SAN ANTONIO – Thousands of people filled downtown San Antonio on Saturday for a 12-hour Stars and Stripes Fourth of July celebration, marking America’s 250th anniversary with a 5K, parade, food, live music, and fireworks.
The festivities began Saturday morning with the Downtown 5K before moving to Houston Street for the annual Independence Day parade.
More than 100 organizations and groups took part, flooding the street with red, white and blue. Paradegoers lined the route to see community groups, military members and local leaders.
San Antonio Fire Chief Valerie Frausto made a grand a appearance up on the ladder truck, waving to the crowd below.
“I expect to see airmen from Lackland marching down the street,” paradegoer Erik Marcov said.
And of course, this wasn’t just any 4th of July.
“Well, hello! 250th anniversary of our beautiful America,” Gloria Valenzuela said. “God bless America. Always and forever.”
After the parade, crowds made their way to Civic Park at Hemisfair for the food and music festival. The event featured 30 food vendors and live country music from bands across Texas.
“I feel like there’s going to be a lot of people coming together just because it’s the big 250,” shared Ally Rider who was attending the parade with family.
That’s what brought Brandon Luke and his family who traveled from Houston for the weekend.
“Back in Houston, they said go to San Antonio and experience something different,” Luke said. “We went to the River Walk, Alamo, and we had a great time.”
Food was also a major draw for festivalgoers, with one attendee praising the turkey legs as “the best” they had ever had. Organizers say there were 30 different food vendor options.
The celebration is set to end with the Stars and Stripes fireworks show, which will include a tribute and moment of silence for those who died in the Hill County floods last year.
The festival at Civic Park is scheduled to wrap up at 10 p.m.
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