If you were to ask me which of the bigger cities in Texas is my absolute favorite, I would without even thinking say San Antonio! This city is so rich in culture, unique experiences, comfort, delicious tastes, and incredible history. I have visited this city time and time again and every time I leave, I am already planning a trip back! It is one you will never get tired of and one that always offers a unique and new experience.
One of the reasons San Antonio is such a unique city is its rich Hispanic culture. The entire town showcases the beauty of the Spanish/Latino culture. Due to this reason, it makes perfect sense that San Antonio is home to the biggest Day of the Dead festival in all of the United States.
This festival is so beautiful with dancing, delicious food, gorgeous ofrendas, bright and colorful alebrijes, and thousands of people gathered to honor our ancestors. It is beautiful, festive, and so much fun. There are Day of the Dead museums, parks full of ofrendas, fiestas, and my personal favorite the Dia de Los Muertos Parade!
One of the most iconic spots in San Antonio is the river walk. For good reason, it is a spot tourists and locals swarm to, to enjoy delicious restaurants, unique shopping, entertaining museums, and of course the boats floating down the river. Throughout the year this river walk showcases several river parades, Day of the Dead being one of them.
With this being the biggest Day of the Dead celebration in the entire USA, navigating your way for a non-stressful experience at this colorful parade can get complicated, so this is where I step in. Here is a list of tips and tricks to help you spend more time celebrating this fabulous Day of the Dead River parade, instead of stressing about it.
What Is Dia De Los Muertos?
Dia De Los Muertos is a Mexican holiday to celebrate and honor family and loved ones that have passed on. In English this holiday is translated into the Day of the Dead. Families come together to build ofrendas, or alters covered in pictures and mementos of the their deceased loved ones. These decorated alters will display the deceased favorite foods and drinks so that as they cross over from the other side they can take the treats with them.
This holiday is a beautiful holiday to honor family and loved ones. Families share poems and songs, treats, and visit the graves of those they have lost. It is a time to honor our heritage and celebrate life.
General Information about the Dia De Los Muertos River Parade:
When Is It?
Day of the Dead is celebrated in early November. While the parade and the festival isn’t necessarily celebrated on the actual Dia De Los Muertos, it is normally celebrated around that time period. It will be either towards the end of October or early November.
Where Is It?
All river parades in San Antonio are located at the San Antonio River walk. The actual mapped route of the parade will vary, but will cover the majority of the riverwalk area.
What Is It?
San Antonio is famous for its river parades. It is exactly as it sounds a parade on the river. Boats decorated fancy parade down the river one after another. The Dia De Los Muertos river parade is a lighted parade that takes place in the dark. Beautifully illuminated boats depicting the beauty of the Day of the Dead celebration float down the river walk with mariachi music, skeleton costumes, and more.
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Should I Buy Tickets For The Parade?
This question is very dependent on the type of person you are. Do you need tickets to see the Day of the Dead River parade, no. There are ways to see the parade without purchasing those expensive tickets. The tickets however do guarantee you a good view of the parade and a seat instead of standing.
So the choice really is yours do you want to spend the $32 for a tight seat with a great view, or go for free with no guarantee of the view you will have. Here are some tips for whether you are buying a ticket or not.
Tips When Buying a Ticket:
- Purchase a ticket as soon as the ticketing opens. The good seats go fast.
- Purchase a ticket for the 1st row. 2nd and 3rd rows are not raised rows you are literally sitting behind the people in the 1st row and you most likely will have people walking in front of you throughout the parade. Let’s just say the views from these rows just suck.
- Do not purchase a ticket by a bridge and especially under a bridge. The lights by the bridges are very bright and ruin the effect of the lit boats. If you are under the bridge there is no guarantee that you will be on the right side of the bridge columns to even see the boats. Stay away from bridge seating.
- Bring snacks. There are plenty of places to eat around the area, but these seats are so tight that trying to get out of them is a nightmare. You are sitting almost on top of the people around you.
- You paid for your seat, so honestly, I would not worry about being there super early. We got there 15 minutes before the parade started and had no problems getting to our seats.
Tips If You Are Not Buying a Ticket:
- Arrive about an hour before your time starts to guarantee yourself a spot.
- Bridges are crowded, you will still get a good view, but it will not be a side view of the boats. Try to sit in areas where you do not see any chairs.
- Bring a camping chair. If you don’t, you are most likely going to stand the entire parade.
- Bring snacks and waters, once you find a spot, you will not want to leave it or it will get taken.
Parking
One thing that was a complete shock to me when we went to the parade was the lack of heavy traffic. I figured it would be a bumper-to-bumper fight through the city. I am not saying it was quick and easy, but it was significantly less than I would have imagined.
The great part about San Antonio is that there is parking everywhere, especially by the riverwalk. There are tons of parking garages and paid parallel parking spots. While most street parking is taken, there are so many garages to choose from. I will warn you parking can vary from $5-$30 so its best to check the prices before you pull in. I would highly suggest St Mary’s Parking Garage. It is right by the riverwalk and only $5 for the evening. Cheapest non-stressful deal around.
The Best Section/Time To Pick
The Dia De Los Muertos River parade takes you all around the riverwalk area, and in total the parade takes about 2 hours to get from one end to the other. Not saying that is how long the parade will take for you, but for the first boat to get from start to finish it is around 3 hours. Here is what to expect with each hour of the parade:
7pm-7:30pm- The boats are pretty spaced out so you will see a boat every 5-10 minutes, but the people on the boats are very fresh and enthusiastic so they are fun to watch.
7:30pm-8pm- There is still a lot of enthusiasm, but the boats are still pretty spaced, with several getting stalled waiting for gas. There will be several pauses at this stage.
8pm-30pm- The boats are closer together so it seems more of a parade instead of one boat at a time. You do have to remember that the people on the boats are pretty worn out by the end.
What To Do After The Parade:
Enjoy the lights shining on the iconic Alamo
Eat in the jungle at Rainforest Cafe
Meet the wax figures of your favorite famous people at Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks
Enjoy the unbelievable oddities of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Museum
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