Every year, over 122,000 twinkling lights illuminate San Antonio's
River Walk on the first Friday after Thanksgiving. The lighting ceremony marks the official beginning of the Paseo Del Rio Holiday Festivities and is followed by a Parade.
It all starts on 7pm on the Friday night after Thanksgiving. The switch is thrown to illuminate over a hundred thousand twinkling lights that form an enchanting canopy over San Antonio's
River Walk. The Paseo Del Rio Festival is then ushered in with a colorful and flamboyant parade that lasts for an hour. Celebrities ride on illuminated floats with numerous bands and other participants in a parade that has been part of the celebrations for over 20 years.
Tickets for the parade are sold directly by the Paseo Del Rio Association and calling over the phone is the best way to get your hands on them. There is reserved seating available along the parade route for those wanting a better view of the proceedings however, you would need to be really early to get them.
The parade usually has a theme and it is based around Christmas. A crowd of almost 150,000 people gathers around, and along, the
River Walk to watch this spectacle. The parade is also covered by television channels and is broadcast across millions of homes. The lighting spectacle stays up till New Year's Day on the 1st of January. With a plethora of restaurants and other entertainment options available along the
River Walk, an everyday stroll is turned into a breathtaking evening.
