Tie the knot or tighten the noose

Valentine’s Day in San Antonio proves there’s no one way to celebrate love—or get over it.

It doesn't have to be about flowers and chocolates this Valentine's Day. In San Antonio, you can choose between sending love in a big way or embracing revenge. 

For the Lovestruck

At the annual Newlywed Block Party that stretches from 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13 to 12:15 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, it's Valentine's Day fun with a knot as a finish. The downtown celebration features an evening of DJ-spun tunes, live dance performances, local vendors and more. Betrothed couples (or those ready to say “I do” on the fly), will make their way to the iconic Bexar County Courthouse where the annual tradition of legal coupling will take place with twosomes lining up at 11:59 p.m. Feb 13 on the courthouse’s historic front steps for the annual Midnight Weddings, with The Honorable Lucy Adame Clark officiating ceremonies precisely as the clock strikes midnight. 

  

For the Heartbroken

For those who have no desire to canoodle, the San Antonio Zoo offers a popular alternative for the jilted. The globally famous Cry Me a Cockroach fundraiser invites guests 18 years and older to channel heartbreak, humor or just good old mischief into conservation action. Participants can symbolically name a cockroach, rat or veggie after an ex—or anyone who deserves a little side-eye—which is then fed to one of the zoo’s animal residents. With rolled-back pricing ($5 cockroach or veggie, $15 rat), the fundraiser delivers laughs while supporting wildlife care and education. Each donation includes a downloadable Valentine’s Day card and a special animal-featured video, with the feeding fun shared across @SanAntonioZoo’s social channels on Valentine’s Day itself.