We told you recently about Fiesta's Facebook page (If you're registered on Facebook, click here to go to our page.). The goal of the Fiesta Commission is to let people all over know about the Alamo City's biggest and best festival.

Well, it's working. The page now has 173 fans. That's more than the Facebook page for Texas Public Radio, which was a goal of Fiesta Elected Commissioner Randy Bear, who set up our page. His next goal is to exceed the fan count for Texas Monthly magazine.

Our fans come from San Antonio and waaaay beyond--California, New York and Washington, D.C., for example. But we want more! So, Facebook folks--

• Become a Fiesta fan.
• Tell your Facebook friends about our page, and encourage them to join our happy group.

Let's see how big we can grow!

It's Dec. 31, and our office will be closing for the day in about 20 minutes.

The Fiesta San Antonio Commission staff and volunteers wish all Fiesta fans a very Happy New Year.

We're really looking forward to 2009, which marks the 50th anniversary of the Fiesta Commission. In case you don't know, we're an independent nonprofit organization that receives no government funding. Our full-time staff of seven, seven seasonal employees and about 150 volunteers coordinate all things Fiesta. We work with our 100 nonprofit member organizations, local military groups and the City of San Antonio to make Fiesta happen each year.

Back in our birth year of 1959, Fiesta had about 20 events. This year we'll stage more than 100, all over San Antonio and beyond.

You can check out great Fiesta stuff here on our web page. You can also go to our new Facebook page here. We're adding more to it every day.

Again, Happy New Year! And Viva Fiesta!

Just a quick message from the staff of the Fiesta San Antonio Commission. We hope that all of you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Check back with us in January for more on Fiesta San Antonio 2009!

From left: Tina Flatten, Fernando Villarreal, Alice Kormanik, Tim Nakata, Nancy Hunt (kneeling), Anne Keever Cannon, Chuck Blische, Santa, Linda Skop, Patty Gonzales & Mary Martha Hernandez.

Urban 15, one of Fiesta San Antonio's 100 nonprofit member organizations, is planning to travel to D.C. in January to take part in the Inaugural Parade. But the group needs help.

Catherine Cisneros, the head of the organization, said on KSTX this morning that she's looking for donations to help with the transportation costs.

Urban 15 is one of the mainstays of Fiesta. It has its own event, the Incognito Ball, on the first Friday of the festival (April 17). It appears at other events, notably in the Fiesta Flambeau Parade. But as with most Fiesta organizations, the dancers are active at events all year long. They've performed at Spurs games and have been in other Inaugural Parades. They also teach dance to local youth.

If you'd like to help the group get to Washington, To help, call Catherine Cisneros at (210) 736-1500 or e-mail her at urban15@dcci.com.

As Fiesta gets closer, you'll see changes on our website. Here are a few examples:

• The St. Anthony Hotel on Travis is the official hotel of Fiesta through 2011. To show its support for the city's biggest, best celebration, the hotel is offering a special rate during Fiesta For details, go to this page in our Travel Info section.
• We're continuing to expand our Event News page. We've asked our 100 participating member organizations, or PMOs, to send us their news releases throughout the year. We'll post them on Event News.
• The schedule and event descriptions have not been updated yet, but they will be soon. They'll include the five new events and Fiesta activities that take place before the festival officially begins.
• The Street Chair Parade Map will be activated in January. Visitors can move their cursor down the parade route and click on any block. That will bring up the contact information for the nonprofit organizations selling chairs (for no more than $10) in that area for the Battle of Flowers and Fiesta Flambeau parades. Those groups--Scout troops, church organizations, PTA, civic organizations and others--can gross up to $600,000 each year.

So check back often to see what else is happening!