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LIFESTYLE
If you are into this kind of “heavy medal,” rock on over to their own individually-designed pins and many organizations sell
Alamo Plaza for Pin Pandemonium, THE place to find whatever their own as fundraisers. Businesses highlight their brands via pins
and whoever you want to find. During this annual, free Fiesta and some individual Fiesta fanatics even make their own. Some
kickoff event, anyone and everyone who collects pins and medals ultra-creative medals feature designs with moving parts, 3D effects,
gathers to view, buy and trade these precious medals and enjoy the sparkling colors, and LED lighting.
opening ceremonies of Fiesta Fiesta. Some ultra-creative medals
feature designs with moving parts, 3D effects, sparkling colors and One of San Antonio’s premier medal makers is
even LED lighting. This year’s Pin Pandemonium takes place FiestaMedals.com. It started as the brainchild of Lt. Col. Leon
Thursday, April 14, at 6 pm in Alamo Plaza. Childers (ret.) who, in the late 70s, created the first military-
themed Fiesta medal for the Commanding General to hand out
According to the Fiesta Commission, there are 17,000 medals during Fiesta events.
sold at The Fiesta Store on Broadway (the “official” Fiesta store)
alone. But there are more medals produced than you can count. Nowadays, anyone with an imagination and an internet connec-
Medal producers include charitable organizations, colleges and tion can make their own Fiesta medal since medals can now be de-
universities, hotels, restaurants, sports, events, churches, city areas signed and ordered online. There are many local manufacturers
and attractions, banks, doctors, judges and attorneys. Highly col- and they estimate that the number of medals made over the years
lectible medals include those from the district attorney, mayor, po- runs in to the hundreds of thousands. Back in the olden days, cus-
lice chief and fire department. tomers would come in with a design or idea and it would be drawn
by hand. (That part is done by computer now.) After the medal
Original Medal Head King Antonio XLIX Charles Orsinger gets is designed, the factory makes a model, die, stamp, fills it with
the historical nod for “inventing” the Fiesta medal. During his color, assembles the ribbons and adds dangles or any extras.
reign over Fiesta in 1971, His Royal Highness punched holes into
his royal coins, strung them with ribbon and handed them out to Metal detectors unite! The unique traditions of Fiesta medals
his loyal subjects that year. Today, all the Fiesta royalty give out bring an extra factor of frivolity and folly to this festival of fanciful
fun. So come and join the revelry. What do you want—a medal?
visit us at www.bcms.org 31
