss Fiesta San Antonio program, which originally began in 1949 as a beauty and talent competition. However, in order to become a charitable program, the selection process changed from a beauty pageant to a program where Miss Fiesta selects a project to strengthen the community and develops and implements a plan around that project.

Projects coincide with the program areas of the Foundation: Arts & Culture, History & Heritage, Safety, Health & Wellness, or Education. Since 2013, Miss Fiesta projects have included a health fair, park revitalization, promotion of higher education, sign language interpretation, literacy, and hygiene products to the underprivileged.

This change has allowed corporations to sponsor the program with philanthropic dollars. They have appreciated the impact that Miss Fiesta makes to the community through the projects and as role models to a new generation of Fiesta goers. Financial support is important to the Fiesta Foundation to keep the momentum going. We rely on donations to help fund the Miss Fiesta projects and to promote Miss Fiesta as a community ambassador, not just during Fiesta time, but year-round.