25 days of Christmas Activities in San Antonio (or at home!)

It’s the most magical time of year… and we make it extra magical in our family by creating a 25-day activity advent calendar every year! This year I want to share some of the best Christmas activities in San Antonio and surrounding areas so you can get out and make some memories with your families!

It all started in 2016 when my son was a year old and I was spending way too much time on Pinterest (c’mon, I still do!). I searched for activity advent calendars and only found crafts. We like a good craft as much as the next family, but 25 days is way too much for our active and adventure-seeking family! As a result, I created this activity calendar because we all share the joy of EVENTS! My husband and I loved doing all the things (hello, bar crawls!) before baby, now we are all about family Christmas fun (hello, Santa & snow & jumpy houses!). So with this being our sixth year of absolute fun, I wanted to share the joy with all my fellow locals and visitors!

And because a lot of y’all aren’t local to SA, I’ve included alternatives for every day that you can do easily anywhere you are in the world! That and, to be totally honest, we rarely get to do everything because something always comes up! This will help you plan out your holiday calendar easily if events change, the weather doesn’t cooperate or someone comes down with a cold.

I encourage you to keep this handy to come back to as you plan your 25 days of Christmas activities in San Antonio, and above all know that you can be super flexible and have FUN!

25 days of Christmas Activities in San Antonio (or at home!)

December 1

6:00pm: Whataburger Zoo Lights*
Anywhere: Zoo lights in your city or nearby city

December 5

9:00am-12:00pm: Deck the Paws Parade
10:00am-2:00pm: Cowboy Christmas on the River Walk
10:00am-4:00pm: Christmas in the Village (Dec 4 & 5)
1:00-3:00pm: Children’s Christmas Party
2:00-4:00pm: A Visit with Santa & Mrs. Clause
Anywhere: Visit a local drive-through light display

December 6

6:30-10:30pm: Elf Acres Christmas Lights Drive Thru*
Anywhere: Pack an Operation Christmas Box or shop for a Giving Tree recipient. Every year we pick kids the same age as our kiddos.

December 7

6:00 – 7:00pm: Universal City Tree Lighting Ceremony
6:30 – 8:30pm: Merry Movie Nights: Jingle All the Way
Anywhere: Christmas movie night with themed snacks (Strawberry Santas, Egg Snowmen, Grinch Fruit Kabobs)

December 8

Anywhere: Faux Snow Day! Some of the things we’re doing: Make pretend snow, Paint by Sticker, Christmas Mad Libs, Would You Rather? Christmas Edition

December 9

5:00-8:00pm: Pearl Holiday Stroll
6:00pm: Old West Christmas Light Fest (Thu-Sun in Dec)
Anywhere: Make gingerbread crafts or cookies

December 10

4:30-9:00pm: 2nd Annual Santa & the Elves visit Eklectic Eats!
6:00-8:00pm: Santa’s Wonderland
7:00pm: The Children’s Nutcracker
Anywhere: Grab a Activity Tray and use some of the snow from your Faux Snow Day to make a winter wonderland experience with these Arctic Animals!

December 11

8:00am-12:00pm: Market with a Mission
9:00-11:00am: Breakfast with Santa
9:00am-12:00pm: Annual Santa Brunch
10:00am-4:00pm: Big Day Of Play: Winter Wonderland
10:00am-3:00pm: 20th Annual Blue Santa Parade
3:00-9:00pm: Holiday shopping, Ice Skating & Santa
6:30-10:30pm: Movie in the Park – How The Grinch Stole Christmas
7:30pm: Helotes Hill Country Christmas Parade
Anywhere: Visit downtown or a main area where the city has put up lights and decorations.

December 12

10:00am-1:00pm: Mean Green Brunch, Botanical Gardens
12:00-2:00pm: Brunch With Santa Claus, Emmazing Play
2:00-5:00pm: Santa Is Real!
6:00-9:00pm: Coker Christmas Festival
Anywhere: Christmas Dance Party in your living room (Get a Amazon Prime Music 30-day Free Trial)

December 13

Dusk: Windcrest Lights*
Anywhere: Find a sparkling, festive neighborhood to take a drive through. Pack some hot cocoa and Christmas tunes!

