The Krampus parade takes place Thursday at King William in San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO – Since the announcement of a San Antonio version of the traditional Krampus parade, several organizations have expressed their dismay at the event taking place.

The parade is scheduled for Thursday evening in the King William Historic District. It is sponsored and organized by Hermann Sons Rathskeller Bar.

KENS 5 has put together everything you need to know about the controversial holiday event.

Krampus is a mythological figure in Central and Eastern European folklore, often depicted as a half-goat, half-human demon, dating to the 16th century. He is considered something like the “anti-Santa Claus”. While Santa Claus rewards children’s good behavior with gifts, Krampus punishes “bad” children with a birch rod.

The tradition is celebrated in European cities with walking or running parades (Krampuslauf), in which participants parade through neighborhood streets dressed as Krampus.

The event will be hosted by Hermann Sons Rathskeller Bar, located in the historic Hermann Sons Hall in downtown St. Mary’s. The hall is 113 years old and the bar is the oldest continuously held beer and wine license in Texas.

The building and organization celebrate and promote German culture in South Texas, hence the motivation to host the Krampus parade.

The procession begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Arthouse in Blue Star (134 Blue Star) and travels through the King William district, in the tradition of a traveling parade. This means there will be no floats or vehicles, but rather the Krampus Run will come to life with people dressed as their version of the iconic Christmas gnome.

Bob Crittenden, the parade’s grand marshal, said the idea came from a Hermann Sons Hall board member who wanted to build on the success of last year’s Krampus celebration in the hall’s Rathskeller.

Participants are invited to watch the parade along King William Street and are encouraged to join in the fun by dressing up in Krampus costumes.

The event drew backlash from some local religious groups in San Antonio.

Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller released a statement that said, among other things:

“I am concerned about the upcoming Krampus parade soon to take place in the King William neighborhood and downtown. Over the centuries, the Catholic Church has expressed its opposition to Krampus celebrations because of his resemblance to the devil.”

Other faith leaders held a news conference Friday to denounce the parade.

The archbishop’s comments came after a group of faith leaders denounced the parade in front of City Hall on Friday afternoon.

“This is an attack on our children and Krampus is not welcome in San Antonio,” said Pastor Mark Lugo of San Antonio Impact Ministries. “It’s a demon that comes in and drags naughty children to hell.”

Organizers of the Krampus parade in San Antonio say they have “declared this parade PG-13” given the frightening nature of the character.

On Wednesday, the San Antonio Family Association released a statement also opposing the celebration. The statement reads, in part: “This Krampus parade promotes evil by frightening children and threatening to take them to the streets on the eve of one of the feast days of Saint Jesus, Saint Nicholas, commonly known as Santa Claus Hell to drag.” Klaus.”

In response to some of the backlash, the King William Association posted on Facebook Monday that the King William streets are open for public use and the King William Pavilion is owned and operated by the city of San Antonio. They further said: “The KWA has no authority to deny street passage if the city has granted permission. The parade organizers have received a parade permit from the City of San Antonio.”