Krampus parades have been a tradition in Europe for centuries, and now it’s San Antonio’s turn. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Jernej Furman
Bad children, beware! Krampus is coming!

San Antonio’s first-ever Krampus Parade will terrorize the King William neighborhood on the evening of Thursday, Dec. 5. Organized on behalf of Hermann Sons Hall, the event is modeled after European gatherings that pay homage to a folkloric demon who punishes naughty kids at Christmastime.

Parade participants will dress as Krampus, who arrives on Krampusnacht, or Dec. 5 — the eve of the Feast of St. Nicholas. As legend goes, the horned anthropomorphic figure punishes naughty children by whipping them with a switch or carrying them off to Hell in a basket.

Gotta love the Germans’ heartwarming holiday traditions!

“The Krampus Parade celebrates the forgotten mysteries of the holiday season,” San Antonio Krampus Parade Grand Marshal Bob Crittenden told the Current. “This parade is about rediscovering those old traditions where every December night held the possibility of encountering something magical — whether delightful or fearsome.”

How to participate or watch the parade

Parade participants are instructed to line up in the parking lot of Blue Star Arts Complex at 5 p.m. Dec. 5. Spectators can bring lawn chairs and camp out anywhere along the route by 6:30 p.m. From Blue Star, the parade will follow King William Street, ending at Hermann Sons Rathskeller, the time-capsule bar in the basement of Hermann Sons Ballroom.

The parade route will run along King William Street. Credit: Google Maps
There’s no fee to march in or attend this parade.

More than 150 people are expected to walk in the parade, according to organizers. Fifteen krewes have joined, and each is required to have a minimum of one Krampus, with the rest of the members dressed festively in accordance with the individual krewe’s theme.

It’s not too late to participate in the parade. Krewes wishing to sign up can email hausvonkrampus@gmail.com to register. There are no floats or vehicles, which organizers said makes the event more like a New Orleans second line or Mardi Gras parade.

Participants need not belong to a krewe to march, either. All are welcome to walk alongside the krewes, Crittenden said.

Even so, event organizers strongly advise participants to bring illumination since King William grows dark after sundown. Organizers also recommend bringing noisemakers and bells for the procession. 
Spare the rod, spoil the child

Along its route, the parade will make a stop at the King William Street gazebo for a ceremony honoring community dignitaries. For the inaugural event, these will include delegates from the King William Association, Blue Star Arts Complex, Beethoven Männerchor and more to be announced.

Rather than the birchwood switch or rod Krampus historically carries to punish children, participating Krampuses will bestow the dignitaries with golden birch rods to grant them clemency from punishment. That is, until next year. 

Another krampus snarls at the crowd during a European celebration of the folkloric demon. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Jernej Furman
How did this terrifying tradition make its way to the Alamo City?

The parade is organized on behalf of Hermann Sons Hall, which held its first Krampus party last year. A few months ago, the German heritage hall approached Crittenden, a five-time Fiesta commissioner, to organize a Krampus parade that would culminate at the party.

Crittenden said he’s had no trouble recruiting people to help organize and participate in the parade. The Valkerie von Krampus, or the parade’s organizing committee, includes event organizer alumni from Fiesta Flambeau, Cornyation and King William Yacht Club. For years, Crittenden has been responsible for hosting Chips and Salsa, the Fiesta event featuring casino games and salsa dancing.

Organizing committee members reached out to their respective social networks to recruit the inaugural parade’s first krewes, he said. 

Krampus is said to carry a birch switch or rod to whip children and a basket to cart them off to Hell. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Jernej Furman
San Antonio deserves a Krampus parade

If any American city deserves a Krampus parade, it’s San Antonio, Crittenden asserts. There’s a strong German tradition in the Alamo City and surrounding Hill Country, which is dotted with biergartens, social clubs, polka bands and Oktoberfests.

The Krampuslauf, or “Krampus run,” is yet another ancient German tradition that Crittenden says has a place here, especially in King William, a neighborhood settled by German industrialists that was once referred to as “Sauerkraut Bend.”

However, Crittenden is also aware and appreciative of the folkloric demon’s appeal with metalheads, who rival Germans with their abundance in San Antonio, and also represent at least half of the parade’s krewes.

“Krampus is very metal,” Crittenden added.

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This article appears in Nov 13-26, 2024.

Stephanie Koithan is the Digital Content Editor of the San Antonio Current. In her role, she writes about politics, music, art, culture and food. Send her a tip at skoithan@sacurrent.com.