Fiesta is less than a week away — and a few things have changed since the last time we partied.

Why it matters: San Antonio's cultural centerpiece affects traffic, business and daily routines for 11 days.

Catch up quick: The party kicks off Thursday with Fiesta Fiesta and runs through April 26, with more than 100 official events, including two headliner parades.

From transportation upgrades to event changes, here's a quick guide to get you ready.

Getting around

👏 Good news for pedestrians heading to A Night in Old San Antonio at La Villita and La Semana Alegre at Hemisfair: The long-awaited South Alamo Street work is expected to be finished by Fiesta.

• Two new crosswalks and more than 150 shade trees will make it easier to walk around the area, Public Works Department spokesperson Nicholas Olivier tells Axios.

🚶 Traversing Market Square should also be smoother. Much of the road work tied to Zona Cultural — the district that includes the square — wrapped up about a month ago after beginning in 2022.

• It will be fully open for Fiesta, Olivier says.

🚙 Waymo, the ride-hailing company that uses self-driving cars, is an addition to the Fiesta landscape. The company coordinated with local officials to adjust operations around street closures and events.

• "We regularly work closely with city officials, first responders, and local organizations to prepare for special events that may disrupt traffic where we operate," Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli tells Axios.

Event changes

🎟️ Fiesta de Los Reyes, long known as a free event, will now charge $5 admission during peak hours, following approval yesterday by the City Council.

• The official Fiesta event runs April 17–26 at Market Square.

⏸️ Alamo Heights Night, a tradition since 1987, is "paused" this year. Organizers cited declining attendance and revenue, and its future remains unclear.

🎶 ¡Pachanga at Pullman! is adding to the buzz as a Rey Feo Scholarship–presented party — though not an official Fiesta event.

• The April 18 event (noon–5pm) features music headliners including Fastball and Eve 6. Tickets cost $36.64.

The bottom line: ¡Viva Fiesta! 🎉

The palpable party excitement that consumes San Antonio around this time of year is now captured in "The Day Before Fiesta," a children's book.

The latest: Local educator Amanda Santana Garcia published the book in July. Her sister, Xaven Kosub, illustrated it.

Zoom in: The story dives into citywide Fiesta prep through a child's eyes — food booths going up, porches being decorated and families planning outfits for unpredictable April weather.

Between the lines: Santana Garcia struggled to find children's books that reflect Fiesta traditions, especially the kind rooted in everyday families, not just the pageantry of the Order of the Alamo or viral party moments.

• "We've been celebrating Fiesta for as long as we can remember. And it's not a time to just get drunk and do the viral (social media) things … for us, it's a time to come together, celebrate our culture, community and our families," she tells Axios.

Zoom out: Santana Garcia says the book has also become a teaching tool for adults who are new to San Antonio or didn't grow up attending events.

• It also taps into nostalgia for longtime locals.

The bottom line: "This time of year really gives everybody — especially within Tejano and Latino culture — a sense of pride," she says. "I wanted to capture that."

What's next: "The Day Before Fiesta" is available at The Twig Book Shop, Pink Berry Boutique and Amazon.

😢 Tupi, the capybara who captivated fans locally and worldwide after his December 2024 birth, moved from the San Antonio Zoo to Brevard Zoo in Florida with his mother. (Facebook)

🐈 Purr-fecto Cat Lounge, an Austin-based business, plans to open a location in Southtown later this year, but it has not revealed the exact address. (MySA)

⏸️ Síclovía has been rescheduled to May 3 due to weather. (Instagram)

If Fiesta buzz wasn't enough, the Spurs are playoff-bound for the first time since 2019 and official fan events are ramping up.

The latest: Fans will learn the Spurs' first-round opponent and Game 1 date and time after the Play-In Tournament concludes on April 17.

Here's what Spurs Sports & Entertainment is planning for fans.

👏 A pep rally will take over the Red McCombs Community Court at Hemisfair at 10am, ahead of Game 1 (date TBD).

• There will be freebies, music and more.

🤩 The Rock at La Cantera will host free watch parties for all away games, with appearances by the Coyote, the Hype Squad, photo ops and giveaways.

🛒 A playoff pop-up shop at La Zona Cultural in downtown opens April 14 at 5pm.

🏀 Fans at all first-round home games will score free, locally designed T-shirts.

🏙️ The team is also launching a branding push across San Antonio and Austin. Painted Spurs logos will pop at key spots like The Rock, Spurs Impact Center, partner businesses and Austin's Wanderlust Wine Co.

• Fans who visit five locations and spot the logos can earn 10 points through the Spurs Rewards program.