Tis the season to “ooh” and “ahh” whereas gazing upon cheerful Christmas lights — except you’re a Scrooge, that’s!
Right here in San Antonio, choices abound for having fun with the traditional vacation exercise, together with the shows on the Alamo, the River Stroll, the Zoo, SeaWorld, Six Flags and neighborhoods that go all-out, specifically Windcrest.
You can even enterprise simply exterior metropolis limits for much more choices, together with Crumbling Fort Lights, downtown Boerne’s mild show, Pure Bridge Caverns, Santa’s Ranch and extra.
Some are open solely on choose days, nevertheless. Examine the web site so you recognize when to go. We additionally suggest bringing a flask of grownup eggnog for individuals who are naughty and need to really feel good.
Crumbling Fort Lights
571 FM 289, Consolation, crumblingcastlelights.com.
Situated simply exterior of San Antonio, Crumbling Fort Lights is a really magical drive-through lights expertise. 5 distinctive tunnels and 1000’s of individually wrapped bushes illuminate over 30 acres. The property additionally has over one mile of enchanted forested path. Use coupon code CASTLE2025 for $5 off the ticket value on-line.
Windcrest
Testing the Christmas lights in Windcrest is an unofficial custom for a lot of San Antonians. Loads of Windcrest residents go all out, together with one household that took dwelling the $50,000 grand prize on ABC’s The Nice Christmas Gentle Struggle in 2021 for his or her over-the-top vacation show.
Lightscape on the San Antonio Botanical Backyard
555 Funston Place, (210) 536-1400, sabot.org/lightscape.
Billed as a “vacation strolling path,” Lightscape transforms the grounds of the San Antonio Botanical Backyard right into a twinkling wonderland that may be explored on choose evenings from Nov. 19-Jan. 2. Guests can get pleasure from illuminated artwork items together with a subject of light-up bluebonnets, and amp up their vacation spirit with festive meals and drinks. Photograph by Jaime Monzon
Boerne
Downtown Boerne, boerne.tx.us.
The town of Boerne will get much more picturesque throughout the vacation season. Along with cute lights within the metropolis heart, Boerne’s residents additionally battle it out for who has probably the most festive show every year as a part of the Boerne Parade of Lights. These homes make for the right little spot to get pleasure from lights with out coping with crowds or entrance charges.
SeaWorld
10500 Sea World Dr., (210) 520-4732, seaworld.com.
Even for folk that don’t normally go to SeaWorld, the park’s vacation choices are one thing particular. Now via Jan. 2, 2024, locals have the possibility to take a look at the park all decked out for its annual Christmas Celebration. SeaWorld is remodeled right into a wintery, however watery, wonderland with Christmas exhibits, music performances, Santa Claus appearances, festive meals and — after all — vacation mild shows.
Pure Bridge Caverns
26495 Pure Bridge Caverns Street, (210) 651-6101, naturalbridgecaverns.com.
Expertise Christmas on a complete new stage — actually. On choose nights beginning Dec. 6, friends will discover vacation lights scattered concerning the grounds in addition to enjoyable actions like caroling within the caverns, story time with Mrs. Claus and a maze to seek out Santa’s reindeer.
Six Flags Fiesta Texas
17000 IH-10 West, sixflags.com.
The annual Vacation within the Park is a superb time to go to Fiesta Texas. This enchanting expertise brings holiday-themed sights, sounds, tastes and sights (together with Christmas lights) to the park on choose nights via December 23. There’s additionally the Winter Wonderland, which lets guests get their repair of snow. In the event you cease by, make sure that to take a experience on the Vacation Specific and catch a number of the reside leisure excellent for the season.
The Historic Pearl
303 Pearl Parkway, atpearl.com.
Within the coronary heart of the Historic Pearl friends will discover a tall, decked out Christmas tree that they might need to get a number of selfies in entrance of. Other than a photoshoot, guests may also hit up numerous vacation occasions taking place on the hotspot together with holiday-themed Film Mondays, a Chanukah Village and weekly Vacation Night time Markets.
Santa’s Ranch
9561 I-35 North, New Braunfels, (830) 743-1293, santasranch.com.
Open each day via Jan. 4, this long-running mild show is only a fast journey away in New Braunfels. Guests can keep heat within the automotive as they take a drive via greater than a mile of Christmas mild shows which fluctuate from blankets of lights to specialised designs, and treats like scorching cocoa and kettle corn can be found to get pleasure from throughout the experience.
