SAN ANTONIO — After days of controversy, large crowds arrived in the Historic King William District on Thursday night to march in San Antonio's first-ever Krampus Parade, an event some local Christian and Catholic groups denounced as "evil."
The event is rooted in German lore surrounding Krampus, a creature who punishes misbehaving kids and is considered to be the frightening antithesis to joyous Santa Claus. Though the legend is decidedly less cheery than traditional holiday season events, Thursday's procession – attended by various revelers wearing Krampus' trademark horns, fangs and cloven hooves – still carried an atmosphere of celebration as it set off from Arthouse at Blue Star, the sound of bells, horns and chains ringing in the air.
"The opposite of St. Nick," one paradegoer said. "He comes and gets all the bad kids and puts them in his basket."
Organizers estimated that nearly 10,000 attendees marched in the parade, categorizing it as "an epic success."
"It was the online support and attendance of the citizens of San Antonio that launched this parade into history," Grand Marshal Bob Crittenden said. "Ask someone who was there, they will tell you they witnessed history. The Valkyries (parade organizers) have been checking in on Southtown businesses for feedback. All report huge sales, packed houses, and new customers they had never seen before."
Those participants, responding to some church leaders' insistence not to "cramp on our Christmas," said the city has room to celebrate different cultures. While parade organizers didn't make themselves available for comment on Thursday, they previously told KENS 5 they were hoping to make it an annual event.
Among the parade participants were families and young ones. Parade organizers with the Hermann Sons Rathskeller Bar declared the event PG-13, leaving it up to parents to decide whether to bring their children.
"We just had the Wurstfest in New Braunfels," said one Krampus mask-wearing attendee. "The German community is right here in the King William District, and we love it."
But not everyone across San Antonio was enamored with the idea.
Several Christian leaders in the Alamo City tried to cancel the parade, and the Archdiocese of San Antonio condemned it.
On Thursday morning, hours before the Krampus Parade took off, the San Antonio Family Association went as far as to call it a celebration of evil.
"Here in the City of Saint Anthony, how terrible it is," said Patrick Von Dohlen, San Antonio Family Association president. "How tragic it is, how scandalous it is, that we sit idly by and accept this as just another good reason to have a party. We are here to show children love, to love them to an abundant life, not to scare them."
One Krampus making the King William rounds later that night pointed to the city's pride in hosting the country's largest Day of the Dead celebration, saying San Antonio should also welcome other cultural events.
"If that's not your thing, then you don't have to come," he said. "But we are a hodgepodge of people. So why not celebrate everyone?"