December 14

6:30-8:30pm: Merry Movie Nights: The Santa Clause
Anywhere: Make DIY Bead Elves

December 15

4:00-8:00pm: Night Market at The Pearl (Wednesdays in December)
Anywhere: Pick a country and learn how they celebrate Christmas

December 16

6:00-8:00pm: Dinner with the Grinch
Anywhere: Pick toys to donate to a shelter

December 17

6:30-8:30pm: Pajama Party With Mickey & Minnie Mouse
6:30-9:00pm: Down Home Christmas
Anywhere: Breakfast for dinner, pajamas and a Christmas TV special!

December 18

8:00-10:00am: Breakfast with Santa
12:00-4:00pm: Santa Saturdays (Dec 4 & 18)
12:00 – 5:00pm: Holiday Market Days: Sip + Shop
Anywhere: Paint Christmas rocks and leave them around your neighborhood

December 19

1:00-3:00pm: Santa Claus Meet & Greet
4:00-6:00pm: Cookies & Milk With Mickey & Minnie
6:00-10:00pm: Christmas On The Ranch Dec. 17, 18 & 19)
Anywhere: Go take a picture with Santa or walk the mall to see all the decorations!

December 20

11:00am-5:00pm Holiday Bricktacular
Anywhere: Eat at a local restaurant that has Christmas decorations or a festive event!

December 21

2:00-5:00pm: Free Selfies with Santa
6:30-8:30pm: Merry Movie Nights: Home Alone
Anywhere: String and snack on popcorn!

December 22

5:45-9:00pm: Lightscape at Botanical Gardens*
Anywhere: Make Santa Binoculars for Santa sightings!

December 23

6:00-9:00pm: Christmas at the Caverns (multiple dates)
Anywhere: Make Magic Reindeer Food

December 24

Anywhere: Pajamas & Christmas movie morning
Anywhere: Walk the neighborhood and look at Christmas lights

December 25

Anywhere: Bake a Cake for Jesus
Anywhere: Bake and decorate cookies

More San Antonio Events with multiple dates:

Milk and Cookies with LEGO® Santa (multiple dates)
Winter Wonderland ¡Celebración! (Dec 3 – Dec 23)
Westover Field of Lights (weekends in Dec)
Alamo Lights (all month)
Lights Alive (all month)
Lights at Sea World (all month)
Holiday Lights at the River Walk (all month)
Holiday in the Park, FIesta Texas (all month)

We keep this list fluid and sometimes even do 2-3 events per day. Some days we just stay home! As I said, it is all about making memories and having a good time! If you loved this list of 25 days of Christmas activities in San Antonio, I’d love to hear about it in the comments! Feel free to tag me in your activity posts on Instagram and Facebook using @lisaalfarostyles.

Y’all have a Merry Christmas!!

Our Favorite Toys from the Black Friday Preview Playdate with SpinMaster and Tryazon!

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Ever heard of Tryazon? They offer a service that brings brands and their products into your home to experience first-hand. When I had the opportunity to test out some SpinMaster toys, I jumped at it!

Once I was approved, I booked the date and invited some mom friends over. My family and I unboxed the toys, added batteries, tested them out and then prepped for the playdate!

I’ve always talked about the importance of making mom friends. After “starting over” because of situations & moving since Jericho was born, I can tell you it is both challenging and super rewarding to create community among other women going through the same stage in life.

How to be productive while working from home

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Are you struggling to stay productive while working from home? For many, it is a really new and difficult thing to do. Even if you are accustomed to working from home, you may face new challenges with kiddos or spouses at home.

Maybe you are doing it for the first time…or maybe you’re struggling because kids have been home now and you still have the same amount of work to do.

I’ve become a pro and have been doing it for years! Not only did I consult from home for several years pre-kids, for the last 3 years I’ve been running my online business with a very busy preschooler at home – and now a newborn!

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Things sure have changed in the gift-giving game with baby registries – and by gifts I’m talking about the free gift you get when you start your registry, mama!

