By Catherine Hudgins
Don’t let the weather fool you. The holiday season is rapidly approaching.
From Halloween to New Year’s, this time of year is filled with opportunities to entertain, to gather with friends and family to create special memories and share good times.
For those in a celebratory mood, the San Antonio metropolitan area offers everything—from venues to party dresses, invitations to libations—to make this holiday season fun and fabulous, whether you simply pile the kids into the car and head for one of the locally-famous haunted houses in the weeks before Halloween or spend a fortune in time and money to welcome in the New Year with a few hundred of your closest friends.
Public celebrations like San Antonio’s Holiday River Parade, Boerne’s Weihnachts Fest Parade, and Wurstfest in New Braunfels are great ways to bring family and friends together and to kindle the holiday spirit—whatever the holiday. Many of the surrounding towns and parishes hold fall festivals with food, music, and fun to start the ball rolling.
Entertaining family and friends al fresco is not only viable, but is often more enjoyable in December than in July, since the weather in South Texas is generally mild during the winter holiday season.
Outdoor venues for private parties can run the gamut from picnic spots in city parks to destinations such as the Guadalupe River Ranch Resort & Spa, the former home of Olivia de Havilland, near Boerne or the Diamond W Longhorn Ranch just outside Helotes.
Most of us, however, will entertain at home—and, to make the experience especially memorable, we may want to do a little more than just vacuum and buy an extra bag of chips.
Setting the Stage
Lighting is an integral part of creating the appropriate mood. Luminarias to line your walkway or entrance make great projects for kids to help with and do a superb job of welcoming guests to your holiday gathering; they’re not just for Christmas anymore. Candle sources include factory outlet stores for local manufacturers, such as A. I. Root Company, or Gold Candles, where Sandy Roe offers candles in sixty different fragrances as well as unique holders for table and wall. To update your home’s “electrified” lighting, visit Stevens Lighting or Compton’s Lamps & Shades in San Antonio or Gallery of Lighting in Boerne.
Thematic décor touches enhance the party ambiance. For Yuletide, the Christmas Shoppe in Boerne provides decorating items and ideas year-round. Botanika in San Antonio and Touch of Elegance in New Braunfels are among the most creative sources for centerpieces and natural décor for any holiday or event.
Scheduling a get-together is also great motivation for tackling those home projects that never seem to get done otherwise. Perhaps it’s time to give your area rugs a thorough cleaning. The professionals at The Rug Store can handle the task, whether yours are antique orientals or modern. Should you need to acquire a high-quality, handmade oriental carpet, local expert Basil Scaljon’s shop on Main Avenue is the place to go.
Setting the Mood
Printed invitations are a special touch for any gathering. Nancy Harkins Stationer in Alamo Heights or Sally Boyle at Write On Cards in Schertz can help the party planner choose a style and wording that set the tone before the event even begins. The Whole Package offers a wide array of paper stock and matching envelopes for do-it-yourselfers.
Music is another important mood-setter—the possibilities range from borrowing CDs to hiring a DJ or a strolling mariachi band to serenade your guests. To book a violin and harp duo, contact Allegretto Violin Music. And if it’s time to upgrade your sound system or install a home theater set-up for football bowl games, check with the experts at Bjorn’s.
Distinctive table or buffet settings are another way to make a festive statement. The Pewter Store in Boerne carries a huge assortment of serving dishes, platters, and casserole holders. Gracious Gourmet in Artisan’s Alley is another good source for unique kitchen and dining accessories, as is Sunrise Pottery, specializing in handmade/hand-painted tableware.
Unique tablerunners and other woven goods can be found at the Village Weavers shop in La Villita. For party hats and favors that will make your celebration memorable, the place to go is Amols’ Specialty.
Setting the Table
Of course, in the San Antonio metro area, every holiday and every party involve food and drink. For Christmas Eve, local tradition suggests tamales; two of the best-known suppliers of hand-made tamales are Rudy’s on S. Flores and Ruben’s on Rigsby. Hint: Be prepared to stand in line—and to buy an extra dozen or two for out-of-town guests who will want to take some home.
If the holiday spirits you serve include wine, metropolitan San Antonio boasts a number of well-stocked shops. Gabriel’s Wine Cellars, HEB Central Market, Hill Country Wines & Spirits (in Fair Oaks), and Seazar’s Fine Wines & Spirits (with locations in San Antonio and New Braunfels) offer extensive selections and expert assistance to match appropriate beverages with your chosen menu.
The family’s traditional Thanksgiving dinner preparations may involve picking up the phone to order turkey and trimmings from Bill Miller Bar-B-Q or pies from Luby’s. Or your holiday celebration may be more elaborate and involve a theme that will guide choices about invitations, decoration, food, drinks, music, even clothing.
If you don’t have the time or desire to prepare and serve everything yourself, caterers such as Fresh Horizons or Absolutely Everything will be happy to help. And they clean up after themselves, too.
Even those who prefer to cook the main meal may want to contact a professional about providing a beautiful and tasty dessert as the perfect finish. Nadler’s in San Antonio, Cake Creations in New Braunfels, and Bear Moon Bakery in Boerne are wonderful sources for sweet-tooth satisfaction.
Dressing the Part
Once the guests are invited, the house is clean and decorated, and the food and drinks are ready to serve, there’s still the matter of getting yourself ready to play host or hostess. Resale shops can be great sources for “party” clothes. Among the best to be nicely stocked with designer labels are Baubles and Beads, Too Good To Be Threw, and Encore.
And if there’s time and budget left, why not splurge a little on yourself? A visit to a day spa such as Isabelle’s or Essence will pamper you and restore your vitality for the partying ahead.
In conclusion
Whether the group includes friends or family or both, and whether you’re celebrating a holiday or just indulging in televised football, social gatherings are great relationship-builders and memory-makers. And luckily, in metropolitan San Antonio, it’s always easy to find an excuse—and the accoutrements—for throwing a party.
