Right in the heart of the city, you’ll find a glowing trail through a Christmas wonderland of fairy tale characters and shimmering lights displays.
I attended Spirit 105.9’s awesome “Spirit of Christmas” event to get a sneak-preview of all the fun this year at the Austin Trail of Lights in Zilker Park, which opens Saturday, Dec. 9 — and there’s a ton to look forward to!
As soon as you enter the Trail of Lights, you’re greeted by a towering arch made of dazzling lights and a stage with live Holiday performances.
Along the 1.25-mile trail through Zilker Park are Christmas scenes set up by local businesses, like Winnie the Pooh’s Christmas and Mother Goose’s fairy tales featuring Humpty Dumpty. I even spotted a few Disney princesses joining in on the Holiday fun!
And just like you’d hope to find in Texas’s capital city, there’s a giant Rudolph the Red Nose Jackalope wishing everyone a “Merry Texmas!” (We here in Texas know that jackalopes are the real magical heroes who guide Santa’s sleigh each Christmas…) Truly a glorious sight!
And because no Austin Christmas celebration would be complete without bats, the trail even features an EPIC cave with dozens of Austin’s favorite winged creatures soaring through the air! It was definitely my favorite part of the trail.
The trail, itself, is amazing — but that’s only half the fun! Branching off the main path are different villages that are also full of Christmas fun from the dazzling Candy Cane Lane to the Zilker Village with a fire pit! Stop at the North Pole to mingle with Santa and Mrs. Claus, cozy up with some hot cocoa and hop on the giant Carousel for a bird’s-eye-view of the city!
The fun doesn’t even stop once you exit the trail. Be sure to look behind you as you head up the hill on Stratford Drive for an incredible view of the Trail of Lights with the Austin skyline in the background, and don’t forget to make your way across the street to see the towering Zilker Holiday Tree!
Don’t miss out on tons of Texified-Christmas fun in the heart of the city at Austin’s Trail of Lights. Find more information and buy your tickets here.
