SAN ANTONIO – The best thing about a fresh start is looking forward to new things and experiences.
Now that 2023 is behind us, there are plenty of things to be excited about in 2024.
Here are some of the biggest events in San Antonio that you’ll want to mark on your new calendars.
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January
MLK March: One of the country’s biggest MLK Day marches takes place in San Antonio. This year’s event kicks off at 10 a.m. on Jan. 15 from the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Academy and will be followed by a celebration at Pittman-Sullivan Park.
DreamWeek: The annual city-wide DreamWeek summit will take place from Jan. 12-28 with symposiums, panel discussions, debates, film screenings, concerts and art exhibits at more than 100 locations throughout the city.
Culinaria Restaurant Weeks: The Winter Restaurant Weeks are scheduled for Jan. 15-27 with some of the city’s most popular restaurants offering three-course prix fix menus during the bi-annual event.
U.S. Mens National Team in San Antonio: The U.S. Men’s National Team will open its 2024 schedule with a friendly against Slovenia at 2 p.m. on Jan. 20 at Toyota Field.
Cowboy Breakfast: The long-held tradition of the Cowboy Breakfast is returning in 2024 for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s now an official rodeo event. It will be held on Jan. 26 at 142 Gembler Road and will be a kickoff to the Rodeo BBQ Cookoff that takes place the same weekend.
Stable Hall Opening: The transformed, historic music venue at Pearl will open to the public with a free showcase on Jan. 13.
February
Mardi Gras Festival & Parade: There will be two chances to view the Mardi Gras Parade on Feb. 10. Twelve themed floats will carry costumed performers down the San Antonio River first at 2 p.m. on the Museum Reach section of the River Walk and then at 5 p.m. in the downtown area. The festival will be held at the Arneson from 1- 6 p.m.
San Antonio Coffee Festival: The 11th annual caffeine fest will take place on Feb. 10 at Travis Park. Tickets are expected to go on sale soon.
San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo: The Stock Show & Rodeo is one of San Antonio’s signature annual events. The 2024 event will be held Feb. 8-25 at the Frost Bank Center/Freeman Coliseum fairgrounds with a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) rodeo, livestock show and carnival. Each rodeo will culminate with a concert.
March
St. Patrick’s Festival, River Parade & River Dyeing: The city’s St. Patrick’s festivities are scheduled on March 16 & 17 along the River Walk and at La Villita Historic Village.
Theme Parks Open for Spring Break: SeaWorld and Fiesta Texas will open during the week for Spring Break. SeaWorld will be open March 1-17 for Spring Break and then Thursday-Sunday until summer. Fiesta Texas will be open March 9-16 and then resume its weekend-only schedule until mid-May.
Passion Play: The annual Good Friday tradition will take place on March 29.
April
Great Texas Air Show: JBSA will host the airshow on April 6-7 at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. This year’s show will feature the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.
Valero Texas Open: The Valero Texas Open will bring some of the world’s best PGA TOUR players to the Alamo City from April 1-8 at The Oaks course near the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa.
Total Eclipse: While last October’s Annular Eclipse was very cool, there’s an even more spectacular solar eclipse happening in 2024. On April 8, Texas will be in the path of a rare total solar eclipse. Parts of San Antonio and the Hill Country will see totality around 1:30 p.m. and it will last for several minutes. It’s not something you’ll want to miss because the next total solar eclipse that will be visible from the contiguous U.S. won’t occur until Aug. 23, 2044.
Poteet Strawberry Festival: The annual festival celebrating strawberries will be held April 12-14.
Fiesta: San Antonio’s biggest party of the year will take place from April 18-28. There will be dozens of festivals and events over the 10 days including Fiesta’s signature parades — The Texas Cavaliers River Parade, Battle of Flowers Parade and the Fiesta Flambeau Parade.
May
Cornyval: The Helotes Cornyval festival combines four days of food, dancing, music, rodeo, arts and crafts, carnival rides and contests in a family-friendly environment. It’s scheduled for May 2-5.
