San Antonio’s first-ever Krampus Parade drew more than 1,000 revelers to the King William Historic District on Thursday to celebrate the scary side of Christmas.
Parade viewers lined one of the neighborhood’s central streets to watch a stream of people dressed as the mythological creature Krampus strut their menacing stuff. Part of Yuletide lore in Germany and other European countries, the horned baddie is said to carry off naughty children around Christmastime.
San Antonio’s King William neighborhood was established in the late 1800s by German immigrants, and the organizers of Thursday’s event promoted it as an entertaining way to celebrate Old World traditions. Krampus parades are commonplace across Germany, Austria and other parts of Europe.
Here’s a look at the San Antonio Krampus Parade, including a few protesters who claimed the gathering would unleash evil, disaster and a demonic portal on the city. No portal opened Thursday night, but we’ll keep you informed in the event one does materialize.
