Sights and Sounds of Christmas

Lights twinkle to the sound of giggling as people spin under a magnificent tree made of incandescent bulbs. The smell of fresh made biscuits linger as the children’s choir sings jubilantly into the night.

Simply put, there is no better place to be Dec. 1-4 than San Marcos during the Sights & Sounds of Christmas Festival at San Marcos Park Plaza. Take a stroll with loved ones or take that special someone on a walk they’ll never forget. Underneath an everlasting canopy of twinkling lights that stretch throughout the park, you can duck into a shop or two for a little holiday shopping. Then, take a break at one of the many food vendors for excellent festival food. You may even get treated to a little snow (artificial of course!)

Sights & Sounds, as the locals like to call it, has been a tradition in San Marcos for 24 years and only gets more popular as time passes. It’s the biggest Christmas festival in all of Hays County and boasted 25,000 in attendance last year.

But with so much to do at Sights & Sounds, you must make a plan. Here is the official BobcatFans plan: Start your night off at the coffee pot with a nice chi tea then head out to the park. If parking is an issue, there will be a shuttle that picks up at Strahan that runs every quarter hour. Enjoy the festivities, listen to little kids signs the classic Christmas carols, buy a few munchies, do some shopping for the family, take a picture with Santa for Facebook and then head out to The Square for a night cap.

San Marvelous’ transformation into a winter wonderland wouldn’t be complete without a scheduled visit from St. Nick. This year Santa is trading in his sled for a helicopter and landing on the outskirts of the Sights & Sounds nativity scene, Little Bethlehem.

Be sure to stop by: The Tree of Lights and Little Bethlehem. In a consumer society its worth stopping by and reflecting on meaning of life.

Parking: Free parking and shuttles will be available for Sights & Sounds from Texas State University’s Strahan Coliseum. The shuttle will run every 15 minutes from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Price of Christmas: $4 for 11 years and up per night. 10 years and under is free. Pre-sale buttons are $10 per person and gets you in all 4 days. Those are limited so its a first come first serve.  You can purchase those up at the Activity Center, Parks and Rec, or Premier Cuts.

Sights N Sounds TV Commercial