Marble Falls Walkway of Lights
Lakeside Park, 305 Buena Vista Drive, Marble Falls, (844) 635-4448, visitmarblefalls.org/christmas-season.
The Marble Falls Walkway of Lights is an effective way for locals to take a brief drive to get away and luxuriate in some seasonal goodness. The show options 2 million lights and over 350 lighted sculptures, and is open nightly from 6-10 p.m. via Dec. 31.
The Alamo
300 Alamo Plaza, thealamo.org.
The bushes across the Alamo are wrapped with Christmas lights every year. And with the current unveiling of the renovated cenotaph, there’s much more purpose to go to Alamo Plaza this 12 months. You can even buy a Gentle of Tribute to honor or bear in mind a liked one by making a donation of $10 or extra to the Keep in mind the Alamo Basis. Lights of Tribute will probably be displayed December 23 via 25.
Outdated West Christmas Gentle Fest
242 State Freeway 46 W. Unit C, Boerne, (830) 215-0686, christmaslightfest.com.
Simply up the highway in Boerne is Enchanted Springs Ranch, which hosts the Outdated West Christmas Gentle Fest every year. The magic of the vacations will probably be alive with this Texas-themed mild show that’s synchronized to particular tunes. Along with admiring the lights, attendees can roast s’mores over a campfire and luxuriate in reside music! The Christmas Gentle Fest is open on choose dates till Dec. 23.
Museum Attain River of Lights
Museum Attain, sariverauthority.org.
It isn’t simply the downtown portion of the River Stroll that will get the vacation therapy. The San Antonio River Authority’s annual Museum Attain River of Lights extends the Christmas cheer additional down the river. The vacation season kicks off on Dec. 3 &10 with the annual Holly Jolly Kayaking occasion, adopted by the River of Lights celebration on Dec. 13.
Wimberley’s Path of Lights
1101 FM 2325, Wimberley, emilyann.org.
A brief drive away in Wimberley, is a free vacation show offered alongside a strolling path that wends its method via eight acres of lighted reveals. There’s additionally reside music and concessions like scorching chocolate with marshmallows and frito pie for guests to get pleasure from whereas they stroll the trail and soak up all of the lights.The attraction, which is supported by donations, is open till Dec. 26 this 12 months.
San Antonio Zoo
3903 N St Mary’s Road, (210) 734-7184, sazoo.org.
Zoo Lights returns so that you and your family members can hit up this jam-packed Christmas providing. The annual occasion is again with winter wonderland full with twinkling lights, camel rides, scorching cocoa, s’mores, cookie-decorating with Mrs. Claus and visits with Santa. Zoo Lights is open now via January 4.Photograph by way of Instagram / sanantoniozoo
The San Antonio River Stroll
Sure, it may be a little bit claustrophobic with all these vacationers, however the River Stroll continues to be a sight to behold throughout the holidays. For the most effective vacation mild viewing, park at River Middle, get your parking validated and go all the way down to river stage from the mall entrance.
Lights Alive
5931 Roft Street, seelightsalive.com.
Enterprise out to Alamo Ranch to get pleasure from an enormous drive-thru mild show, synchronized with music to finish the present. If that’s not sufficient, the attraction additionally options quite a lot of actions that even consists of escape rooms and axe throwing. The show is open nightly via Dec. 31, together with holidays.
Westover Discipline of Lights
9340 Westover Hills Blvd., (210) 523-1505, westoverlights.com.
At Westover Sports activities Complicated friends can view a walk-through mild present with over 300,000 lights synchronized to traditional Christmas music and get a free printed picture with Santa at his workshop. This illuminated expertise additionally presents free video games, and concessions can be found for buy on website. The Discipline of Lights is open on weekends from Dec. 4-20 this 12 months.
College of the Incarnate Phrase
4301 Broadway, uiw.edu/lighttheway.
Now via January 6, lights will adorn the College of the Incarnate Phrase. You’ll discover lights nestled in quite a few bushes that illuminate this historic campus.
The Gentle Park
1 Retama Parkway, thelightpark.com.
Each day via New Yr’s Day, The Gentle Park presents a drive-thru vacation mild present at Retama Park in Selma. The present options thousands and thousands of lights synchronized to an electrical mixture of music powered by DJ Polar Ice from the North Pole’s #1 Hit Radio station, Okay-GLO, in a mile-long collection of shows and tunnels. Visitors can choose up foods and drinks on website and expertise the show from the consolation of their autos.
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