San Antonio's Holiday Light Displays: Parades, Lighting Ceremonies, Tours and More

One of the reasons my family moved to the Houston area was that it was so convenient to so many other interesting cities in Texas. Just this morning, we planned one of our weekend get-a-ways to the city of San Antonio. Since it is Thanksgiving weekend, I decided to see if San Antonio can best Houston in its offering of holiday entertainment.

Possibly most well-known on the San Antonio Winter Holiday scene is the FORD Holiday Parade and Lighting Ceremony, which has taken place for over 20 years. This lighting ceremony takes place on Friday, November 23, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. Approximately 150,000 people will line the River Walk to participate in the lighting ceremony which is the official beginning of the Paseo Del Rio Holiday Festival. A thrown switch and the River Walk lights will form a canopy of approximately 122,000 ornamental lights. The holiday parade, themed this year A Musical Christmas, is approximately one hour long and features decorated floats, celebrities and costumed participants. Admission tickets are $10, $15, and $18.00. The $20.00 tickets are sold out. Tickets are not available online, but by calling the Paseo Del Rio Association at 210-227-4262. Don't feel like fighting the crowd at the parade after fighting the crowds all day while shopping? That's ok, the parade and lighting ceremony are also televised so you can pour yourself a drink, pop some popcorn and enjoy the festivities from the comfort of your home.