It’s official: the holidays have burst onto the scene. If you’re wondering how best to enjoy the holidays in San Antonio, add these sure-fire events and activities to sprinkle more fun into your season.
And if have family and friends coming to visit – look no further. Each of these ways to enjoy the holidays in San Antonio are perfect to share with visitors – or keep them to yourself and start a new holiday tradition for your crew.
Here are 10 ways to enjoy the holidays in San Antonio:
See the Garden Glow at Lightscape
Internationally acclaimed Lightscape is back and reimagined at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. Enjoy a variety of different light displays, from brightly illuminated 16-foot tall stars to a tunnel of 13-foot tall LED hearts, and a field of brilliantly lit red poppy flowers. Fan favorites like the Winter Cathedral will return alongside reimagined installations, including the Fire Garden featuring a 25-foot dragon (which ACM Amiga and artist extraordinaire Cristina helped bring to life!). Guests will have an opportunity to enjoy festive food and drinks, including roasting s’mores.
>>Tip: Get there at sunset and let Mother Nature’s lights add to the fun. Your pictures will be fantastic!
Get Wild at Zoo Lights
Zoo Lights are burning brighter than ever at the San Antonio Zoo this year, with all-new Polar Playground and Lakeside Laser Lightshow with fog, snow, lights and mesmerizing projections. Giraffes, hippos, lions, and rhinos are brought to life in lights – and every once in a while, you’ll see the real animals getting ready for bed (or for nocturnal friends, they’re glad to see you and ready to party!). And don’t forget to check out Tony Parker’s private collection of FAO Schwartz animals.
>>Tip: Zoo Lights are free for zoo members, so why not join and give your family a way to enjoy the zoo all year long. And not-so-secret tip: take advantage of the zoo’s 25 Days of Christmas deals to score discounts on memberships, experiences and more.
Float through the Lights
Yes, you can walk the River Walk and enjoy the famous lights. But you can also hop on a Go Rio cruise and float through over 100,000 lights (that’s 2,250 strands!) illuminating the River Walk. You can even hop on a cruise to enjoy the Museum Reach or just enjoy cruising the downtown lights with music and hot cocoa. Don’t forget: the lights stay on sundown to sunrise every night until the weekend following New Year’s Day, so you have plenty of time to add this to your holiday fun – and enjoy a Cozy Cocoa Cruise with Go Rio, taking home a serape from the cruise.
>>Tip: Locals receive discounted pricing on Go Rio’s standard cruises. Show your ID at the ticket booth to receive discounted pricing on their standard narrated tours. Senior citizens and military also receive discounted pricing. But arrive early – the cruises are popular during the holidays!
>>Bonus Tip: If you’d like to carol through the lights, book a private barge and take your family and friends to enjoy the lights and sing! Caroling boats are available through December 22, but act fast as they sell out.
“Sea” Lights at SeaWorld
Dive into the largest light display in Texas at SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration. With Christmas shows – including Sesame Street and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer – holiday treats and the opportunity to see Santa, there’s something for everyone to enjoy at SeaWorld. You can take pictures with Santa – as well as Rudolph, Bumble and Cornelius – and there are parades of Sesame Street characters nightly.
>>Tip: Arriving before sunset means you can see the animals and enjoy more fun. There are holiday displays throughout the park, as well as special food and drink for the holidays.
Sprinkle Magik into Your Holidays: The Velveteen Rabbit
Sprinkle your Thanksgiving with a bit of Magik thanks to “The Velveteen Rabbit” at the Magik Theatre. Back by popular demand this holiday season, the delightful and heartwarming retelling of the classic children’s story comes to life with performances through December 24th. If you don’t know the story: a young child awakens on Christmas morning to discover a stuffed velveteen rabbit under the tree. As the child’s new favorite toy, the shy rabbit’s appearance becomes worn and shabby from play, and a wonderful change begins to happen. Don’t miss this inspiring, uplifting fable that so perfectly captures the spirit of the holiday season and for even more fun, add a visit to Yanaguana Garden and the new Civic Park at Hemisfair.
>>Tip: Give the gift of theater! If you know kids who enjoy live shows, consider getting season passes and make the fun last all year. There’s even a flex pass that covers any production, giving you flexibility to buy tickets and mix and match.
Celebrate Underground: Natural Bridge Caverns
Marking 10 years of holiday magic deep underground, Natural Bridge Caverns’ Christmas at the Caverns includes caroling in the caverns, a trail of lights and an outdoor maze where you can round up Santa’s reindeer. You can also see Santa Claus through December 23. (If you’re looking for where to see Santa, check out our list of where to find him across San Antonio.)
>>Tip: If your family is into caves, add some exploring to your holiday fun. There are a range of caves around San Antonio that are family-friendly and fun to explore.
Remember the Alamo … Lights!
See the shrine to Texas liberty in a whole new light – holiday lights! Alamo Lights include a tree in Alamo Plaza and the Alamo grounds are decorated with lights throughout the gardens. There are also larger-than-life decorated figures of Alamo defenders. Spend an evening roaming downtown to see the lights and the tree, then enjoy the city’s official tree at Travis Park (and the Rotary Ice Rink).
>>Tip: December 15th-17th includes the Alamo Lights of Tribute, luminarias in front of the Alamo. The display is beautiful – and you can honor a loved one with a luminaria (deadline to purchase is December 14th).
Explore Downtown: Holidays on Houston Street
Downtown San Antonio is celebrating the holidays in a new way with Holidays on Houston Street. With lights, food and shopping, join in the start of a new tradition. See 80 trees and almost 400,000 lights down Houston Street, enjoy a traditional holiday street market December 15th-17th and a range of holiday fun like movies in Legacy Park.
>>Tip: Make an evening of exploring downtown. See the city’s official Christmas tree in Travis Park, roam Holidays on Houston Street, check out the lights at the Alamo and explore the River Walk. San Antonio is always magical, but it truly glows during the holidays!
Make Your Holidays Artful and Historic
Whether it’s checking out Western art and history at the Briscoe Western Art Museum (a great stop on any River Walk visit), hitting the San Antonio Museum of Art while you’re enjoying the Museum Reach, stopping by the McNay to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Tim Burton’s classic film in “Dreamland | Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” or navigating your way through “Explore Your World” at the Witte Museum, don’t forget to enjoy San Antonio’s fantastic museums over the holidays. Each museum is a treasure – and a great way to add fun to your holidays.
>>Tip: If you’re looking for a good family gift — or something for someone who loves art and history — consider gifting a museum membership so they can enjoy their favorite museum all year long! It’s a gift that provides entertainment and education while supporting these amazing institutions who add so much to our city.
Walk – or Drive – through Lights
You can roam the River Walk to see it sparkling with lights and check out Holidays on Houston Street, but don’t miss out on other local displays like the University of Incarnate Word’s Light the Way (up through January 6th). And Windcrest Light Up is a great way to throw the kids in the car and see displays that would make Clark Griswold cry.
>>Tip: Check out our round-up of holiday lights for more light fun.
What do you and your family enjoy about holidays in San Antonio? Add to our list to add more holiday cheer to the Alamo City!
