It wouldn’t be San Antonio without FIESTA! Flowers, floats, and fierce Fiesta queens capture the pulse of our vibrant city. Though we instantly picture iconic Fiesta fashion staples like beautifully embroidered blouses, bright flowers and long ribbons, these queens are so much more than just extravagant gowns & crowns. Each queen’s title holds longstanding historical significance, and represent the organizations that have helped make Fiesta what it is today!
Queen of the Order of the Alamo
Claudia Luedemann Kiolbassa
Miss Fiesta San Antonio
Calista Burns
As a Fiesta Queen, how do you give back to the community?
As Miss Fiesta, my community service project is with GEMS which stands for Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science. GEMS is a free all-girls program that hosts camps during the summer and clubs during the school year and teaches the students about STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math). The GEMS mission statement is to inspire and empower young girls to be innovative with their future in the fields of STEAM. I am currently a Junior majoring in Education with a double minor in Math and Reading and I hope to be a math teacher and eventually teach math at the college level. I hope that I can be a role model to young girls and lead by example for GEMS and for San Antonio, proving that females can enter the STEAM fields with no limitations.
What’s your usual wardrobe color palette?
My wardrobe color palette is a lot of blues and grays. I like to keep it simple for everyday outfits especially since I’ve been doing school online from home. In the summer I like to wear brighter colors like pinks and yellows!
La Reina de la Feria de las Flores
Gabrielle Uribe
Gabrielle is a San Antonio native that recently joined the team at Dell Technologies after earning a Bachelor of Arts in International Economics at Texas Christian University. Her strong San Antonio roots prepared her for success in college and in her professional life. It is the appreciation of her upbringing and experiences throughout her education that emboldened her passion to give back to her community. Gabrielle has been an active volunteer in organizations in the San Antonio area such as The Davidson Respite House, SNIPSA, and Women’s Global Connection.
Gabrielle’s reign as La Reina de la Feria de las Flores will be a culmination of positive influences throughout her life. Like most San Antonians, she was exposed to Fiesta at a young age and was enthralled by the idea of both celebrating and supporting her community. A graduate of Incarnate Word High School, Gabrielle witnessed first-hand the impact that joint community efforts have. Fiesta in many ways combines the concept of community togetherness and civic duty, instilled in Gabrielle by her family.
Gabrielle committed to raising funds for the LULAC Parent/Child Scholarship Program, an extraordinary program that offers scholarships that support two generations of students. She hopes that through this and future ventures throughout her life, she can make a difference in her community.
Fiesta Teenage Queen
Sophia Christiansen
As a Fiesta Queen, how do you give back to the community?
I am involved with Respite Care of San Antonio, a Woman’s Club charity, which is a home for abused and neglected children. I help organize their annual Christmas party benefitting the children of Respite Care. I coordinate the gift wrapping to ensure each child has a special gift. I also created a Supply Drive receiving donations of books, toys, bikes, luggage and furniture for Respite Care. I serve as Senior Class President of Reagan High School and a Vice President of the National Honor Society where I am responsible for organizing volunteer events at Animal Care Services for NHS members. The Woman’s Club supports the Volunteer Service Council for the Texas State Hospital, Texas WINGS, and provides scholarships to students at San Antonio College. I am also a certified Water Safety Instructor. I truly am passionate about advocating for women in sports and educating children in water safety.
What’s your favorite Fiesta tradition?
The Woman’s Club Fiesta Flower Show- an official Fiesta event that is going on its 107th year. I have participated in the Flower Show every year since elementary school. This event showcases beautiful flowers, creative arrangements, and the gardening talents of the community.
Charro Queen
Alexa Primera
What’s your favorite Fiesta tradition?
My favorite tradition so far would be the opening Fiesta parade. The short walk around downtown is so fun because you can see everyone getting excited for the upcoming weeks.
How would you describe your personal style?
I like to stay comfortable and in loose-fitting clothes. I love 90’s grunge fashion, so my go-to outfit is usually “dad jeans,” a shirt or tank top with an oversized cardigan and high-top converse. I also love rings. I feel like having your fingers filled with rings can make you feel powerful. It just looks so cool! I love wearing them and seeing others with them.
Queen of Soul
Rebekah Wynn
How did your Fiesta royalty position originate?
In 1969, Mr. Tom E. Turner organized the Queen of Soul. He felt that all people should have full representation without any issues. This was not the case for his neighboring African American community, especially in April during Fiesta week. He recruited Ms. Gracie (Griffin) Poe to produce and direct the first pageant, which was hosted in the Penthouse room of Atkins Advertising. Each year, more and more interested community leaders and organizations became a part of the support and leadership cadre. The very first Queen of Soul crowned was Miss Libby Barksdale (1969-1971). As the current Queen of Soul, one of my main goals is to empower young African Americans and all girls of color to find love and confidence in themselves. Encouraging them to identify and achieve their goals is key.
How would you describe your personal style?
My style is unique, just like my personality. I love to wear dresses and jumpsuits. When I go out, you’ll find me wearing a flowy maxi dress and some flats. I love to wear sun hats- the bigger, the better! When I dress up, I love to wear a long gown, something silky with a little bit of bling. Brighter colors compliment my skin beautifully, so I gravitate more towards them, especially reds.
Miss San Antonio
Natalie Torresday
As a Fiesta Queen, how do you give back to the community?
I believe it’s our social duty to take care of our community! Coming from a family of immigrants, having access to attend a university is the most beautiful gift my parents have gifted me. For those reasons I’m very dedicated to helping other students continue their education and founded my own scholarship foundation with Cafe College called, “Latinos Severing Latinos, Unidos Podemos”. I also love children and have organized a Santa Toy Drive and Valentine’s Cupcake event for the SA Children Shelter. I’m currently in the works of planning an Easter Egg Hunt Eggstravaganza so stay tuned!
What’s your favorite accessory?
Shoes! I loveeee wearing high heels! The click clack sound, the attitude, the femininity! Ahh Im obsessed! If I could go to the gym in heels I would!
By San Antonio Woman Magazine
This story was originally published in the March/April issue of San Antonio Woman Magazine and sawoman.com.
