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Christmas with kids in San Angelo
In San Angelo, Christmas glows along the Concho River. A walking tour with a few lighted scenes in 1994 has grown into a 2.5-mile drive with more than three million lights.
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The story of Christmas in San Angelo
How San Angelo celebrates
San Angelo's biggest Christmas tradition is the Concho Christmas Celebration, founded in 1994 to add a light display to the holiday season. It began as a walking tour in the El Paseo de Santa Angela area with a few lighted scenes and 21 sponsor Christmas cards. Today it is a 2.5-mile drive along the Concho River with more than three million lights. Around it, downtown holds a tree lighting and the Lights of Christmas Parade, which ends with Santa. Old Fort Concho adds a weekend of history, with reenactors, a holiday market and free children's crafts.
Christmas last year in San Angelo
In 2025 the Tour of Lights opened on Friday, December 5, and ran nightly through December 31, with a suggested $8 donation per vehicle. On Saturday, December 6, the Community Tree Lighting began at 5:15 p.m. with the San Angelo Community Band, and the Lights of Christmas Parade followed at 6 p.m. with 85 floats. Earlier, on December 2, Angelo State University lit a 26-foot tree with a synthetic ice rink and photos with Santa. Christmas at Old Fort Concho celebrated its 44th year from December 5 to 7, and on December 13 Santa arrived at the Railway Museum.
Fun facts about Christmas in San Angelo
The Tour of Lights has more than seventy-five life-size Christmas greeting cards along the river, and in 2019 organizers added a new scene, the Concho Christmas Celebration Train. Visitors can drive, walk, run or bike the route, and there is even a Bike Through the Lights ride with Santa. Old Fort Concho covers 40 acres and 24 buildings, so kids can wander past historic barracks while costumed reenactors show 1800s military life. In 2025 Santa and Mrs. Claus rolled into the Railway Museum aboard a real train.
Trains and Christmas in San Angelo
San Angelo mixes trains with Christmas at the Railway Museum, which is 115 years old. On December 13, 2025, Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived at 10 a.m. on the Texas Pacifico train while the Ice House Brass Band played, and Santa stayed until 4 p.m. to meet every child. Admission of $10 included a costumed-guide tour, a ride on a small train, a look at the historic engine and caboose, and a model-train ornament craft. Free photos with Santa were offered.
Traditions today
- Concho Christmas Celebration Tour of Lights: A 2.5-mile drive along the Concho River with more than three million lights, open nightly in December.
- Community Tree Lighting: The downtown tree lighting features local musicians like the San Angelo Community Band.
- Lights of Christmas Parade: A downtown evening parade with about 85 floats that ends with Santa.
- Christmas at Old Fort Concho: A weekend of reenactors, a holiday market, music and free crafts for kids, in its 44th year in 2025.
- Angelo State University tree lighting: A free evening with a 26-foot tree, a synthetic ice rink, a Holiday Pops Concert and Santa photos.
- Santa at the Railway Museum: Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived on a train in 2025, with a small train ride and a model-train craft.
A fact for kids
In San Angelo, you can drive past more than three million Christmas lights along a river, and Santa once arrived at the Railway Museum on a real train.
Questions about Christmas in San Angelo
What is the Concho Christmas Celebration in San Angelo?
It is San Angelo's signature holiday event, centered on the Tour of Lights, a 2.5-mile drive along the Concho River with more than three million lights. It was founded in 1994 and also includes a tree lighting ceremony and the Lights of Christmas Parade. Our San Angelo Christmas events guide on this page lists current offerings.
When did the San Angelo Tour of Lights begin?
The Concho Christmas Celebration was founded in 1994 as an annual light display for the Christmas season. The first version was a walking tour in the El Paseo de Santa Angela area, with several lighted scenes and 21 sponsor Christmas cards. It has grown into a drive along the river, so it is about three decades old.
How much does the Tour of Lights cost?
In 2025 the Tour of Lights asked for a suggested donation of $8 per vehicle, up from a suggested $5 per car in earlier years. Visitors can also walk, run or bike the route. In 2025 each vehicle also received a goodie bag. Check our San Angelo Christmas events guide on this page for the current details.
What are the Tour of Lights hours?
In 2025 the Tour of Lights ran nightly from December 5 through December 31, from 6 to 10 p.m. on weekdays and from 6 p.m. to midnight on weekends. Check our San Angelo Christmas events guide on this page for this season's hours, since they can change from year to year.
What are the life-size Christmas greeting cards?
They are large sponsor displays along the Tour of Lights that look like oversized Christmas cards. A 2019 article counted more than seventy-five of them among the three million lights. The very first tour in 1994 had 21 sponsor Christmas cards, so the tradition has grown a lot. Kids enjoy reading the cards as the car rolls by.
When is the Lights of Christmas Parade in San Angelo?
The Lights of Christmas Parade takes place downtown in early December, right after the tree lighting. In 2025 it was on Saturday, December 6, at 6 p.m. with about 85 floats, and it ends with Santa. Our San Angelo Christmas events guide on this page lists this season's date and route.
