Commercial Christmas Lighting in San Antonio, TX

Possibly. The City of San Antonio’s Office of Historic Preservation says a Certificate of Appropriateness is required for any exterior repairs, alterations or signage on a property in one of the seven River Improvement Overlay districts or in the Downtown Business District. It does not say whether seasonal lights count, so ask the office before you book.

Lighting has come up in the commission’s work. In a 2024 Alamo Plaza case, city staff asked that all lighting details be submitted for review and approval. That was a public plaza, not a storefront, so it does not settle your case.

The River Walk’s own holiday lights come on the day after Thanksgiving and shine each night through early January, on the downtown stretch. Our installs start October 20, and the commercial service area page shows where we work.

The Pearl began as a brewery that opened in 1881 and closed in 2001. Today it is a mix of restaurants, shops, apartments, event spaces and a Culinary Institute of America campus, and Hotel Emma opened in the old brewery building in 2015.

The Rim is an outdoor retail centre at Interstate 10 and Loop 1604 in the northwest, billed in a 2014 trade report as the largest outdoor shopping center in Texas. In centres like these, check your lease and ask the property manager before you book exterior lights. Then text us the address and which storefronts you want lit.

What we can say about the work itself: the lights are LED, warm white or colour, and custom cut to the roofline so no wire shows. Our commercial lighting overview has the full list of what we light.

Installs start October 20, and the National Weather Service normal high is still about 82 degrees in October. It drops to about 72 in November and about 65 in December. Lights go up and come down outside business hours, so doors stay open and the lot stays clear.

Takedown comes after New Year’s. Everything is boxed and packed for you to keep, because Pratt does not store lights. Tree lighting is available on request and is quoted separately, and walkway, driveway and border lighting for planting beds can be added.

Every quote is priced for the property, and quotes are free. Request one by text at 361-522-5552, or use the quote page.

Quotes are requested by text, which is the fastest way to reach Pratt. A short message is enough, and a call works too if you prefer. Useful things to include:

• The address, and which buildings or storefronts you want lit.
• Warm white or colour, whichever you prefer.
• Trees, walkways or a driveway, if you want them done as well.
• If the building is in the River Walk or downtown overlay, or leased in a shopping centre, so you can ask the city or your property manager early.

Commercial Christmas lighting covers San Antonio businesses, from storefronts and offices to dealerships and managed properties. Text the address and Pratt will tell you what the timing looks like.

Residential Christmas lighting goes up in New Braunfels, San Marcos and Seguin, so we do not hang seasonal lights on San Antonio homes. Homes in San Antonio can have lights that stay up all year instead. The residential Christmas lights page has the three towns.