Heights Pool says it has operated at 250 Viesca since 1948, and it is a membership club. It sells no day passes, and members can bring guests for a fee. For most of that history, the pool's corner of Alamo Heights stayed closed to anyone without a membership.
That changed on July 11, 2026, when the city opened Kellyanne Park on part of the parking lot. The park is just under half an acre. In November it takes the busiest public role in the city: the first-ever Alamo Heights Chili Cook Off on the 14th, then the 48th Alamo Heights Holiday Parade finishing next door on the 21st.
What Half an Acre of Parking Lot Became
The City of Alamo Heights calls Kellyanne Park its "pool pocket park." It sits on part of the lot between the Alamo Heights Pool and the Little League fields. According to the city, it has a pavilion, a play area, and public restrooms outside the pool fence. The concessionaire at the Heights Pool Grille can also serve walk-up customers from the park side.
Restrooms and food outside the gate are what make it work as a public space. A crowd can now eat, sit under a roof, and find a restroom at 250 Viesca without passing the membership desk. Before July, an event at this corner had only the pool's parking lot to work with.
The design team is a familiar one in San Antonio. Ford, Powell & Carson did the architecture, Coral Studios did the landscape architecture, and Malitz Construction built it. The park carries Kellyanne Lytal's name, and the city describes it as "both a place of joy and remembrance." The park isn't finished growing, either. The city's FY 2026-27 proposed budget sets aside $50,000 for a public-art display there.
November 14: An Event Planned Around the Park
The city's announcement for the 1st Annual Alamo Heights Chili Cook Off spells out why it picked this spot: "Where else would be a better spot than at the Kellyanne Park?" The city put the event on with the Heights Pool and says it wants "to start something new to bring the community together."
It runs Saturday, November 14, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Kellyanne Park and the Heights Pool parking lot. Entry is free for both cooks and visitors. Here's the plan the city has posted:
- 11 a.m. The event begins, with chili sampling, bounce houses, face painting, and balloon artists
- Noon to 4 p.m. Texas Tide plays the opening set
- 4 to 6 p.m. The Texases close the day
- All day College football streams in the park, including UT vs. LSU and A&M vs. Tennessee
- All day Poolside serves food and drinks across the park and event area
- Competitions Chili and cornhole contests, both with cash prizes
The chili contest is capped at 22 spots, and cooks are competing for what the city calls bragging rights for the best chili "at least on this side of the San Antonio River." To enter, email [email protected]. Heights Pool staff will reply with details, and spots go to the first 22 cooks who sign up.
November 21: The Parade Has Always Ended Here
One week after the cook-off, a much older event finishes at the same corner. The Alamo Heights Holiday Parade began in 1977 and calls itself the oldest holiday parade in San Antonio. The Alamo Heights Chamber of Commerce ran it at first, and the Midtown Business Association has run it since 2024. The route starts at Alamo Heights High School, 6900 Broadway, and ends at Alamo Heights Pool, 250 Viesca.
So the parade has been finishing at this corner for decades. This year will be the first time the after-party has a finished park beside it. The organizers describe the after-party as local businesses offering food, drinks, games, kids' activities, and entertainment.
| Saturday, November 21 | Details |
|---|---|
| 5:30 p.m. | Midtown Mile race starts |
| 5:45 p.m. | Parade steps off on Broadway at Alamo Heights High School |
| Route | Along Alamo Heights Blvd toward the pool |
| Finish and after-party | Alamo Heights Pool, 250 Viesca |
| Cost to watch | Free |
| Bring | A brand-new toy for the H-E-B carts along the route |
78209 Magazine reports that H-E-B is back as title sponsor. The lineup includes community dance groups and local nonprofits, and Santa closes the night. The magazine quoted Midtown Business Association President Edgar Gonzalez:
"The Holiday Parade brings families and neighbors together, and that's what the holidays are all about."
Donated toys go to the Elf Louise Christmas Project, which provides Christmas gifts to children across San Antonio and Bexar County. The same story suggests arriving early with blankets and chairs.
The Midtown Mile starts before the parade. IRUN Texas times the race, and it follows the parade route from the high school down to the pool, so the course runs net downhill. The RunSignup listing has three ways to enter: as an individual, as a team of at least five runners, or as a "chair duo." The listing notes parking at the high school and near the finish by the pool. The listing said the entry price would rise after October 28, so check it for the current fee.
What's Open Without a Membership
The park has made public events at 250 Viesca possible, but the pool is still a club. Both Saturdays work around that.
| Nov. 14 Chili Cook Off | Nov. 21 Holiday Parade | Heights Pool on any other day | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who hosts | City of Alamo Heights with Heights Pool | Midtown Business Association | Heights Pool, a membership club |
| Cost to attend | Free | Free | Membership required; no day passes |
| Where it happens | Kellyanne Park and the pool parking lot | Broadway and Alamo Heights Blvd, ending at the pool | Inside the pool gate |
| Food and drink | Poolside service in the park | After-party vendors | Poolside grill and full bar for members and their guests |
For anyone thinking about the pool beyond November: Heights Pool says anyone can join with no waitlist. Members can bring up to six guests a day, at $10 per adult and $5 per child. The pool has supported the parade before. Its logo leads the parade site's list of 2025 sponsors, alongside Alamo Heights Rotary Club, EZ's Restaurant, Maverick Distilling, and Geraldine's Natural Wines. This November, the pool co-hosts the cook-off and sits at the parade's finish line.
The Thursday Between the Two Saturdays
Two days before the cook-off, the McNay Art Museum holds a free Second Thursday on November 12, from 6 to 9 p.m., with art activities, food trucks, and live music. It's a good chance to see the McNay's two fall exhibitions, Modern Paris: A Century Begins and Suki Seokyeong Kang: Mountain—Hour—Face. Both opened October 30 and run through January 24, 2027. The McNay's events calendar also lists a December 6 screening and discussion of the 1952 film Moulin Rouge, tied to Modern Paris.
That gives the neighborhood three free outings in ten days: art night on the 12th, chili and live music on the 14th, and the parade on the 21st. The last two both land at 250 Viesca. The cook-off fills Kellyanne Park, which was part of a parking lot until this summer, and the parade finishes at the pool next door.
If you're entering the chili contest, signing up for the Midtown Mile, or just picking a curb spot on Alamo Heights Blvd, the team at Evoke Realty would like to hear how the new park handles its first big November. Contact us with your parade-night tips, or if you want an Alamo Heights agent who keeps up with what's happening in the neighborhood.
