Ford Holiday River Parade

Howdy, y’all!! Hope y’all are doing well! Thanksgiving is here. Hope you are all ready for a time of giving thanks and feasting without limit. Well, Thanksgiving is only the beginning of all good things that’s gonna happen in and around our beautiful Texas.

And guess what? it’s time to shout,”Hello, San Antonio!” because it’s that time of the year while the river shines brighter than the stars in the sky.

You guessed it right, San Antonio’s beloved tradition is back this year bigger, better and brighter! The 43rd Annual Ford Holiday River Parade is happening on November 29th! How awesome is that?!

Ford Holiday River Parade

Ford Holiday River Parade is San Antonio’s beautiful tradition that kick-offs the Holiday season for the beautiful city of San Antonio. It is brought to you awesome people of San Antonio and visitors by South Texas Ford Dealers.

The Parade all starts with a pre-parade program for the ticket holders at the point where the parade begins. It is followed by lighting of the River Walk. This is something one shouldn’t miss no matter what. The river and the streets are adorned with 100,000 of dazzling lights that can make your jaw drop! This just gives a tiny sneak peek of all the fun things that gonna happen at the Parade, not to mention the different floats, dances and food (if you reserve your spot at the restaurant!)

Oh guess what? Those lights will stay lit until Jan, 2025!

History

The clear history I would say couldn’t be found anywhere (But worry not, I’ll keep on looking and find something valuable to share). But, yes, the event had a very humble beginning.

The River Walk was officially opened to the public in 1941.

The idea to illuminate the River Walk was first proposed by William “Bill” McCormick, former president of Joske’s of Texas. The main reason for it was, as you would have imagined, to increase consumerism and probably make the downtown San Antonio people’s more favorite place to shop.

McCormick proposed 35,000 lights along the River Walk to draw people to the Downtown Area.

According to the San Antonio River Walk Association (formerly known as the Paseo del Rio Association), the first river lighting ceremony took place on Nov. 28, 1975. This first lighting ceremony couldn’t be made possible without KTSA Radio as the Association ran out of money before they could finish thir job. But KTSA Radio came to the rescue and sold sponsorships of River Walk light builbs to its listeners for 55 cents each.

Today it has turned into an annual tradition, so much so that the Holiday season won’t start for San Antonio until the Ford River Parade kicks it off.

For more info about the history of this parade, I recommend you read this article.

What makes the 2024 Ford Holiday Parade special?

For starters, the theme for this year’s Ford Holiday River Parade is – Toy Box Adventures. Get excited because you may spot a float dedicated to your fav childhood toy/toys. There’ll be dances, songs and much more. You will have a wonderful fun-filled experience no matter your age!

Tobin Center for Performing Arts will be the Grand Marshal for the Ford Holiday River Parade, 2024. This year Tobin Center will also be celebrating its 10-year anniversary of hosting world-class performances enriching the community with beautiful memories, extraordinary artistry and rich culture.

The Board Chair of Tobin Center for Performing Arts and The CEO of Frost Bank, Mr. Phil D. Green, will be leading the River Parade, representing the Tobin Center.

The parade will mesmerize you with 27 beautifully illuminated floats, 5 entertainment floats, and over 100,000 holiday lights (i.e. 2,250 strands) (yup 100,000! You can count them if you don’t believe me. :P) that will adorn the River Walk and the cypress trees along the bank, turning it all into a magical experience from sundown to sunrise until the first week of Jan, 2025.

So, make you sure you visit San Antonio at least once this holiday season!

Date and Location

The four-mile route parade starts at 6 p.m. on Nov. 29 at the Tobin Center. The lighting ceremony of the River Walk will begin at 7 p.m. The parade is expected to end at 9 p.m.

Here’s a quick overview :

• 4 p.m. – River Walk closes for the general public.
• 5 p.m. – River Walk opens its gates for the ticket holders.
• 6 p.m. – Parade begins at the Tobin Center (Area A)
• 6 p.m. To 7 p.m. – There’ll be a pre-parade show for ticket holders at Arneson River Theatre (Area L)
• 7 p.m. – At this time the Lighting of the River Walk ceremony will take place
• 7 p.m. To 8 p.m. – The much awaited parade passes Arneson River Theatre. Santa will be on the last float.

