San Antonio has once again landed a coveted spot on Thumbtack's annual ranking of the most festive American cities in 2025, days before traditions like the Ford Holiday River Parade mark the official start of the season.

The home services platform analyzed holiday light installation requests from customers from October 2024 to 2025 to determine the most festive U.S. cities. Rankings were based on the "relative frequency" of requests after being adjusted for the population of each state and metro area.

San Antonio ranked as the 9th most festive U.S. city this year, moving up one spot from its 2024 ranking in 10th place.

Locals searching for inspiration for their homes can find it at the many twinkly light displays illuminating San Antonio for the holidays, from the iconic Holidays on Houston Street to the Illuminate holiday light spectacle at the San Antonio Botanical Garden.

Other festive holiday events happening around San Antonio include a cheery ice rink, a three-day holiday pop-up at local food nonprofit Culinaria, and much more. CultureMap readers can also keep up with all of San Antonio's holiday happenings in our special editorial series.

Other big Texas cities like Austin, Dallas, and Houston all landed top-10 spots in the report, proving the Lone Star State is much more festive than the rest of the country.

"From Texas to Florida, the South is setting the standard for holiday spirit, and in true Texas fashion, bigger is definitely brighter," the report said. "Mild winters and a strong sense of community keep the Lone Star State shining at the top."

Thumbtack also said that the holiday season is beginning earlier with every passing year.

"Homeowners are layering their look from October through December, swapping out pumpkins for pine boughs and adding sparkle as the season unfolds," the report said.

Thumbtack's top 10 most festive U.S. cities in 2024 are:

• No. 1 – Austin, Texas
• No. 2 – Dallas, Texas
• No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
• No. 4 – Las Vegas, Nevada
• No. 5 – Sacramento, California
• No. 6 – Houston, Texas
• No. 7 – San Francisco, California
• No. 8 – Charlotte, North Carolina
• No. 9 – San Antonio, Texas
• No. 10 – Atlanta, Georgia