Celebrate the holidays in downtown San Antonio

Published on November 20, 2024

City of San Antonio Center City Development and Operations Department 


SAN ANTONIO (November 20, 2024) — Celebrate the holidays in downtown San Antonio! Enjoy free, family-friendly events, and shop for one-of-a-kind holiday gifts for your loved ones while supporting local independent small businesses at Market Square and La Villita!

Market Square

Location: 514 W. Commerce Street
San Antonio, TX 78207
Directions

Celebración Musical

Saturday, November 30, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; free

Visit Historic Market Square for Fería de Santa Cecilia, a special celebration in honor of the patron saint of musicians. Enjoy live entertainment, mariachi music, ballet folklorico, working artists, food booths, and holiday shopping specials. For more information, visit the Market Square website.

Blessing of the Animals

Sunday, December 1, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; free

Celebrate the love and joy our furry friends bring to our lives at the Blessing of the Animals. This special event is all about cats, dogs, and other furry companions, featuring a day filled with blessings, fun, and festivities. Bring your pet to enjoy a memorable experience. The animal blessing ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. For more information and a full schedule of events, visit the Market Square event page.

Market Square Weekend Programming

Every weekend in November, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; free

Enjoy music, working artists, and food booths at Market Square every weekend. For more information, visit the Market Square event page.

La Villita Events

Location:418 Villita St,
San Antonio, TX 78205
Directions

La Villita Market Days

Every Saturday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.; free

La Villita Market Days transforms Maverick Plaza into a vibrant, open-air marketplace featuring local artisans, craftspeople, and food vendors. Visitors will enjoy unique arts and crafts, cooking demonstrations, guest artists at work on their craft, live music and performing dance troupes. For more information, visit the La Villita website.

Dancing in the Dark: '80s Night DJ Dance Party

Saturday, November 23, 5-8 p.m.; free

Join us for a family-friendly '80s Night DJ Dance Party with music provided by DJ AM PROJECT for our Dancing in the Dark series in Maverick Plaza. Bring your partner, friends, or just yourself. Arrive early to dine on light bites and beverages for purchase from onsite restaurants. For more information, visit the La Villita website.

Ford Holiday River Parade

Friday, November 29, 6 p.m.; ticketed event

The 43rd Annual Ford Holiday River Parade is a San Antonio tradition that offers a spectacular one-hour parade along the San Antonio River Walk. This year’s theme, Toy Box Adventures, promises a whimsical and magical experience for all ages. This ticketed parade begins at 6 p.m. at the Tobin Center and arrives later in other areas (check map at the event website). It is broadcast live at 7:05 p.m. at the Arneson River Theatre. For more information, visit the event website.

River Walk Holiday Lights

The world-famous San Antonio River Walk is illuminated in thousands of lights from November 29 – January 13

Travis Park Events

Location: 301 E. Travis St.,
San Antonio, TX 78205
Directions

Rotary Ice Rink at Travis Park Grand Opening News Conference

Friday, November 22, 9:30-10:30 a.m.; free

Grand opening news conference of the Rotary Ice Rink, presented by Valero at Travis Park. Enjoy complimentary cocoa, festive entertainment, and a 100-percent chance of intermittent flurries, courtesy of Centro San Antonio, as we kick off the holiday season with special guests.  For more information, visit the Facebook event page.

Rotary Ice Rink at Travis Park

Open through January 5, 2025; rink is ticketed

The Rotary Ice Rink, presented by Valero, returns to Travis Park in downtown San Antonio. For more information, including hours of operation, pricing, and specials, visit RotaryIceRink.com.

H-E-B Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

Friday, November 29, 4 p.m. – 9 p.m., tree lighting ceremony at 6 p.m.; free

Kick off the holiday festivities at the Annual H-E-B Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Travis Park. Festivities begin at 4 p.m. and include live entertainment, food trucks, letters to Santa, giveaways, holiday crafts, a special visit from Santa, and a movie screening of “Home Alone 2.” The tree lighting ceremony begins at 6 p.m. and is followed by the movie screening at 7 p.m. VIA Metropolitan Transit is offering free rides to the tree lighting ceremony. Riders can tell their drivers they are heading to the tree lighting event for a complimentary ride. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.

Choose Joy! Holiday Yoga with Mobile Om

Tuesday, December 10, 2024, 6 p.m.; free

Unroll your mat in the heart of downtown San Antonio for a JOY-ful and festive yoga flow beneath the twinkling holiday lights at Travis Park. Free parking after 5 p.m. in the St. Mary’s Garage for Downtown Tuesday. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.

Holidays on Houston Street

Set against the backdrop of one of the city’s most historic and charming streets, San Antonio Holidays on Houston Street kicks off November 29 and runs through January 2. The City of San Antonio, Centro San Antonio and Visit San Antonio have partnered to bring more holiday sparkle to five blocks of Houston Street, from Legacy Park to the Alamo. 

Featured events:

Lunch Break on Houston Street

Location:in front of the Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston Street

Thursday, November 21, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Make your way to Houston Street for food trucks and music in front of the Majestic Theatre. For more information, follow @satxfoodtrucks on Instagram.

Plan Ahead

Downtown can get very busy during the holidays, so make a plan.Visitors are strongly encouraged to arrive early to avoid disruptions caused by traffic and construction projects. Consider using public transportation, ride-share services, taxis, biking, or walking.Plan to leave early and consult a navigation app, such as Google Maps or Waze,to find the best route to your destination.For more information about parking and event-related activities, visit the City's Know Before You Go Downtown website.

Visitor Parking

For easy, convenient, and affordable parking, visit the City’s SAPark website. Our parking map provides a full list of City-owned garages and lots. Note that event parking rates (up to $15 at City parking facilities) will be in effect at some parking facilities on Friday, November 29 and Saturday, November 30.

The St. Mary’s Garage (205 E. Travis St.) and the City Tower Garage (60 N. Flores St.) are located just steps from the River Walk and Houston Street, and they generally have many parking spots. Downtown Tuesday offers free parking on Tuesdays from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. in City-owned parking facilities, and City Tower Sundays offers free parking on Sundays from 7 a.m. to midnight at the City Tower Garage (60 N. Flores St.).