The parade will be broadcasted live from 7:05 p.m from Arneson River Theatre

Featuring Floats

There’ll be 27 Floats passing you by in this year’s Ford River Parade! (plus 5 surprise entertainment floats)

The list of all floats in order of the arrival are as follows:

1. Grand Marshal – Will be featuring Lite Brite
2. Tobin Center – Will be featuring Loteria
3. Cavender Cares – Will be featuring Lincoln Logs
4. City Of San Antonio Mayor and City Council – Will be featuring East Bake Oven
5. JW Marriott Resort & Spa – Will be featuring Animals, Books and Dolls
6. Perry Homes – Will be featuring Tinker Toys
7. Royal Public Schools – Will be featuring Chess
8. Fiesta San Antonio Commission – Will be featuring Malibu Barbie
9. Hampton Inn & Suites – Will be featuring Art Kit
10. Drury Plaza Hotel – Will be featuring Monopoly
11. PuroClean – Will be featuring CandyLand
12. Eva’s Heroes – Will be featuring Paddington Bear
13. Longhorn Steak House – Will be featuring Vintage Toys
14. Fiesta Flambeau Parade – Will be featuring Tetris
15. Margaritaville – Will be featuring Lightsabers
16. Dance & Drum con Orgullo – Will be featuring Barrel of Monkeys
17. Texas Cavaliers – Will be featuring Toy Soldiers
18. Rey Feo Scholarship Foundation – Will be featuring Dominoes
19. Landry’s Group – Will be featuring G.I. Joe
20. SeaWorld San Antonio – Will be featuring Baby Toys
21. San Antonio Hospitality Foundation – Will be featuring Deck of Cards
22. San Antonio River Walk – Will be featuring Battleship
23. San Antonio Zoo – Will be featuring Hot Wheels
24. Go Rio Cruises – Will be featuring Rock ’em Sock ’em Robots
25. Majestic Theatre – Will be featuring Peter Pan
26. Legoland Discovery Center – Will be featuring Legos
27. South Texas Ford Dealers – Will be featuring Rudolph & Santa’s Workshop

Ticket Reservations

Seating is available on a 4-mile route on the River Walk, including the historic Arneson River Theatre at La Villita Historic Arts Village. Tickets will start from $12.50 and $40 depending on the seat you’re booking.

For more additional details on the parade and tickets, click here.

Need help booking tickets and find best seats? Visit here. Most of the seats are already booked, but who knows you might get extra blessed this Holiday season!

Restaurants Offer Dinner and Ticket Packages

Who wouldn’t like a beautiful evening enjoying San Antonio’s favorite Parade while enjoying your favorite dish in a cold Texas evening in the embrace of those dazzling lights?!

Here are the hotels/dinning areas (restaurant patio) alongside the river that provide the best of dining experiences and the best of views (Look for hotels along the river) so you can witness San Antonio’s 43rd Annual Ford Holiday River Parade. Most of them might be booked already, so reserve your spot ASAP!

1. Paesanos River Walk
2. Dick’s Last Resort
3. Iron Cactus Mexican Restaurant and Margarita Bar
4. Rainforest Cafe
5. Zocca Cuisine D’Italia
6. Cafe Ole
7. Hilton Palacio del Rio
8. Morton’s The Steakhouse
9. Acenar
10. Fogo De Chao
11. Hotel Contessa
12. Thompson
13. Range Tuscan Italian
14. Biga
15. Omni Hotels & Restaurant
16. Cavalier
17. The Republic of Texas Restaurant
18. Hard Rock Cafe
19. Magaritaville
    

Other Seating Options and Parking

There are several free viewing areas along the route (East side of the River Walk between Pecan Street and Richmond Ave. ) where you can bring your own chair. This space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Children 2 years of age or older will need a ticket.

Heads up, y’all, strollers, carriers or ice chests are not allowed at the River Walk for the event.

Is One Day Of Fun Even Enough?

But is one day of this magical experience is enough? I think, no!

Although, The parade won’t be happening until next year but hey, the River Parade marks of all the good things in store for us! There’s more festive event and activities lined up to keep you busy making beautiful memories throughout the holiday season. I’ll keep y’all update about all the City of San Antonio has in store for y’all!

Conclusion

The Ford Holiday River Parade doesn’t fail to give the visitors an experience of a lifetime. Not only does it kick off the holiday season, but it also brings the community together, filling up the air with a sense of unity, joy and celebration making it totally worth a visit.

* We don’t own any of the images displayed. They belong to their respective owners. They are used here purely for illustration purposes in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107. (Please contact us if you are the owner of the image and want us to take it down from our website.)

Other Holiday Specials You Don’t Wanna Miss Out