Some of the best family time in San Antonio and Boerne costs exactly nothing: art walks, parade curbs, summer movies, and holiday villages. Here is the free family calendar locals guard.
When people ask me what it is really like to raise kids here, I point to this list. The free stuff is not the consolation prize, it is the main event, and it is how newcomer families meet their neighbors fastest.
A few of these are monthly or weekly; a few are once a year. All of them are free to attend and all of them are verified recurring events. Exact dates change each year, so check the source links before you plan.
Free all year in San Antonio
First Friday Art Walk, Southtown
Free, family-friendly gallery openings and street vendors on the first Friday of every month, roughly 6 to 11 p.m. at the Blue Star Arts Complex and down South Alamo Street.
1414 S Alamo St, San Antonio · monthly
Fiesta parades, April
The Battle of Flowers Parade (Friday morning) and the Fiesta Flambeau Parade (Saturday night, the largest illuminated night parade in the country) are free to watch from the curb. Only reserved seating is ticketed.
Downtown San Antonio · April
Free summers
Santikos free summer movies
Free family movies at 10 a.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday from early June through July, first come, first served, at participating Santikos theaters.
San Antonio area · June to July
Movie in the Park at the Tower of the Americas
Free, family-friendly movies under the stars at the base of the Tower, a recurring summer series.
739 E César E Chávez Blvd, San Antonio · summer
Boerne's free family calendar
The Hill Country town packs its year with free community events, several of them built around the Hill Country Mile.
Dickens on Main
The Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, downtown Boerne becomes a vintage Christmas village: snow, carolers, ice carving, an ice slide for kids, free crafts, and Santa, all free on Main Street.
Hill Country Mile, Boerne · late November
Das Festival of Kendall
A free, family-friendly German-heritage festival each Father's Day weekend at Main Plaza, with traditional games, sack races, and live music.
Main Plaza, Boerne · June
Boerne Family Fishing Tournament
A free annual event on the first Saturday in June, timed to Texas Free Fishing Day when no fishing license is required.
Boerne parks · June
Hill Country Mile Rod Run
A free, family-friendly classic car show rolling through downtown Boerne, engine notes and chrome included.
Downtown Boerne
Event names, frequencies, and free status reflect published listings from the City of Boerne, Fiesta San Antonio, Santikos, and the participating venues at the time of writing. Confirm exact dates each year.
