Where to See Holiday Lights in San Antonio

One of my favorite memories growing up was getting in the car, cranking up the holiday music, and driving around with my family as we oohed and ahhed over twinkling holiday lights. I am excited to continue this tradition with my own family and have done quite a bit of research to find the best holiday lights in San Antonio! There are many great ones, and if I missed any, let me know in the comments. Happy holidays!

Where to See Holiday Lights in San Antonio

Zoo Lights-Holiday Nights

  • Where: San Antonio Zoo3903 N. St. Mary’s St., San Antonio, TX 78212 | (210) 734-7184
  • When: November 26–December 27, 6:00–10:00 P.M. (closed December 24th and 25th)
  • Cost: $12.25 per non-member, $10.25 per member
  • Thousands of lights adorn the San Antonio Zoo to create a magical holiday experience. There are games and activities for the kids as well as a chance to have your child’s picture taken with Santa and decorate cookies with his significant other, Mrs. Claus. There will also be a Wishing Tree set up inside Beastro Restaurant where you can purchase an ornament for $10 and sponsor a child’s trip to the zoo—a nice way to give back this holiday season!

Christmas Light Fest at the Don Strange Ranch

  • Where: 103 Waring Welfare Rd., Boerne, TX 78006 | (210) 434-2340
  • When: November 27–January 3, Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays, 6:00–10:00 P.M. and Sundays–Thursdays, 6:00–9:00 P.M.
  • Cost: $27 per vehicle or $60 for a season pass
  • There are over two million lights at Don Strange Ranch, making it one of the best displays of holiday lights in South Texas. Located just north of San Antonio in Boerne, Christmas Light Fest is an experience your child won’t forget! Besides admiring the lights, there are plenty of activities and food for both children and adults. A portion of the admission price is given back to community organizations Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas and Heartland Children’s Home.

Ford Fiesta De Las Luminarias

  • Where: The River Walk | (210) 227-4262
  • When: December 4–20, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only, at dusk
  • Cost: Free
  • Ford Fiesta De Las Luminarias features more than 6,000 luminarias, which are candles in sand-filled bags, along the San Antonio River. These are part of the Mexican Christmas tradition of “lighting the way” for the holy family. Teams of volunteers make this display possible for the citizens of San Antonio to enjoy every holiday season.

Ford Holiday River Parade and Lighting Ceremony

  • Where: The River Walk | (210) 227-4262
  • When: November 27, 7:00–9:00 P.M.
  • Cost: Tickets range from $15–$30 per person
  • There is something so special about the entire city of San Antonio coming together to celebrate the holiday season through this annual River Parade and lighting of the River Walk. This year’s parade features 28 floats and former Mayor of San Antonio Julian Castro as the Grand Marshall. A trip downtown to see this parade is a great way to kick off the holiday season. If you can’t make the parade, don’t worry—the lights will be up through December for everyone to enjoy.

Windcrest Light Up

  • Where: City of Windcrest8601 Midcrown, Windcrest, TX 78239 | (210) 655-0022
  • When: December 8–31, nightly
  • Cost: Free
  • The Windcrest Light Up holiday light display is truly one of a kind. For 57 years, the residents of Windcrest have been outdoing themselves with intricate and awesome holiday lights and decorations. Houses are decked to the nines, and there are several competitions including “Best Mailbox” and “Most Creative Lighting.” There is an opening ceremony the night of December 8th. and the theme for this year is “Sleigh Bells and Cowboy Boots.”

Light the Way at University of the Incarnate Word

  • Where: University of the Incarnate Word, 4301 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209 | (210) 829-6001
  • When: November 21–January 2, nightly
  • Cost: Free
  • The holiday lights at University of the Incarnate Word are truly stunning. The entire campus is covered in sparkling lights, and the public is free to take a walking tour through the beautiful buildings and trees. If you haven’t been on the campus, it’s a good idea to check out a map before you go. Another fun tip is that this year there is an official hashtag for social media: #LTW2015.

Santa’s Ranch

  • Where: Santa’s Ranch, 9561 I-35 N., New Braunfels, TX 78130 | (830) 743-1293
  • When: November 6–January 2, Sundays–Thursdays, 6:00–10:00 P.M. and Fridays and Saturdays, 6:00–11:00 P.M.
  • Cost: $28 + tax per vehicle or $56 + tax per vehicle for a season pass
  • Located in New Braunfels, Santa’s Ranch is a drive-through holiday light display situated on over a mile of country road. There are lights as well as animated displays. This is a perfect option for a cold winter night! Food and beverages are available for purchase.

Christmas in Cuero

  • Where: 201 Leonard Roy Harmon Dr., Cuero, TX 77954 | (361) 275-8178
  • When: November 23–January 1, nightly from 6:00–10:00 P.M.
  • Cost: Free (donations are accepted)
  • The 16th annual Christmas in Cuero kicks off with an event, Christmas in the Park, on Monday, November 23. The self-guided driving tour features more than 130 holiday light displays! Every Thursday in December is a Free Hot Chocolate night, and there is a live nativity display Thursday, December 17–Sunday, December 20. You can find out more info on the Christmas in Cuero Facebook page.[hr]

For more local information about the holidays, check out our posts about Holiday Events in San Antonio and Where to See Santa in San Antonio!

 

Lindsay
Lindsay is the co-founder of Alamo City Moms Blog. A native New Orleanian, Lindsay found her way to the Alamo City via her husband, Steven, who is a born and raised San Antonian. She is a mom to three young children. Lindsay earned her B.A. in Psychology from Rhodes College and her M.A. in Early Childhood Education from UTSA. She was a preschool and first-grade teacher for 10 years and is now a Reading Specialist and Dyslexia Therapist.

1 COMMENT

  1. Hi Lindsay!
    I just saw your article about Christmas lights in San Antonio and wanted to let you know that our city now has its first Christmas light drive thru venue! I am one of the owners of Elf Acres…our venue features hundreds of thousands of lights, animated displays and music during the drive thru. We even have a large area of lights synchronized to music! I would love to talk with you further about our venue and how to be added to the list or possibly be a topic of a blog. We also invite you to come check us out free of charge so you can see what we have! Thanks and I look forward to talking with you soon! 210-643-8662.

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