San Antonio is about to glow a little brighter. DiwaliSA, the official San Antonio and Bexar County celebration of Diwali, returns on Saturday, November 7, 2026, for its 18th anniversary — and this year’s Festival of Lights promises to be the most luminous yet.
From 4:30 p.m. to midnight, Hemisfair Park and the Arneson River Theatre will come alive with traditional Indian dance and music, regional cuisine, artisan vendors, and colorful attire. The evening’s most magical moment arrives when 2,000 floating diyas — small oil lamps — are lit and set afloat on the San Antonio River, followed by a River Parade and a spectacular fireworks finale over downtown.
Organized by Anuja SA, the San Antonio–Chennai Sister City Alliance, and co-hosted with the City of San Antonio, DiwaliSA began in 2009 to honor the sister-city bond between San Antonio and Chennai, India. Today it is recognized as the nation’s largest city-sponsored Diwali celebration, drawing thousands of families each year. Admission is completely free, making it one of the city’s most joyful — and most welcoming — fall traditions.
Photo: Keval Tank via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
