SAN ANTONIO – With Fiesta just around the corner, Battle of Flowers Parade officials are urging fans to be cautious of online scammers selling fake tickets.
Caroline Cain, vice president of the Battle of Flowers Parade, warned that several fraudulent websites are selling tickets for sections that don’t exist.
“We came across multiple websites that were claiming to be selling bleacher seats to this year’s parade,” Cain said.
The scammers are using outdated parade route maps, offering tickets for bleacher sections along Broadway and in Maverick Park, which have not been part of the parade route for several years.
Cain pointed out another red flag for identifying fake tickets: price discrepancies.
Official tickets for the parade are priced at $30 or less, but scammers have been charging as much as $50 for fake tickets.
It’s unclear how many people have fallen for the scams.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Cain said. “The whole celebration is about bringing people together for a cause, and to know someone worked hard for their money, only to realize they’ve been scammed, is devastating.”
Cain stressed that the safest way to purchase legitimate tickets is through the official Battle of Flowers website, www.battleofflowers.org.
>> Tickets for Battle of Flowers, Fiesta Flambeau parades on sale now
This year’s Battle of Flowers Parade, set for Friday, May 2, will follow a new 2.6-mile route, starting at East Locust Street and Main Avenue near San Antonio College. The route will continue through Lexington Avenue, Avenue E, Alamo Plaza, Commerce Street, and San Fernando Cathedral before ending at West Martin Street.
The theme for this year’s parade is “Melodies In Bloom - A Texas Serenade,” with the Josh Abbott Band serving as grand marshals.
Tickets for the parade officially went on sale at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 12.
Fiesta festivities begin on Thursday, April 24, and continue through Sunday, May 4.
Anyone who can’t attend the parade in person can stream it live on KSAT.com, KSAT Plus and KSAT 12 News. KSAT En Español will also provide a Spanish-language stream of the event.
More Fiesta coverage on KSAT.com
