From Merry Mariachis to the Riverwalk holiday boat parade, San Antonio celebrates the Christmas season in unique style on a grand scale. Families looking to add a little magic to the holidays, without the bite of cold winter temperatures, will love Christmas in San Antonio. These are the best San Antonio Christmas events for 2025!
Visiting San Antonio? You will definitely want to check out the best things to do in San Antonio with kids.
The Best San Antonio Christmas Events for Families in 2025
San Antonio Riverwalk Christmas Events
The Ford Holiday River Parade commences the holiday season in San Antonio on the Friday after Thanksgiving every year. Every inch of the Riverwalk glitters with lights as almost 30 decorated boats glide down the river for the parade. It’s a popular and rowdy event!
The Annual Ford Holiday River Parade kicks off the season on Friday, November 28, 2025. It is a televised event bt you can experience it in person as well.
Tickets for reserved seating along the parade route can be purchased here, but there are also free viewing areas (bring your own chair!) on the east side of Riverwalk between Pecan Street and Richmond Avenue.
Don’t worry if you miss the parade, you can still enjoy the lights on the Riverwalk all season long! Book a one-hour cruise on the Riverwalk with Go Rio Cruises for a tour of the lights with music, hot cocoa, and a comfy seat.
San Antonio Holiday Performances
Even the littlest members of the family can enjoy live theater this Christmas in San Antonio in 2022!
The Majestic Theater presents Elf The Musical which runs from December 23 – 28, 2025 as well as Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet is scheduled December 29 – 30, 2025.
Families with older children have lots of options for holiday shows as well. The Tobin Center presents The Long Christmas Dinner on November 28 -29, 2025 and The San Antonio Ballet’s The Nutcracker is December 5 – 14, 2025.
They also host a Holiday Art Market on November 29th with over 100 vendors. This event is free and includes pop-up performances, reindeer games, and festive food and drinks.
San Antonio Light Displays
Zoo Lights at the San Antonio Zoo runs from November 15 – December 31, 2025. Grab a photo with Santa and a hot chocolate and hop aboard the Holiday Sing-Along Express to see the splendid holiday displays. Don’t miss the lakeside light show or light tunnel before you call it a night.
The HEB Christmas Tree Lighting at Travis Park takes place on November 28th at 4pm. The event is free and open to the public and includes holiday crafts, live music, a visit from Santa, and a showing of The Polar Express on the big screen. Don’t miss some time on the ice at The Rotary Ice Rink, open daily from November 15 to January 5th.
The Light Park at Wolff Stadium
The Light Park brings its mile-long, synchronized light show to San Antonio’s Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium from November 7, 2025 – January 4, 2026. Families can drive through millions of twinkling lights perfectly timed to upbeat holiday music that plays right through your car’s stereo.
This immersive drive-thru experience features towering light tunnels, animated displays, and glowing holiday icons that dance to the beat. Each vehicle becomes part of the show—so cue up your favorite carols, pile in the kids with cocoa in hand, and enjoy a no-stress evening of holiday cheer from the comfort of your car.
Lights Alive! in Westover Hills
If your family loves big light displays with interactive fun, Lights Alive! is another must-see San Antonio favorite. Returning for 2025, this mile-long immersive drive-thru opens in mid-November 2025 and runs nightly through January 4, 2026 at its convenient Westover Hills location, just minutes from SeaWorld.
The synchronized light show features dazzling tunnels, animated holiday scenes, and a soundtrack you’ll tune into through your car radio. Once you exit the drive-thru, don’t rush off — the Park-and-Play area adds an extra layer of fun with photo ops, yard games, Santa visits, hot cocoa stands, and a mini light maze for kids.
Of course, simply driving around and looking at Christmas lights is a time-honored tradition for many families. In San Antonio, your best bets are the King William Historic District, Alamo Heights, Monte Vista, and Windcrest neighborhoods.
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Holidays on Houston Street
San Antonio’s historic downtown gets a dazzling makeover during Holidays on Houston Street, taking place December 5 – 14, 2025. Spanning five city blocks from Legacy Park to the Majestic Theatre, nearly 400,000 LED lights illuminate storefronts, restaurants, and cultural landmarks.
The celebration kicks off with the SATX Holiday 5K on December 5, inviting families and runners to lace up and jog through the twinkling streets. Over the following week, the area transforms into a festive corridor filled with live entertainment, pop-up art displays, and open-air dining activations from local chefs.
The grand finale arrives with the Houston Street Holiday Market on December 12–14, featuring artisans, live music, and plenty of treats for kids and grown-ups alike.
Christmas Events at San Antonio Theme Parks
SeaWorld Christmas Celebration in San Antonio
November 13th, 2025 is the first day of the nationally recognized SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration which runs through January 4th! The entire park transforms into a joyous jubilee featuring the largest light display in Texas, 12 themed areas for photo ops galore, unique performances, festive treats, parades, and a scavenger hunt.
SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration includes O Wondrous Night, the story of the nativity told by the animals that witnessed it using live animals as well as puppetry, special effects, and traditional Christmas music.
Other performances like the Merry Mariachis, Peace on Earth, and Ocean Discovery: A Splash of Christmas are sure to keep your family highly entertained.
Other highlights of the celebration include the Sesame Street Christmas Parade, a holiday scavenger hunt, and the opportunity to meet Santa or Rudolph and his closest friends for a holiday dinner (reservations required).
Holiday in the Park at Six Flags Fiesta Texas
Holiday in the Park at Six Flags Fiesta Texas runs from November 22 – December 23, 2025. Of course, the entire park is decked out in Christmas lights and decorations. Hop aboard the Holiday Express for a train ride around the park to see every last sparkle.
Holiday shows include a sing-along with Santa’s elves, a Looney Tunes Christmas, a light and water show set to music, and a nativity musical called the Majesty of Christmas.
Note: All theme park rides are open during Holiday in the Park!
Christmas at the Caverns at Natural Bridge Caverns
Christmas at the Caverns you can listen to live singing inside a large, underground cavern is a unique experience any time, but Christmas carols inside the caverns is pure magic. It’s bound to set your holiday season off to a great start.
Additionally, Christmas at the Caverns features a trail of lights, story time with Mrs. Claus, s’mores on the firepit, a large outdoor reindeer maze, and a synthetic skating rink for kids 3-11.
Holiday Teas and Feasts in San Antonio
The Lambermont is a beautiful event space in central San Antonio. A prominent San Antonio family had the home designed to resemble the grand castles of Europe in the 1890s. Needless to say, it’s an inspiring, historic setting and the perfect place to enjoy a fancy, holiday tea with your most precious little ones. The Tea Party at The Lambermont is December 6th at 10:00am and 2:30pm.
The San Antonio Youth Ballet hosts a two hour Nutcracker Tea Party in the Ladies Parlor at the Scottish Rite Theater on December 19 – 21, 2025.
If you want to see the holiday boat parade on the Riverwalk in style, most Riverwalk restaurants including Landrace, Paesanos, Rio Rio Cantina, and Little Rhein Prost Haus offer a ticketed meal with reserved seating on the Riverwalk to view the parade.
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Lead image by Visit San Antonio
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