When is the community tree lighting in San Angelo?
The Community Tree Lighting is held downtown on the same Saturday as the parade. In 2025 it was on December 6 from 5:15 to 6 p.m., with music by the San Angelo Community Band and the Twin Mountain Tonesmen. Our San Angelo Christmas events guide on this page lists the current date.
Is there a tree lighting at Angelo State University?
Yes. In 2025 the Angelo State University tree lighting was on Tuesday, December 2, in front of the ASU Mayer Museum. It started at 4 p.m., and the lighting happened at sundown. It was free and included a Holiday Pops Concert, a synthetic ice rink and photos with Santa.
What is Christmas at Old Fort Concho?
It is a long-running weekend at the historic Fort Concho, a 40-acre site with 24 buildings. In 2025 it was held December 5 to 7 and marked its 44th year. Visitors can meet reenactors portraying 1800s military life, shop a holiday market, hear live music and join free crafts for kids.
Is there Breakfast with Santa in San Angelo?
In 2025 the Lions Club held a Pancake Breakfast with Santa on Saturday at Christmas at Old Fort Concho. A Chuck Wagon Camp lunch cost $20 for stew, bread, coffee and cobbler, and Sunday offered a Breakfast in the Stables Hall. Our San Angelo Christmas events guide on this page has current information.
Does Santa arrive by train in San Angelo?
Yes, at the Railway Museum. On Saturday, December 13, 2025, Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived at 10 a.m. aboard the Texas Pacifico train while the Ice House Brass Band played. Santa stayed until 4 p.m. to meet every child, and families could take free photos. It is a great stop for kids who love trains.
What can kids do at the San Angelo Railway Museum at Christmas?
In 2025 a $10 museum admission included a costumed-guide tour, a ride on a small train, a look at the historic engine and caboose, and a model-train ornament craft. Santa photos were free, and vendors and food trucks set up in the parking lot. The museum is 115 years old and sits on South Chadbourne Street.
Is there a train museum for Christmas near San Angelo?
Yes, the Railway Museum at 703 S. Chadbourne St. in San Angelo hosted Santa's arrival by train on December 13, 2025. Our museum list does not include a Texas train museum for this page yet, but the Railway Museum is the main rail stop in town. Check our San Angelo Christmas events guide on this page for this year.
Can kids bike through the Christmas lights in San Angelo?
Yes. The Concho Christmas Celebration includes Bike Through the Lights, a cycling ride with Santa. In 2019 it also had Mrs. Claus and Elf John, plus a Kayak Through the Lights paddle and a fun run. Visitors can also walk or run the Tour of Lights. Dates change each year, so check our San Angelo Christmas events guide on this page.
What is Grinchmas Along the Concho?
It was a themed night during the 2025 Tour of Lights, held December 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. Costumed characters appeared, a local radio station played holiday tunes, and candy canes were handed out while supplies lasted. Hot cocoa and tea cost $5 at The Bosque on the Concho. Themed nights change each year.
Are there local Christmas concerts in San Angelo?
Yes. The ASU tree lighting in 2025 included a Holiday Pops Concert, and the community tree lighting featured the San Angelo Community Band and the Twin Mountain Tonesmen. In 2019 a Tuba Christmas performance was held at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts. Our San Angelo Christmas events guide on this page lists current concerts.
How do I explain the Tour of Lights to a toddler?
Tell your child that the whole river bank becomes a glowing Christmas picture book, with millions of tiny lights and giant Christmas cards. You drive slowly along the Concho River for 2.5 miles, so kids can watch from the car seat in pajamas. Let them count the colors and wave at other cars.
What makes San Angelo's Christmas special for families?
Families can mix a river of lights, a downtown parade and a trip to a real frontier fort in one season. Old Fort Concho has free children's crafts, the Tour of Lights lets you stay in the car, and the Railway Museum brings Santa in by train.
Is the Concho Christmas Celebration good for toddlers?
Yes, because the Tour of Lights can be enjoyed from the car. The Tour of Lights is a 2.5-mile drive along the river with millions of lights, and the 2025 version gave each vehicle a goodie bag. The tree lighting and parade are short evening events, so bring blankets and plan an early bedtime.
Where can I find Christmas events in San Angelo this year?
Our San Angelo Christmas events guide on this page is the best place to start for this season. Additional sources include the Concho Christmas Celebration website and Downtown San Angelo, which both publish yearly schedules for the tree lighting, parade and Tour of Lights. Dates usually fall in the first week of December.
Sources
- Concho Christmas Celebration, Discover San Angelo
- Christmas Events Fill First Week of December in San Angelo, San Angelo LIVE!
- Downtown San Angelo Lights Up with Parade, Tree Lighting and Tour of Lights This Weekend, San Angelo LIVE!
- Here's Everything You Need to Know About the Concho Christmas Celebration, San Angelo LIVE!
- Santa to arrive at Railway Museum Saturday, San Angelo LIVE!
- Experience the magic of Christmas in San Angelo, Texas Monthly (sponsored)