I have a lot of experience with this as I used to be the local marketing specialist for Babies “R” Us in the Rio Grande Valley. Even in the last 4.5 years since Jericho was born, the swag sure has gotten better!

When I started doing my research for baby registries for Baby Canaan this time around, I was pleasantly surprised to see the amazing free gifts and perks I received, and today I want to focus on the awesomeness that is the Amazon Registry.

25 days of Christmas Activities in New Braunfels & San Antonio area

11 / 22 / 19

It’s the most magical time of year… and we make it extra magical in my family by creating a 25-day activity advent calendar every year! And this year I want to share our favorite Christmas Activities in New Braunfels, San Antonio & beyond so you can get out and make some memories with your families!

My husband and I loved doing all the things (hello, bar crawls!) before baby, now we are all about family Christmas fun (hello, Santa & snow & jumpy houses!). So with this being our fourth year of absolute fun, I wanted to share the joy with all my fellow locals and visitors!

Santa’s coming to town: Where to see Santa in New Braunfels (2019 edition)

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2018 family photo with Cowboy Kringle in Gruene

I love the fall and all the excitement that leads us up to Christmas. In fact, every December since Jericho was one-year-old we have made a 25 day advent activity calendar full of amazing holiday cheer! From Santa sightings, holiday movies, serving, Christmas festivals and ultimately celebrating the birth of Jesus, it is our family’s favorite time of year!

Last year I shared a list of Santa sightings in New Braunfels and it was a hit! So I’m sharing it once again – a long list of places you can catch Santa – and maybe Mrs. Clause or an elf – this 2019 Christmas season!

Fall Events & Pumpkin Patches in New Braunfels, Texas

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It is no secret that I LOVE FALL!! And I don’t mean pumpkin spice lattes, I am talking about all the things….pumpkin patches, cooler weather, walks in our neighborhood, fall festivals, autumn decor, spooky stuff, the list goes on.

We stay active in our family and love a good day of adventure, so in the spirit of sharing I pulled together a list of 2019 fall events, pumpkin patches and family friendly Halloween delights. Cheers to cooler weather and pumpkin everything!

20 things to do with your children in New Braunfels, TX

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It has been nearly a year since our big move and when I shared my original post, 20 things to do in New Braunfels with your toddler. It sure has been a wild ride!

In honor of our anniversary and the popularity of my original post, I wanted to give y’all an update! Some places have opened, some have shuttered, but more importantly others we have grown to absolutely love – which means real advice on things to do!

Your ultimate guide to mommy & me activities in New Braunfels

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Being a mom is super rewarding, but it also the most isolating gig I have ever known. When I became a stay at home, I survived on mommy & me activities until I made friends and created a solid circle of mamas to surround myself with.

As women, we are meant to have a solid circle of friends. But for many of us, motherhood or relocation can just kick us in the booty and leave us feeling lonely.

So I wanted to throw together a list of places where you and your babe can go hang out. Because we all deserve a little fun, mama!

10 Valentine’s Day gifts for your toddler that don’t involve sweets

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10 Valentine's Day gifts for your toddler

I absolutely love any excuse to buy gifts (it is totally my love language!) so there is no forgetting Valentine’s Day. And while I will gift my hubby something thoughtful, I love including my toddler in gift giving.

Growing up, my parents always gave me a box of chocolate and another small gift. I want to always show my love to Jericho, but without sweets. We are a sugar-free family, after all!

Last year’s gift guide was a big hit-including in our house! This year I wanted to share some of our current top favorite gifts that would be perfect for a Valentine’s Day gift for your 3-year-old. I’ve broken it down my category just for you, mama!

25 days of Christmas Activities in San Antonio (or at home!)

December 1

December 2

December 3

December 4

December 5

December 6

December 7

December 8

December 9

December 10

December 11

December 12

December 13

December 14

December 15

December 16

December 17

December 18

December 19

December 20

December 21

December 22

December 23

December 24

December 25

More San Antonio Events with multiple dates:

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Last year I shared a list of Santa sightings in New Braunfels and it was a hit! So I’m sharing it once again – a long list of places you can catch Santa – and maybe Mrs. Clause or an elf – this 2019 Christmas season!

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