Kick-off the holidays downtown this November
Published on November 03, 2023
Celebrate the arrival of fall at La Villita Historic Arts Village.
SAN ANTONIO (October 6, 2023) — The City of San Antonio invites the community to visit downtown San Antonio this October for a wide variety of events.
Downtown Veterans Day Events
SA Veterans Day Celebration
Location: Hemisfair (434 S. Alamo St.)
When: Saturday, November 11, 12 p.m. – 8 p.m., FREE
Join us at Hemisfair for the official Veterans Day celebration of Military City, USA®! SA Veterans Day at Hemisfair, presented by Endeavors, will honor our local veterans and active-duty service members. Enjoy live entertainment and fun interactive activities for the whole family. Veteran-embracing organizations and businesses will be present to offer resources and services. Attendees will enjoy activities for people of all ages and abilities, living history exhibits, and the newly opened Civic Park. For more information, please visit the event website.
Steps4Vets Tower Climb & 5K
Location: Hemisfair (434 S. Alamo St.)
When: Saturday, November 11, 7 a.m., registration required
The Endeavors Steps4Vets Tower Climb & 5K is held in honor of those who serve or have served in our armed forces. As we celebrate Veterans Day, this race will occur in collaboration with the SA Veterans Day Celebration. For more information and registration, please visit the event website.
San Antonio Veterans Day Parade
Location: Saturday, November 11, 11 a.m., FREE
The United States Military Veterans Parade Association invites the community to attend the 2023 Veterans Day Parade. The Veterans Day Parade will start at Milam Park and travel down historic Houston Street. For more information and the parade route, please visit the event website.
La Villita Historic Arts Village Events
Location: 418 Villita St,
San Antonio, TX 78205
Directions
Diwali SA
When: Saturday, November 4, 4 p.m. – 8 p.m., River Parade at 6 p.m., FREE
Join us at the Arneson River Theatre and Hemisfair in downtown San Antonio for this free event celebrating Diwali SA’s 15thanniversary! There will be live entertainment, food and handicrafts for sale, 2,000 floating diyas to be released, and a DJ area for dancing the night away. The event concludes with a spectacular fireworks display. The Diwali SA River Parade of Indian States begins at 6 p.m. on the River Walk. For more information, please visit the event website.
Lunch at La Villita
When: Thursday, November 9, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
On the second Thursday of each month, join us for lunch from several San Antonio food trucks, as well as La Villita Café and Guadalajara Grill. Remember to make time before or after to browse our boutiques and art galleries!For more information, please visit the La Villita website.
Ford Holiday River Parade
When: Friday, November 24, 6 p.m., ticketed event
The 42ndAnnual 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,Holiday Stories, will kick off the San Antonio tradition of ringing in the holiday season. This ticketed parade begins at 6 p.m. at the Tobin Center and arrives later in other areas (check map). It is broadcast live at 7 p.m. at the Arneson River Theatre. For more information, please visit the event website.
Blessings on the River
When: Saturday, November 25, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., FREE
Extend your holiday cheer with an annual performance of Blessings on the River hosted by The Salvation Army of San Antonio. This event will feature local and regional gospel choirs from around Texas performing holiday classics at the Arneson River Theatre. For additional details, please call visit The Salvation Army of San Antonio’s website.
Historic Market Square Events
Location: 514 W. Commerce Street
San Antonio, TX 78207
Directions
Market Square Weekend Programming
When: 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, please visit the Market Square event page.
Celebración Musical
When: Saturday, November 25, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., FREE
On the eve of Fería de Santa Cecilia, visit Historic Market Square for 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, please visit the Market Square website.
Travis Park Events
Location: 301 E. Travis St. Directions
Eat & Play at Travis Park
When: Friday, November 10, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Enjoy a variety of food trucks, music, and activities during this lunchtime event in Travis Park. For more information, please visit the Facebook event page.
Rotary Ice Rink at Travis Park
When: November 17, 2023 – January 15, 2024
The Rotary Ice Rink, presented by Valero, will return this fall at Travis Park in downtown San Antonio. Since 2019, nearly 200,000 people have enjoyed the rink and surrounding festivities. For more information, including hours of operation, pricing, and specials, please visit https://rotaryicerink.com.
H-E-B Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
When: Friday, November 24, 4 p.m. – 9 p.m., tree lighting ceremony at 6 p.m., FREE
Kick-off the holiday festivities with us 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 “The Grinch”! The tree lighting ceremony begins at 6 p.m. followed by the movie screening at 7 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please visit Facebook event page.
Lunch Break on Houston Street
Location: In front of the Majestic Theatre,
224 E. Houston Street,
San Antonio, TX 78207
Directions
When: Thursday, November 16, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Join us on the first and third Thursday of the month for Lunch Break on Houston Street with food trucks and music in front of the Majestic Theatre! For more information, follow@satxfoodtrucks on Instagram.
Plan Ahead
The holiday season is busy in downtown San Antonio – plan ahead! There are numerous street closures in the downtown area as well as the potential for heavy traffic with several large events taking place throughout the month. Take public transportation, ride-share, bike, walk, or consult a navigation and traffic app before you leave. Visit the City's street closure website for more information, and sign up for downtown street closure notices by subscribing to our street closure updates email.
Visitor Parking
Check out the City's SAPark website for easy, convenient, and affordable parking! A full list of City-owned garages, lots and meters can be found here. 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 located at 117 W. Commerce.