Fiesta oyster bake timeline


Oyster Bake held at St. Mary’s College located along the banks of the San Antonio River where La Mansion Del Rio Hotel is now located.	1916	The annual Oyster Bake is moved from its river location to St. Mary’s University current campus. Until the mid-1930s, the event is held on the dirt floor of the incomplete Alumni gym (dirt floor due to lack of funds needed for a wood floor because of the Great Depression).

	1929


Earliest copy of expense report: 1½ barrels of oysters, one keg of beer, charcoal and horseradish = $26.25.	1931

	1937	Event moves to Pecan Grove (which remains part of current grounds).

The Father of the Oyster Bake, Charles W. Meyer, dies after serving as Oyster Bake Head Chef for almost 30 years.	1947

	1951	First recorded Oyster Bake profit, consisting of $165.96.
		First recorded Oyster Bake profit, consisting of $165.96.
1965 First annual Alumni Association scholarship is awarded, with funds received from Oyster Bake income, to Richard F. Gunst, Central Catholic High School graduate, in amount of $640 (his first-year tuition).	1965

	1970	The general public is first invited to the Bake; menu expands from only oysters and shrimp.



Robert Meyer, son of Charles W. Meyer and Oyster Bake Head Chef since 1947, dies.	1971
	1973	Alumni Association chartered as non-profit organization.
		Alumni Association chartered as non-profit organization.

	1974	Bake becomes official Fiesta San Antonio event (due to efforts of Alumni Director Louis Sanchez).

Alumni Association establishes an undergraduate Scholarship Endowment Fund; initial contribution to the fund was $40,000; the first four-year scholarship award from the endowment is made to Joachim L. Huerter.
	1976	First Spring Sweepstakes for Scholarships instituted by Alumni Association and held at the Bake; the establishment of the program is led by the Association’s first female president, Henrietta “Hank” Montagna.





First gate admission fee ($1) is charged and first temporary fencing is erected on part of the Bake grounds to mark the perimeter of the event.	1979
	1980	Scholarship endowment fund exceeds $100,000.
		Scholarship endowment fund exceeds $100,000.

For three consecutive years (1982-84), Douglas Cross, chairs the Bake. He expands the grounds, increases gate admissions fees, recruits student organizations to operate booths, implements Park-and-Ride bus service, and adds a live auction to the event.	1982	Grounds first completely fenced and expanded around the university’s Business School, Law School, and Law Library; gate entrances increased to three.






	1983	Name of homecoming event for university changed to Alumni Oyster Bake and held the night before the Oyster Bake.
Alumni Oyster Bake moved to week before the main Oyster Bake; gate admissions fee for Bake increases to $5 for adults.	1984


	1987	The Alumni Association joins the International Festivals and Events Association; Alumni Scholarship Endowment Fund exceeds $500,000.

Last year the costumed family of four oysters (mom, dad, son, and daughter) is used on souvenirs.	1988


	1989	Scholarship endowment reaches $1 million; introduced Shuckie as a three-dimensional graphic and created a Schuckie costume.

First year of oyster-shucking contest.	1990
First year of oyster-shucking contest.
	1991	CNN News covers the Fiesta Oyster Bake event world-wide and reports on the enjoyment of attending an Oyster Bake. Alumni Association begins recycling oyster shells to improve environment.



Winner of oyster-shucking contest at Bake wins the U.S. Title in Maryland and competes in Ireland for international title.

	1992	First focus on soliciting corporate sponsors to help support the Bake.

Friday evening festivities added to the event and named the "Bake and a Half". The Scholarship Endowment Fund reaches $2.4 million.	1993
	1994	Added Shuckie Street section to the Bake with rides/games for children and families.


Alumni Association commits to a lead gift donation of $2.5 million for the Alumni Athletics and Convocation Center using Oyster Bake revenue.	1995
	1996	Fiesta Oyster Bake adds the first Fireworks show to its Friday Night event. The Alumni Association builds a storage building to house all of the equipment and supplies for the Bake.






Entrance fee for Saturday Oyster Bake increased to $10 at gate and $7 pre-sale; Alumni Association hires first fulltime Oyster Bake Assistant Director.	1998
	1999	Highest net income ($771,662) in the history of the Bake achieved by the 1999 Oyster Bake Chair, Robert L. Mason. Establishment of first Fiesta Oyster Bake web site at http://www.oysterbake.com.




Beer and soda at the Bake is served in plastic bottles rather than in souvenir beverage cups.	2000
		Largest gross revenue for a Friday night in the history of the Bake due to the popularity of Robert Earl Keene singing on the main stage.
	2003

Highest gross income ($1,978,000) in the history of the Bake achieved by the first female Oyster Bake Chair, Corrine Vela-Zapata.
	2005

	2006	Fiesta Oyster Bake celebrates its 90th anniversary. The Scholarship Endowment Fund exceeds $6 million and funds over 78 student scholarships annually. First wine-tasting area added in the jazz section on Friday evening.

First Sponsorship Village created at the Oyster Bake in conjunction with the San Antonio Fiesta Commission. Pecan Grove is opened on Friday for the first time.	2007

	2008	Highest gross revenue ($2,323,000).

	2009

Fiesta oyster bake timeline

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