Planet K has pulled the plug on its annual Día de los Muertos celebration and fireworks display at Woodlawn Lake, a free event that had drawn San Antonio families to the park for two decades. The gift store chain said the Nov. 2 festival is off this year, pointing to political and economic pressures tied to immigration enforcement as the reason for the cancellation.
According to sacurrent.com, the celebration has been an annual tradition at the park for 20 years and had only been called off once before, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Planet K said that in all that time, “we have only had to cancel this beloved tradition twice — once due to COVID-19 and now due to current political and economic challenges.” The festival was scheduled for Nov. 2, 2026, at Woodlawn Lake Park.
Planet K was blunt about its reasoning, saying it would not host a public gathering under what it described as the threat of immigration-enforcement activity. “We refuse to bring people together under ICE TERRORISM & political war,” the company said, according to the same sacurrent.com report. As first reported by WOAI News 4 San Antonio, the decision to cancel was not made lightly, and Woodlawn Lake Park posted Planet K's cancellation notice to Facebook to notify the community.
Apologies to Vendors, Artists and Local Charities
Per WOAI's reporting, Planet K apologized to the vendors, artists, families, supporters and attendees who look forward to the annual celebration each year. The company also apologized to the charities that had benefited from the festival over the years, including community organizations, local youth programs and families in need who typically receive support tied to the event. Planet K said it still has faith the festival can return in 2027.
Backdrop of Rising Enforcement in San Antonio
The cancellation lands amid a broader standoff between San Antonio and federal immigration authorities. The city has sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to block a proposed immigration detention facility, according to the Texas Tribune. The outlet reports DHS paid $66.1 million for a 640,000-square-foot commercial warehouse in San Antonio that officials say could be converted to hold as many as 1,500 immigrants per day. City officials argue DHS and ICE disregarded requirements to thoroughly consider the plan's environmental consequences, in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act and the Administrative Procedure Act.
That legal fight follows months of heightened enforcement activity across the region. KSAT reported nearly 1,500 ICE arrests in the San Antonio region since the start of 2025.
Not an Isolated Case
San Antonio isn't the only community canceling an event over similar concerns. Downtown Doral, Florida, abruptly canceled its three-night Oktoberfest, originally set for Oct. 1 through Oct. 3, with organizers telling Miami New Times that “now is not the time to bring everyone together” amid fears over increased ICE presence in South Florida. Doral organizers said all ticket holders were refunded in full.
The Woodlawn Lake event has been an annual tradition for 20 years. The 2025 celebration included activities alongside its fireworks show. For now, that tradition is on pause, with Planet K pointing to 2027 as its hoped-for return.