Tejano Conjunto Festival: The 42nd annual Tejano Conjunto Festival will take place May 15-19.
Republican Party of Texas Convention: The state convention will be held May 23-25 at the Henry B. González Convention Center.
Theme Parks Open for the Summer: Fiesta Texas will open daily for the summer season on May 16. Schlitterbahn will open on weekends in May until the 23rd when it will open daily for the summer season. SeaWorld opens 7-days a week for the summer season starting Memorial Day weekend.
June
Juneteenth Festival: On June 15, the San Antonio Juneteenth Commission will host its annual festival at Comanche Park No. 2. There will also be a prayer breakfast at 9 a.m. on June 8 at the Witte Museum, and a golf tournament on June 18 at the Club at Sonterra.
Pride Week: No details have been released yet, but you can check the website as the date gets closer to find out what’s in store for the 2024 Pride Week San Antonio.
Pride Bigger Than Texas: The 2024 Pride Festival and Parade will mark its 21st anniversary on June 29.
July
4th of July Celebrations: Independence Day lands on a Thursday in 2024. The official City of San Antonio celebration will take place at Woodlawn Lake, though specifics on time and activities have not yet been released. Several other cities in the Bexar County area also typically hold their own fireworks displays, festivals and parades.
August
Ford Parade of Lights: The San Antonio River downtown will be illuminated by floats the last weekend of August and the first weekend of September for the Ford Parade of Lights. From 8-10 p.m. on Aug. 30-Sept. 1, and Sept. 6-8, 10 to 12 floats will have different themes and props. The event is free and open to the public.
September
Jazz’SAlive Festival: The free music festival has yet to announce its dates for 2024. You can keep up with the event, which will celebrate its 41st year in 2024, on the San Antonio Parks Foundation’s website.
October
Luminaria: Details about the date, location and theme have yet to be released, but you can stay up to date on 2024′s Luminaria through its website. This year marks the 16th anniversary of the arts and music festival.
San Antonio Beer Festival: The 18th annual beer festival is on the schedule for Oct. 19. While the location is to be determined, tickets are already up for grabs.
Zoo Boo: This event technically starts in September (on the 16th) but it runs through the full month of October. Zoo Boo is a family-friendly Halloween event that is included with standard zoo admission.
Dia De Los Muertos Fest: The dates, locations and performers have yet to be announced for MuertosFest, which typically takes place in October ahead of Día de Muertos, Day of the Dead. Día de Muertos is celebrated Nov. 1-2.
November
DiwaliSA: DiwaliSA is a free festival of lights that takes place in November in downtown. The event is a way to celebrate the traditions of India. The City of San Antonio and Anuja SA cohost the festival, which also highlights San Antonio’s sister-city agreement with Chennai, India.
Wurstfest: The New Braunfels tradition will take place from Nov. 1-10 on the Wurstfest Grounds in Landa Park. Advanced ticket sales will open online on Sept. 1.
Holiday River Parade and Lighting Ceremony: The city’s official kickoff of the holiday season will take place on Friday, Nov. 29, the day after Thanksgiving. The 43rd annual parade will feature illuminated floats, and the event is accompanied by the lighting of the River Walk and the H-E-B Christmas tree.
December
Zoo Lights: The San Antonio Zoo is transformed into a winter wonderland from mid-November through December with holiday lights and music. The Zoo Lights event is included with standard zoo admission.
Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon: The biggest running event of the year in the Alamo City is planned for the first weekend of December. The Rock ‘N’ Roll weekend includes a 5K and 10K on Dec. 7 and a half-marathon and full-marathon on Dec. 8. Registration is now open.
Valero Alamo Bowl: While the teams for the big bowl game won’t be set until the late fall 2024 season, the Alamodome will host a team from the Pac-12 and Big 12 conferences in late December.
Celebrate SA: On to 2025! Celebrate SA is the city’s official New Year’s Eve party, and it always takes place downtown. Along with fireworks, there will be live music and food and drink vendors.
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