Bob Crittenden, who founded San Antonio’s Krampus Parade last year, said the event might not open a portal to another dimension, but it could attract large crowds to the King William Historic District on Friday.
Crittenden discussed one of San Antonio’s newest traditions on the podcast bigcitysmalltown, sharing some of the recent and not so recent history of Krampus.
The Krampuslauf, or Krampus run, originated in Tyrol, a region in Alpine Europe. Krampus and St. Nicholas were holiday characters meant to encourage good behavior in local children, Crittenden said.
“Krampus is the companion to St. Nicholas. He appears with St. Nicholas on a very specific day in the religious calendar of what was Medieval Europe,” he said. “He was often portrayed as a devilish character. He has horns, he has fur.”
San Antonio’s Krampus event was suggested by a friend, said Crittenden, whose day job is working in software development at USAA. The 2024 Krampus parade went from Blue Star Arts Complex to the Rathskeller Bar in King William, and it gained attention and attendees once protesters showed up.
Crittenden said some community members were concerned the event would lead to criminal activity. He added that some rumors of portals or gateways being opened to other dimensions spread online.
“It wasn’t until some local fundamentalists protested the event from the steps of City Hall that the public interest started to grow,” Crittenden said.
No such portals were opened, he said, but the event drew around 10,000 people.
This year, the Krampus Parade will be at Beethoven Maennerchor on 422 Pereida St.
The doors will open at 3 p.m. on Dec. 5. The restaurant’s kitchen will open at 4:30 p.m., entertainment starts at 5 p.m. and the parade will start at 7:30 p.m.
The venue can accommodate 2,000 people. The street in front of the building will be closed and other businesses along South Alamo Street may host events. For now, admission is free, though there is a limit on how many people can attend.
Crittenden said there will be a larger police presence than 2024, including traffic control, closed streets and barricades. Streets will still be open to residents, he added.
Last year, Crittenden said, anyone was allowed to join in the parade. This year, the event will be more organized, with marchers registering beforehand. Onlookers are still allowed to dress up and attend, Crittenden said.
“If you would like to come in costume, by all means,” Crittenden said. “This is a celebration of Krampus and all those Yuletide characters.”
There will also be a costume contest at the Beethoven Maennerchor.
Crittenden said Krampus has begun to overlap with another local San Antonio myth — the Devil in the Dancehall — who discourages bad behavior by youth.
There was an event last year that laid out that connection, Crittenden added, mixing local, German and Mexican cultures and stories. Krampus parade organizers have also been active during Fiesta.