For many Americans, Thanksgiving is a long four- or five-day weekend, which means it’s the perfect time to break tradition and take a quick weekend trip. Yes, lines at airports and highway traffic can be an obstacle during the week. Still, suppose you avoid traveling at peak times like Wednesday evening or Sunday afternoon. In that case, it’s a great way to kick off the holiday season, and a perfect excuse to make the already long weekend even longer.
And while New York City and its star-studded parade might get most of the attention on Thanksgiving Day, you might want to rethink your plans if they involve battling the crowds on Fifth Avenue and bundling up for the bitter-cold temperatures to see a few inflatable balloons, because there’s another city that puts its own spin on Thanksgiving, and it’s unlike anywhere else in the U.S, San Antonio.
Forget About Defrosting That Turkey
San Antonio has no shortage of highly rated restaurants, many of which offer multi-course Thanksgiving meals, complete with wine pairings and all of the Thanksgiving classic dishes. And while this might sound upscale or expensive, many neighborhood spots maintain their casual vibe, so you can still show up in comfortable clothes and enjoy a holiday meal without too much formality, although you may want to save the after-dinner sweatpants for when you get back to your hotel.
For families with younger children who might want something even more laid-back, several local spots offer Thanksgiving buffets and kid-friendly menus to keep everyone happy. Parents can relax, kids will have options they’ll actually eat, and no one has to worry about hours of meal prep or cleaning up afterwards. After all, traditions are meant to be broken, and taking one year off from being on kitchen duty will allow you to have even more quality time with the family.
There’s More To Do Than Just Eat
After you’ve filled up on plenty of turkey and apple pie, you can take a quick ride to Enchanted Springs Ranch, located just outside the city limits in Boerne. During the holiday season, the ranch transforms into the Old West Christmas Light Fest, an open-air Christmas display featuring millions of twinkling lights, live music, and holiday activities like roasting s’mores and taking photos with Santa.
You can also take advantage of plenty of Black Friday deals, since San Antonio has more than enough places to shop, open-air malls, outlets just outside the city, and hundreds of locally owned boutiques where you can find gifts you won’t see back home. The Riverwalk adds even more to do, offering a mix of restaurants with patio seating, waterfront paths, and small shops that are sure to be lively and full of activity during the entire weekend.
A Parade Unlike Anything up North
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San Antonio hosts an annual holiday river parade where illuminated floats travel down the river, and spectators line the walkways and patios. The parade takes place in the evening, so the festive lights reflect off the water, and you can even have dinner as the floats pass by at one of the many restaurants along the route. The event is the perfect family-friendly tradition, and is sure to be a memorable experience and highlight of the weekend.
Tickets for the parade go on sale online ahead of time, and many Riverwalk restaurants offer dinner reservation packages if you prefer to watch from a table. There is also a free-standing room section open on a first-come, first-served basis, just make sure to make plans ahead of time and arrive early to get the best vantage point.
It’s Still Comfortably Autumn
While in most of the U.S., autumn has already come and gone, some places have already recorded their first snowfall of the year, down in South Texas, late November is ideal weather. Days sit in the high 60s to low 70s, with evenings just cool enough to feel part of the season. And as always, rain is rarely to be found.
Spending Thanksgiving in San Antonio means you can enjoy an after-dinner stroll with the family along the river in a T-shirt and light jacket, and you may even want to eat outside. It creates a different holiday atmosphere than what you might be used to, but given that most people would prefer to avoid long, freezing winters, embracing autumn for a few extra weeks and easing into the holiday season more slowly is a welcome change of pace. Plus, pumpkin pie and pecan pralines seem to taste even better when it still feels like fall outside.
Bottom Line:
If San Antonio isn’t already on your bucket list, this is a sign to add it, and the long Thanksgiving weekend is the perfect time to go. If it’s too last-minute to pull off this year, it’s never too early to start planning for 2026. Daydreaming about this mini-vacation might be precisely what you need as you try to survive the inevitable kitchen chaos that comes with having Thanksgiving at home.