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Holiday festivities continue downtown, some free parking on Tuesdays and Sundays

HEB Christmas tree lights up every night through early January in Travis Park
City of San Antonio
HEB Christmas tree lights up every night through early January in Travis Park

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Holiday celebrations continue in downtown San Antonio well into January 2023.

Events include shopping, ice skating, strolling by the Christmas lights, tamale-making, tuba performances, and fireworks.

The Rotary Ice Rink, presented by Valero, is back at Travis Park through Jan. 16. Since 2019, nearly 200,000 people have enjoyed the rink. For more information, including hours of operation, pricing, and specials, visit http://rotaryicerink.com.

You can see the city's official tree every evening through Jan. 6, 2023, at Travis Park. Adorned with more than 10,000 lights and custom-made ornaments, the 50-foot tree is H-E-B’s gift to the city.

Travis Park is decorated with 250,000 lights made possible by Centro San Antonio.

Every night at the park has a theme. Mondays: Ice sculpting; Tuesdays: Rink Reels Movie Nights; Wednesdays: Jazz in the Park; Thursdays: Yeti It Snow; Fridays: DJ & Food Trucks; Saturdays: Storytime with Santa

Grinchmas Fest has been rescheduled for Sunday, Dec. 11, from 2 to 8 p.m. Admission is free. The Weekend Market at Arbor Park presents Grinchmas Fest featuring holiday shopping, food and drinks, pictures with Santa, special performances, and more. Visitors are encouraged to come as their favorite Grinch character. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.

Every weekend in December, except for Christmas Day, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., visitors can enjoy music, working artists, and food booths at Market Square. For more information, visit the Market Square website.

La Gran Tamalada is Saturday, Dec. 10, and Sunday, Dec. 11, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Market Square. It's also free to enter. Hosted by La Familia Cortez Restaurant, the family-friendly event showcases the history and traditions of tamales. Participants can also enjoy storytelling, take photos with Pancho Claus, sample hot chocolate and listen to live music. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.

Other downtown events include:

La Villita Holiday Bazaar

Sunday, Dec. 11, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., FREE

Shop unique handcrafted items, art, and jewelry created by local artists and artisans. Enjoy holiday music, gourmet treats, hot drinks, and family fun. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.

TubaMeister Christmas Concert

Saturday, Dec. 17, 12 p.m., FREE

Local favorites, the TubaMeisters, present their 2022 Christmas concert at the Arneson River Theatre featuring holiday tunes played by tuba, euphonium, and baritone horn players. For more information, visit the The TubaMeister’s website.

Rico’s River Rally

Tuesday, Dec. 27, 5 p.m., FREE

The San Antonio River Walk plays host to a pep rally to celebrate the Valero Alamobowl. For more information, visit the event website.

Celebrate SA: San Antonio's Official New Year’s Eve Celebration

Saturday, Dec. 31, 6 p.m. – 12 a.m., FREE

The City’s official New Year’s Eve celebration in downtown is produced by the San Antonio Parks Foundation and the City of San Antonio. Enjoy live music, carnival rides, food and drinks, and fireworks show at midnight. For more information, visit the event website.

Lunch Break on Houston Street

Thursday, Dec. 15, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Lunch Break on Houston Street is back. Food trucks and music can be found in front of the Majestic Theatre. For more information, follow @satxfoodtrucks on Instagram.

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. There is also free parking on Sundays from 7 a.m. to midnight at the City Tower Garage located at 117 W. Commerce.

Texas Public Radio is supported by contributors to the Arts & Culture News Desk including The Guillermo Nicolas & Jim Foster Art Fund, Patricia Pratchett, and the V.H. McNutt Memorial Foundation.