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December 23, 2025
There's something magical about San Antonio during the holidays. Maybe it's the way those 200,000 lights reflect off the River Walk, or how the whole city seems to slow down just enough to appreciate the season. Living out here in Von Ormy means we get the best of both worlds, peaceful evenings at home and easy access to all the festivities downtown.
I've spent the last few weeks checking out what's happening around town this winter, and honestly? We're spoiled for choice. Whether you're the type who loves a good drive-through light show or you'd rather bundle up and walk through a botanical garden at night, there's something here that'll make your holiday season feel special.
We know the River Walk is touristy. But there's a reason people keep coming back, especially during the holidays. This year they've outdone themselves, the cypress trees are absolutely covered in lights, and when you're walking underneath them with the water on both sides, it feels like you've stepped into a different world.
The lights went up after the big parade on November 28, and they'll stay through January 11. Here's the thing most people don't realize: it's free. Completely free.
From Enclave at Medina, it's about 25 minutes to get downtown. It's become one of those little traditions that makes living here feel right.
The Botanical Garden's Illuminate display is worth the trip. It runs from November 21 through January 11, same window as the River Walk lights.
What we love about this one is how they've integrated the lights into the actual landscape. You're walking through these trails, and suddenly there's a massive glowing sculpture, or the trees are lit up in a way that makes them look almost otherworldly.
It's about 30 minutes from Enclave at Medina. Makes for a solid date night, quieter than downtown, but still festive. And if you've got kids who are bouncing off the walls with holiday energy, the walking helps burn some of that off.
Sometimes you just want to stay in your warm car with your hot chocolate and still see pretty lights.
Over on Roft Road, Lights Alive has a whole setup where you drive through a mile of synchronized lights, the music is timed to the light displays. And if you do want to get out, they've got a Winter Wonderland festival area with games, food trucks, and a 50-foot light tree you can control from your phone.
The other drive-through option, this is a tunnel of lights, all synced to holiday music. They're open every night through January 4. It's completely cashless, it moves pretty quick, and it's become a go-to when family visits. Easy, impressive, done in 30-90 minutes.
Both of these are 20-30 minutes from Enclave at Medina, which means you can decide on a whim. "Hey, want to see some lights?"
While the River Walk gets most of the attention, Houston Street is where a lot of the actual holiday action happens. The whole downtown area from Thanksgiving through early January is very festive.
This is where you'll find holiday shopping, pop-up markets, street performers doing their thing. It's the kind of place where you can spend a whole afternoon just wandering around. Grab lunch, do some shopping, take way too many photos, grab dinner, then walk over to the River Walk for the lights.
The nice thing about living in Von Ormy is that we can do all this and then come home to peace and quiet.
The San Antonio Zoo does their own light display, and it's particularly good if you've got younger kids.
Shows, lights, the works. It's a full day of activities, but if you're already passholders or thinking about going, the holiday version is worth timing your visit around.
This one's a bit of a drive outside the city, but it's unique, they light up actual cave systems. If you've done all the in-town stuff and want something different, it's worth the trip.
After a day of festival-hopping, coming home to a quiet street and a spacious house with a real yard? That's the move. You can put up your own lights, let the dog run around, host people without feeling cramped. The community amenities are nice year-round, but there's something about having access to outdoor space during the holidays that makes everything feel more relaxed.
Living at Enclave at Medina means we're close enough to everything San Antonio offers that we can be spontaneous about it, but we're not drowning in it every day.
The floor plans here actually give you room to breathe. You can host holiday dinners without everyone being on top of each other. You can put up a real tree without it taking over the whole living room. And if you've got a dog, they've got their own space to hang out while you're entertaining.
During the holidays especially, when everything feels like it's moving at 100 miles an hour, having a home that feels like an actual retreat makes all the difference.
We could keep listing festivals and events, but at some point you just need to get out there. San Antonio does the holidays right, there's a reason people travel here for this stuff. The fact that we get to live 20 minutes away and enjoy it all without the downtown chaos? That's the whole point.
If you're thinking about making San Antonio home, or if you're already here and looking for a place that gives you the space and location to actually enjoy what the city offers, come check out Enclave at Medina. The location alone is worth it, but it's everything else, the space, the quiet, the community, that makes it feel like home.
Schedule a tour especially during the holidays, you'll get a real sense of what it's like to live here. And who knows? Maybe next year you'll be the one making Thursday night River Walk walks your thing.
