SAN ANTONIO – It’s as much a part of the holiday tradition for some San Antonians as Easter baskets and chocolate bunnies.
Camping out at city parks for the long weekend has become a staple for some local families.
To make it happen, some of them are already staking their claims early, roping off sections of land, including areas of Brackenridge Park, where they plan to hold their celebrations.
Brackenridge is one of several parks where the city will be lifting a curfew on overnight camping.
In most cases, families will begin pitching their tents and sleeping outdoors Thursday night.
As of Tuesday morning, though, many like John Daigle were not leaving anything to chance.
“This whole intersection had, like, a car show going through. They have live music over there. There’s people walking around all over. It’s very hard to find parking,” he said, reflecting on his experience last year.
Daigle stopped by Brackenridge Park on Tuesday on his way to work and began using red plastic tape, emblazoned with the word “danger” on it, to map out a section surrounding a picnic table.
“Four or five of us will probably camp out or fish, and that’s about it. But the whole family comes through during the day,” he said, describing the celebration his family has planned.
After camping in the park for several years in a row, Daigle said he knows his family will have plenty of company.
However, Jaden Montez, who recently moved to town from Bryan, Texas, is still learning the ropes.
He stopped by the park after learning about the holiday camping situation on social media.
“I’ve never really seen a place where you can camp at a (city) park just for fun and all that. So it’s new for me,” Montez said.
When he arrived, Montez said he was surprised to see how many of the prime areas for camping had already been claimed.
Still, he remained hopeful for a fun family gathering.
“I know this park is really big and it has a lot of space, so I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to find something before everything’s taken,” Montez said.
Technically, campers are supposed to wait until Thursday morning to claim their locations in the park.
A spokesperson for the city’s Parks and Recreation department, Connie Swann, said in an email that spaces are claimed on a first-come, first-served basis.
However, she also wrote that “the City cannot guarantee that chaining chairs to picnic tables will save that space in advance of the Easter curfew lift.”
Among the individual plans people seem to have across the board for the celebration are barbecues, breaking cascarones and enjoying family time.
Organized events seem to vary from park to park.
Campers at Brackenridge Park will be treated to entertainment beginning Friday afternoon, courtesy of the Brackenridge Park Conservancy.
“(We are) going to be hosting live music, Easter egg hunts,” said Erin Quintanilla with the conservancy.
Additionally, she said there will karaoke Friday and Saturday nights.
As with every party, though, there is a need for a cleanup crew.
While city Parks and Recreation employees will be on hand to help, families also will be expected to do their part.
“We’ll also be having volunteers come out and help keep up with the litter, passing out trash bags, helping families clean up their area,” Quintanilla said.
To make sure nothing is left behind, Quintanilla said the conservancy will be holding an additional litter pickup Monday, known as the “Cascaron Cleanup.”
She said additional volunteers are needed to help collect some of the smaller items that city employees won’t be able to pick up alone.
Anyone who is interested in volunteering can sign up in advance or simply show up in person at the Joske Pavillion in Brackenridge Park.
The Cascaron Cleanup will be conducted from 8 a.m. to noon Monday.
Read also: