Downtown San Antonio's first-ever Fourth of July extravaganza begins

The big picture: Events like free movies, parades, live music, historic tours, picnics, reenactments and a drone show are planned each day this week.

• Patriotic decorations — including lamppost banners honoring local military members — will cover Houston Street, from Legacy Park to the Alamo.

Zoom in: Thursday through Sunday events are the centerpiece of the celebration.

• A street parade with classic cars, including military and fire trucks, will take over Houston Street on Thursday at 11am.
• Multiple live music performances are planned at the Alamo on Friday. The night will end with a Pat Green-narrated drone show illuminating the sky over the landmark.
• Salute at Sunset, a river parade with barges honoring every military branch, happens Thursday through Sunday.

Between the lines: Stars and Stripes is a collaboration between the city of San Antonio, Centro San Antonio, Visit San Antonio and the Alamo to create more experiences downtown.

Flashback: The inaugural Holidays on Houston celebration offered similar events last December.

• 45,000 people wandered through the holiday market and events during the three-day schedule, according to Visit San Antonio.

What they're saying: The upcoming events build on the success of Holidays on Houston, Centro San Antonio CEO Trish DeBerry said in a statement.

• "The positive response to these events demonstrates that our residents and visitors want a more vibrant downtown San Antonio," she said.

What we're watching: Other celebrations that may pop up downtown.

• The collaboration will continue to introduce new events to bring visitors and locals together downtown for the holidays, DeBerry said.

What's next: Explore the full calendar of downtown Fourth of July events here.