Fiesta Makes a Splash at the Witte Museum with Stunning Coronation Robes and Exclusive Fiesta Medal

Annual Fiesta exhibition opens April 24, 2025, featuring 16 dazzling coronation robes inspired by waterways around the world.

/EIN News/ -- San Antonio, TX, April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Make a splash at the Witte Museum’s annual Fiestaâ exhibition, opening April 24, 2025. Fiesta Makes a Splash dives into the beauty, power and symbolism of water—an element that has long inspired the coronation robes and gowns worn by Fiesta royalty. From the rush of rivers to the rhythm of ocean waves, water connects cultures, sustains life and ignites creativity—and Fiesta, San Antonio’s most vibrant tradition, is no exception.

This year’s exhibition features a dazzling display of 16 coronation robes from the Order of the Alamo, including four never-before-displayed designs making their Witte debut. Each robe is a tribute to the world’s most iconic waterways, brought to life through masterful artistry—intricate beadwork, sparkling gemstones and flowing fabrics that echo the grace of rivers, seas, waterfalls and rain.

“This year’s exhibition is a wonderful complement to Fiesta’s rich tradition of storytelling through fashion,” said Leslie Ochoa, Vice President of Collections at the Witte Museum. “The designers and dressmakers of each robe captured the movement and majesty of water in a way that’s both imaginative and elegant.”
 
This exhibition marks the third and final chapter in the Witte Museum’s Land, Sky, and Water Fiesta series, which has explored the influence of the natural world on Fiesta fashion throughout its history.

This year’s exclusive Fiesta medal and pin—available at the Bolner Family Museum Store—draw inspiration from the robes of 1953 Duchess of the Rolling Seas, Nancy Sprigg Roe. Her breathtaking blue velvet gown, designed by court artist Farrell Tyson, features a cascade of nautical wonders: glittering starfish, delicate seahorses and a sequined octopus with trailing tendrils. The gown’s train is edged with silver-sequined kissing fish, forming a graceful scalloped wave. These enchanting details are beautifully echoed in the Witte’s 2025 Fiesta collectibles, making them must-have keepsakes for the season.

Members will get a first look at the exhibition during the Witte’s annual Members Fiesta Party on April 23. Memberships are available now and include access to this exclusive event, along with a host of benefits throughout the year.

Fiesta Makes a Splash is included with museum admission and will be on view from April 24 through November 2, 2025, in the Changing Exhibition Gallery at the Witte Museum.

For more information on the exhibition, to purchase the Fiesta medal and pin, or to become a Witte Museum member, visit wittemuseum.org.

Fiesta Makes a Splash is generously supported by the Fiesta San Antonio Commission, Inc.

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About the Witte Museum: 

Founded in 1926, the Witte Museum inspires people to shape the future of Texas through transformative and relevant experiences in nature, science and culture. Located on the banks of the San Antonio River in Brackenridge Park, it is consistently voted San Antonio’s top museum. Explore Texas history from the time of the dinosaurs to the First People to the cowboys to modern-day discoveries. Adventurers of all ages are invited to explore the Witte, where wonder awaits you. For more information, visit www.wittemuseum.org.

Katye Brought
                    The Witte Museum
                    210-790-6013
                    katyecomm@gmail.com