On Friday, December 5th, twelve families from Ft. Sam Houston gathered in the Nimitz Ballroom for a delicious prime rib and chicken dinner provided and served by the Nimitz Rotary Club, followed by desserts courtesy of Journey Church. After the meal, everyone headed outside to enjoy the lighted Christmas parade from reserved seating. When the parade wrapped up, many families explored the activities at Market Platz.

Saturday was a free day for families to enjoy Fredericksburg at their own pace. Most eventually met up at Hondo’s on Main for lunch, where they swapped stories about ice skating, Kinderfest, and the many other activities happening around town.

That evening, the First Baptist Church hosted a potluck dinner featuring everything from chicken casserole and mac and cheese to enchiladas and an impressive spread of desserts. My personal favorite was the pecan praline bundt cake—although the apple pie gave it some competition.

As dinner wound down, church members handed each of the 23 children a ticket. One by one, numbers were called and each child chose a gift from under the Christmas tree. The final drawing was for a handmade quilt donated by a church member. Then it was the adults’ turn, with drawings for $100 gift cards from various San Antonio businesses. Every family received a gift card, and every child went home with a present.

Just as the excitement settled, Sunshine the Clown arrived and delighted “kids” of all ages with a lively magic show, engaging the children as eager helpers throughout her performance.

A few photos have been posted in this website photo album which you can access by clicking on Photos at the top of this page.  However, all photos from the planned activities can be viewed and downloaded at Zenfolio | Dave Roberts | 2025 Dec .  Parade photos at Zenfolio | Dave Roberts | Christmas Parade 2025

If the links do not work simply copy and paste into the address line above.   MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!