 Holiday Light Shows
By ANN NOWAK
Photography courtesy SACVB/Al Rendon
and
the University of the Incarnate Word
If one man hadn't had friends in high
places, San Antonio's annual holiday
light shows wouldn't even exist.
The first Christmas tree covered with
electric lights was in the home of
Edward Johnson, a lucky friend of
Thomas Edison, in 1882. Specially created
for Johnson by Edison as a publicity
stunt for the Edison Electric Light
Company, the 80 red, white and blue
light bulbs were each the size of walnuts.
Newspapers began to spread the
word, and in less than 20 years, households,
storefronts and streets were twinkling
every winter. The city of San
Antonio, thankfully, is no exception.
Mark your calendar for Nov. 17 to witness
the 22nd Annual Light the Way celebration
at the University of the Incarnate
Word, at the corner of Broadway and
Hildebrand near downtown. This cherished
tradition began in 1985 when UIW
president Dr. Louis Agnese, Jr. was interviewing
for his current position.
The Sisters of Charity drove him
through the beautiful lights displayed in
San Antonio's Windcrest neighborhood, a
destination for light lovers to this day.
Agnese envisioned the entire UIW campus
illuminated by festive lights, uniting
the community and visitors of all ages in
the spirit of the holiday season.
Light the Way activities will begin
with a Mass at 5:30 p.m. in Our Lady's
Chapel at 4301 Broadway, followed by
the opening ceremony at 7:30 p.m. in
the McDermott Convocation Center.
Music will be provided by the choirs of
the University of the Incarnate Word,
Incarnate Word High School, St. Anthony
Catholic School and St. Peter Prince of
Apostles Catholic School, along with the
St. Anthony Catholic High School jazz
band. Get in the giving spirit right away,
and bring a new unwrapped toy for the
Elf Louise Toy Drive.
 Keep the momentum going for the
following week, when the FORD Holiday
River Parade and Lighting Ceremony
returns as the official kickoff to the Paseo Del Rio Holiday Festival. On Friday,
Nov. 23 (the day after Thanksgiving), the
switch is thrown, and approximately
122,000 twinkling lights form a magical
canopy over San Antonio's River Walk.
The one-hour parade features decorated,
illuminated floats (27 this year!) with
celebrities, live music and lavishly costumed
participants. This year's theme is
A Musical Christmas.
Reserved seating tends to sell out
quickly, so if you're not one of the over
150,000 people who will gather along the
River Walk to watch the spectacle live,
remember you can always enjoy the television
broadcast.
Or be a part of the experience from
the beginning — the Paseo del Rio
Association supplies the City of San
Antonio with the lights each year, a
process that is made possible only by
groups of volunteers replacing bulbs and
any strings that have been cut or
destroyed by squirrels while they are up in
the trees. At the Bulb and Socket Parties
(or "Screw Off Parties" as they are also
known), volunteers enjoy stringing and
screwing contests, snacks and drinks,
door prizes and a lot of camaraderie.
The River Walk lights shine every
evening through Jan. 1 — be sure to carve
out some time this year to get downtown.
 Another FORD-sponsored event is
Fiesta de las Luminarias Nov. 20 – Dec. 16.
More than 2,500 luminarias, glowing candles
in sand-filled bags, line the walkways
along the San Antonio River. This centuries-
old tradition symbolizes the “lighting
of the way” for the Holy Family.
Holiday lights of the chemical kind finish
out the festivities with San Antonio
Parks Foundation's Celebrate San
Antonio festival for New Year's Eve.
Celebrate San Antonio attracts up to a
quarter of a million excited revelers with
its carnival-like atmosphere of great San
Antonio cuisine, games, rides and entertainment
for the entire family. The huge
downtown fiesta begins at 6 p.m. on
South Alamo Street between Market and
Durango and throughout historic La
Villita.The New Year will officially roll in with
a bang at midnight as the Tower of the
Americas is showcased by the spectacular
17-minute Valero Corner Stores
Fireworks Extravaganza.
|
