Dec 15, 2023 - Things to Do

San Antonio's River Walk holiday lights, by the numbers

Madalyn Mendoza

Trees are lit-up with holiday lights over a barge on the San Antonio River Walk. — A view of the lights from the water. Photo: Madalyn Mendoza/Axios

Whether it's on postcards, in travel commercials, in that "Selena" scene or etched deep in the hearts of visitors, the River Walk's annual holiday lights are a classic Texas memory.

Context: From November to January, thousands of lights are draped from trees lining the river creating a kaleidoscope of colors on the water. It's a tradition that dates back to the mid-1970s.

Visitors can enjoy the lights on foot, on a barge tour or tableside at one of the many River Walk restaurants.

By the numbers: We chatted with tourism and River Walk experts to round up some interesting stats to impress your friends and family with the next time you're downtown.

There are about 100,000 lights draped from 200 trees.
One person, Raul Reyes, makes sure the lights are in working order before installation.
Last holiday season, out of the 1.3 million visitors to San Antonio between Nov. 25 and Jan. 8, 921,500 had the opportunity to witness the downtown lights.
Go Rio, the company that operates the barge tours, sold 90,898 tickets in November 2022. That number shot up to 150,403 last December.

Yes, but: The ticket sales do not include third-party vendors or special holiday tours, so the totals could be higher.

What they're saying: "The holidays in San Antonio are unlike any other city. Year after year, locals and visitors are immersed in the holiday spirit when they take a stroll on the River Walk or river cruise under the holiday lights," Visit San Antonio CEO Marc Anderson tells Axios.

What's next: The lights will shine bright until Jan. 7.

Be sure to have your ID ready to take advantage of the $12.50 resident admission.

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San Antonio's River Walk holiday lights, by the numbers

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