Events
Calendar of Events for December 2024
JCPenney/Sunset Mall $1,000 Survey Drawing
Each year, visitors at the entrance of the Concho Christmas Celebration’s Tour of Lights are given Survey Cards to fill out. These Survey Cards are then entered into the JCPenney/Sunset Mall $1,000 Shopping Spree.
Click here for the Official Sweepstakes Rules.
Concerts at the Farmer's Market Pavilion
Once again, the Christmas Concert series at the Farmer’s Market Pavilion is set to fill the Paseo area with the sounds of Christmas presented by local churches, schools, and the San Angelo Community Band. There is plenty of parking available to enjoy the concerts from the comfort of your vehicle.
Bike Through the Lights
The San Angelo Bicycle Association along with Santa will lead bicyclists on a ride through the three million Christmas Lights and the viewing of over seventy Christmas Greeting Cards. Concho Christmas Celebration and San Angelo Bicycle Association present this non-competitive ride and it is free and open to all. Parking is available at the San Angelo YMCA parking lot located at 353 S. Randolph. The bike tour is scheduled to begin on Sunday, December 8 at 4:30 p.m. and cyclists will exit the lower YMCA parking lot at the corner of Randolph onto Veterans Memorial Drive. Cyclists will need front light, rear reflector or light, and a helmet. Cyclists must be off the Tour by 6:30 p.m. Contact O.B. Larson at 325-260-3353 for additional information.
Riders, Skaters, and Walkers of all ages are welcome!
Click Here for more information.
Christmas Cartoons
Come and enjoy Christmas holiday cartoons during the light tour. The animated feature is shown continuously on a large screen at the end of the Tour of Lights on Oakes Street, from December 6th through 31st. Park you car and tune your radio dial to 103.9 and listen to the cartoon in the comfort of your vehicle. Feel free to bring along some popcorn, hot chocolate, and other treats as you make family memories watching classic cartoons.
Closed captioning is featured on the Christmas cartoon/story selections.
Tuba Christmas
This year’s Tuba Christmas is scheduled on Saturday, December 21st @12pm at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts. The event is free and open to the public. Plan to attend this unique and memorable concert event featuring tuba and euphonium players from across the Concho Valley performing traditional Christmas and holiday songs.
For more information, please call Eric Hansen at (325) 374-4760 and leave a message.
Kayak Through the Lights
Kayakers are invited to decorate their kayaks with Christmas lights and view of the lights along the river.
Dog Walk Along the River
Come go with Love N' Leashes for a group dog walk along the Concho River and enjoy the light display! Ugly Sweater owner & dog contest immediately following! There will be hot chocolate & coffee available before and after the walk. December 18th at 7:00pm at the TUT BARTZEN TENNIS COMPLEX
Christmas at Old Fort Concho
December 6-8 2024
Kick off the holiday season by visiting Fort Concho’s largest annual event. Held during the first full weekend in December, Christmas at Old Fort Concho transforms the fort’s forty acres and twenty-four buildings into a winter wonderland. Each day at Fort Concho visitors can experience the Winter Rendezvous, campsites with hundreds of re-enactors and period traders who bring the 1800s to life. During daylight hours the many troops on the Parade Ground will drill, ride, and shoot their weapons. The artillery demonstrations (blanks-of course) will definitely catch your attention! Inside the fort’s many original buildings, merchants and artisans from across Texas and the Southwest offer many items to start your Christmas shopping. A Food Court will offer various food options; strolling musicians and staged musical activity will keep the grounds lively, and the Children’s Areas will provide many crafts and activities free for all youngsters.
Santa's Santa Fe Christmas
The Historic Railway Depot welcomes visitors to enjoy the wonderland of holiday decorations while you wait for the arrival of Santa Claus. Santa is scheduled to arrive by train at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 14th. You can visit with Santa, shop local vendors, and much more! The Depot will be open for tours from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. For more information call Suzanna Valenzuela at (325) 340-3363.
Run Rudolph Run
The San Angelo Road Lizards return with the Run Rudolph Run event this year. Runners and walkers are welcome. The run begins at SAMFA on Sunday December 15th at 5:30.
Click Here for more information.
Twin Mountain Tonesmen Annual Christmas Concerts
Get in the Christmas spirit with the Tonesmen at their 31st annual Christmas concerts on Saturday, December 14th at 7pm and Sunday, December 15th at 5pm in the beautiful First Methodist Church Sanctuary on the corner of Oakes and Beauregard.
