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What to know about parking, holiday events and construction before Christmas and NYE downtown

Valero Alamo Bowl will also bring thousands of visitors to San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO – Downtown San Antonio has been a happening place for the holidays, and it’s only going to get busier the city prepares for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

“There’s still time to check out the activities to stroll up and down Houston Street and go to one of the nice restaurants. We have lots of businesses who have partnered with us,” said Kelly Saunders, with the City of San Antonio’s Center City Development & Operations Department.

Holidays on Houston Street, the H-E-B Christmas tree at Travis Park and the River Walk lights are still attracting large crowds and tourists, but parking is at a premium.

The City of San Antonio offers convenient and affordable parking at its parking garages and lots. The St. Mary’s Garage (205 E. Travis St.) and the City Tower Garage (60 N. Flores) are located just steps from the River Walk, Houston Street and Travis Park, and they generally have many public parking spaces available.

This week, San Antonio will get thousands of BYU and Colorado fans in town for the Valero Alamo Bowl.

On Thursday, the River Walk plays host to college football’s most unique pep rally to celebrate the game. While the head coaches, team captains, and cheerleaders take part in a spirited pep rally at the Arneson River Theatre on the River Walk, the school bands and the rest of the players excite the crowd by making a grand entrance on river cruisers.

The game will be played Saturday and can be seen live on KSAT-12. VIA will also offer park-and-ride for fans making their way to the dome.

New Year’s Eve

San Antonio will ring in 2025 in style at Hemisfair, but there’s a change for parking that night.

Downtown Tuesday will be temporarily suspended on Tuesday, Dec. 31.

Event parking rates will apply at city parking facilities, and regular meter rates will also be in effect.

Event attendees are advised that street closures may impact the availability of metered parking in some areas.

“Given the high expected crowds, we’re going to be suspending that program, so there will not be free parking on New Year’s Eve. The program will resume after the holidays,” said Saunders.

Tips

Visitors are strongly encouraged to arrive early to avoid disruptions caused by traffic and construction projects. Consider using public transportation, ride-share services, taxis, biking, or walking.

Plan to leave early and consult a navigation app, such as Google Maps or Waze, to find the best route to your destination.

For more information about parking and event-related activities, visit the city’s Know Before You Go Downtown website.

The city also started more drainage work at the corner of S. Alamo and E. Nueva. The overall project stretches from Cesar Chavez to Market Street. There are updated pedestrian walkways due to the construction in the area.

S. Alamo project NYE (Copyright 2024 by KSAT - All rights reserved.)

About the Authors
RJ Marquez headshot

RJ Marquez is the traffic anchor/reporter for KSAT’s Good Morning San Antonio. He also fills in as a news anchor and has covered stories from breaking news and Fiesta to Spurs championships and high school sports. RJ started at KSAT in 2010. He is proud to serve our viewers and be a part of the culture and community that makes San Antonio great.

Adam Barraza headshot

Adam Barraza is a photojournalist at KSAT 12 and an El Paso native. He interned at KVIA, the local ABC affiliate, while still in high school. He then moved to San Antonio and, after earning a degree from San Antonio College and the University of the Incarnate Word, started working in news. He’s also a diehard Dodgers fan and an avid sneakerhead.

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