WurstfestNew Braunfels
November 6 to 15, free Monday to Thursday
Ten days of German food and polka by the river, with carnival rides and a kids area.
Fall in San Antonio and New Braunfels1 things
The ones people drive in from other counties for. Most of them run the whole season, so you don't have to pick a weekend yet.
The little stuff, by town1 things
The city Halloween parties and the trunk or treats and the free stuff. Cities post their 2026 dates late, so anything marked "check the date" gets fixed the second it's announced.
Fall in New Braunfels
New Braunfels Dia de los Muertos Festival
October 17, noon to 10
Kids activities and live music downtown.
For the rest of your list
These don't need an address, tap them and they go on your list with everything else.
Christmas in San Antonio and New Braunfels2 things
The River Parade is always the Friday after Thanksgiving, and the seats sell out, but there's a free viewing area too.
Ford Holiday River ParadeSan Antonio
the Friday after Thanksgiving at 6 · check the date
Lit up floats on the river and then they turn on all the River Walk lights, and there's a free viewing spot between Pecan Street and Richmond Avenue.
Holiday Lights on the River WalkSan Antonio
nightly from the parade into early January · check the date
Over 100,000 lights hanging from the old cypress trees all along the river.
Town Christmas stuff
The town stuff, and I'll add the tree lightings as the cities post them in November.
Christmas in San Antonio
Fiesta de las Luminarias
Friday to Sunday nights in December, 6 to 10 · check the date
Thousands of little candle bags lining the River Walk.
Christmas at the Caverns
select dates in December · check the date
Christmas carols sung way down in the caves.
Travis Park tree and ice rink
mid November into early January · check the date
The city's big tree and an outdoor ice rink downtown.
For the rest of your Christmas list
This is the at-home stuff, tap them and they go on your list with the lights and the train.
put it on the wall
Turn your Christmas picks into a real bucket list
Tap the lights and the trains and the town stuff you want and pick the Christmas design you like, and I'll hold onto your picks. The Christmas lists are coming soon, and the second they're up your picks drop straight into the slots.
Good any weekend0 things
The stuff that doesn't need a date, for the Saturday when nothing's going on.
San Antonio and New Braunfels fall and Christmas questions
When is Wurstfest in 2026?
November 6 to 15, 2026 at Landa Park in New Braunfels. It's free Monday through Thursday and kids 12 and under are always free.
When is the San Antonio River Parade?
The Friday after Thanksgiving at 6, so November 27 in 2026, and the River Walk lights come on that night.
who's writing this
Hi, I'm Amy.
We roadschool six kids out of a van. I'm just a mom with a Ford Transit and a lot of opinions about corn mazes, so if something on here is wrong, or your town's party is missing, email me at hello@bellebucket.com and I'll fix it.
put it on the wall
Turn your picks into a real bucket list
Tap the ones you want and I'll drop them onto whichever fall design you pick, then you add your own stuff (birthdays, carving pumpkins, whatever your family does). It prints big, like 24x36 big, and it hangs on the wall all season.