Hear your favorite religious and secular Christmas songs performed by the award-winning a cappella chorus of 40 men! The concerts will also feature a sing-a-long with the audience and a visit from Santa! The Tonesmen are directed by Mark Clark and will include an ensemble and quartets. For more information, log onto tonesmen.org or facebook.com/tonesmen.
Admission is always free and seating is first come – first serve, so get there early!
From the Realms of Glory: Spanish Colonial Art from the Permanent Collection
A stunning selection from SAMFA’s collection of sacred art from Spanish Colonial and 19th century Latin America. Created between 1600 and 1900, these works, in the words of the Catholic Catechism, were intended to “draw man to adoration, to prayer, and to the love of God.” On view through the holidays, this exhibition is a celebration of the rich artistic and religious traditions of Catholic Latin America. On display now to January 19, 2025.
San Angelo Performing Arts Center - holiday performances
San Angelo Symphony - holiday performances
PARADE ENTRIES ARE FULL!
Greetings:
It’s parade time again and you are invited to join us for the annual Lights of Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 7th at 6:00 p.m.
The parade has grown every year since its beginning almost 30 years ago so I hope you will help keep the tradition going. Start planning your entry and invite your friends to join in the fun with an entry of their own.
As always, there is no entry fee. Participation is open to individuals, churches, businesses, organizations, clubs, and schools.
Unfortunately, the time has come to set up new rules for our parade. Over the years, our event has grown more than we could ever have imagined and it has been an awesome experience. However, we have outgrown what is manageable for our staff and for the SAPD members who assist us…and for the endurance of our spectators.
- Parade will be limited to 80 entries. WE ARE FULL FOR 2024! (An entry with multiple vehicles is counted as one entry.)
- Entries with a float will be limited to 6 (six) additional vehicles. Eight vehicles counting float and towing vehicle.
- Car clubs with vehicles only will be limited to 6 (six) vehicles
- ALL vehicles MUST be decorated with lights. The only exception is the vehicle towing a float. This will be strictly enforced and vehicles that are not lighted will be pulled out of line. Running lights do not count.
- Walking groups are encouraged to wear some sort of lights, if possible, but not mandatory.
- Please no excessive noise. We have had numerous complaints about the sounds of revving vehicle engines frightening children. This is a parade for the enjoyment of spectators, not for showing off horsepower.
- No candy will be thrown from vehicles. You may have people walking with your float to hand out candy.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me, either by phone or email.
Let’s make this year’s Lights of Christmas Parade the biggest and most beautiful one ever.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call or send me an email:
325-650-1988; or [email protected].
Looking forward to seeing you at the parade.
Suzanne McGee, Parade Chairman
Concho Christmas Celebration Committee, Inc.
| PRINTABLE ENTRY FORM | ONLINE ENTRY FORM |
| PARTICIPANT INSTRUCTIONS | PARADE MAP |
The 2024 Community Tree Lighting Ceremony is scheduled on Saturday, December 7th, beginning at 5:15 p.m. in the parking lot at the corner of Concho Avenue and Chadbourne Street.
Guests are asked to remain in the downtown area for “The Lights of Christmas Parade” which follows the tree lighting.
Concho Christmas Celebration proudly hosts the 31st Annual Tour of Lights. This 2.5-mile driving tour along the banks of the Concho River displays three million lights and seventy-eight sponsor oversized Christmas Greeting Cards.
This year, the Tour of Lights season begins with a soft opening on Friday, December 6th and continues every evening through Tuesday, December 31st.
Entry
Vehicles enter at Bryant Blvd. and 1st Street (street just north of the Main Post Office), 598 W. 1st Street. The Tour of Lights is open from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 6:00 to 12:00 Midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. A voluntary donation of $8 per car is suggested.
About
The Tour of Lights is comprised of animated scenes depicting The Twelve Days of Christmas, a Toy Factory, A Gingerbread House, and elaborate nativity scene, reindeer, a National Patriotism Flag, Santa Claus and much, much more!
The beautiful poinsettia field light display, located at the San Angelo Convention & Visitors Bureau building, continues to be a visitor favorite. The poinsettias are displayed on the hillside which gives them a life-like appearance. With the sponsorship of RELIANT ENERGY and in-kind sponsorship of Westlake Hardware, the Tour of Lights has completed the LED light phase-in program.