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The Trail of Lights is going on its 57th year as the most famous light show in Austin. (Trail of Lights)
The holiday season is upon us, so get ready to celebrate with carols, snacks and light shows galore. Austin is full of holiday festivities spanning throughout all of December so get out and enjoy the cool weather while it lasts.
Don't miss these nine holiday-themed light shows.
Austin's most famous annual light show and a Readers Choice of USA Today's 10 Best Public Displays of Holiday Lights, the Trail of Lights will be drive-thru again this year Nov. 27-Dec. 31. For 57 years in a row, the Trail of Lights has lit up Zilker Park with games, food, local vendors and more than two million lights gleaming for the holidays. The event, as always, is free to the public and you can reserve slots here. The Zilker Tree is already up, so you can already see it if the holiday cheer is too much to bear.
Coming back for the second year in a row, Peppermint Parkway will transport you to COTALAND, where six million lights gleam and Christmas is just a one-mile drive away. The hybrid event will have you drive through the display of lights, dancing elves and unique little villages before you hit the walking plaza, where you can grab a bite to eat and meet Santa. Tickets range from $40-$95, some including a lap around the COTA track, running from Nov. 26-Dec. 26.
Dreamland Dripping Springs has been transformed into a winter wonderland—running throughout the month of December, the venue's first-ever holiday display is taking over with activities for the whole family. Plus, running from Nov. 20-Jan. 4, a pop-up ice skating rink will really bring the holiday cheer for $10 or $5 Monday specials. The lights display will feature half a million lights and warm, festive sips from the taproom.
With events galore for the holiday season, winter is really when the Hill Country Galleria thrives. Starting with its Light Up The Plaza event on Saturday from 6-8 p.m., where visitors can see Santa, gaze at the official lighting of the holiday tree and hear some live tunes from rock band American Authors. The Galleria will also hold a holiday market every Thursday, Friday and Saturday leading up to Christmas Eve and periodic photos with Santa at Buenos Aires Cafe.
Deck the Halls at the Driskill Hotel
(Courtesy of the Driskill Hotel)
This holiday season, the Driskill will deck out every nook and cranny of the historic hotel from the grand staircase to the 16-foot Christmas tree in the lobby to be lit on a Dec. 1 ceremony that will be open to the public. Touches of Driskill festivities can also be seen at Dell Children's Hospital with a gingerbread village for its annual "Cookies for Caring" event.
Kicking off the lighting of the tree on Saturday, Dec. 4, Austinites will gather on the steps of the Texas Capitol at 6 p.m. to sing the 45-foot tree to life. Afterward, local band Los Coast will close out the night with a free concert. The fun doesn't stop there though as the Downtown Austin Alliance will host the Downtown Holiday Stroll, with "holiday passports" and stamps to collect for local restaurants and stores, and a Frida Friday Holiday Market at Republic Square.
Combining festive holiday lights and the beautiful native plants of Central Texas, Luminations at the Wildflower Center is back with thousands of lights, luminarias and a lit-up look at Fortlandia. This year will also feature an interactive light maze called "silvana" by Ben Busche of architecture firm Brut Deluxe, which will be the maze's first appearance in North America. The event will run Thursdays-Sundays from Dec. 2-Jan. 30 for $10-$25 per person.
Reserved tables are back for Mozart's Coffee Roasters annual Christmas Lights Show for $20 four-person tables and $30 six-person tables—so get your tickets early because these tables are likely to sell out. The light show will also feature a festival-style Bavarian marketplace for those last-minute gifts. If you're too late to reserve a table, don't worry, there will be standing room available for free so come one, come all, and come early for parking.
From Dec. 2-4, Old Settlers Park will light up with holiday displays, family activities, festive refreshments and live music. Watch the balloons hover above the lake as you sip on a hot chocolate or give to those in need, with stands for Round Rock Operation Blue Santa, which is taking toys for kids in need, the Play For All Foundation, which is accepting cash donations for disabled children, and the People & Parks Foundation, accepting cash donations for green space in the community. Admission to the event is free, along with most of the activities in the park.
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Popular
(Tesla)
Tesla’s Austin presence is becoming even greater as the automaker plans for a nearly 52,000-square-foot showroom in northeast Austin.
A filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation reveals Tesla will have the dealership at 2323 Ridgepoint Drive, near the intersection of 290 and 183. It’ll serve as Tesla’s fourth Austin showroom once it reaches its expected completion in February next year.
Boyd Watterson Asset Management is listed as the owner of the one story building that will undergo renovations and alterations totaling $1.5 million. Illinois-based Chipman Design Architecture is listed as the design firm.
Tesla’s other Austin showrooms include one at the Domain, another off of Research Boulevard in northwest Austin and at The Yard in South Austin. The site on St. Elmo Road was built just last year with an estimated $2.5 million price tag.
News of the showroom comes shortly after Tesla applied for expansions at its headquarters in southeast Travis County. According to filings, Tesla may build a 500,000-square-foot building for two general assembly lines at Giga Texas.
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(Downtown Austin Alliance)
🗓 Thursday
🍹 Margarita Madness
I’m holding two drinks in my hands but only one can be named next top margarita. Join in on a bracket-style competition running throughout the month to try all eight margaritas—this week serving samples of the winners from week one and two. Tickets start at $18.
3-9 p.m. Thursday-Sunday | 📍Desert Door Distillery, 211 Darden Hill Rd.
🥩 Hotel Granduca Steak & Bourbon Long Table Dinner
Enjoy a multi-course, long table-style dinner at Hotel Granduca’s signature restaurant. Choose between the linz heritage angus ribeye or crab and lobster risotto, enjoy curated bourbon pairings and relax in luxury along to live music. Tickets are $95 per person.
5:30 p.m. Thursday | 📍Visconti Ristorante & Bar, 320 S. Capital of Texas Hwy.
🖼 Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition
Take a culinary tour around the Italian peninsula with food, wine, art and a guided audio tour around some of “Rome’s most cherished frescoes.” Tickets start at $89.
7:30-10 p.m. Thursday | 📍Paddock Events Center, 9201 Circuit of The Americas Blvd.
🗓 Friday
🎉 Austin’s Birthday Bash
Get a good ol’ food truck dinner and catch Roll On Over, a roller-skating performance by Ignite on Wheels at Republic Square on Friday. Stop by again on Saturday for I’ve Got 5 On It for some hip hop and other entertainment in the park headlined by SaulPaul. Happy Birthday, Austin!
6-9 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday | 📍Republic Square, 422 Guadalupe St.
🎸 Norman Seeff: 'Fifty Years in Exile'
This rare, never-before-seen collection of photos from photographer Norman Seeff features vintage shots from his session with The Rolling Stones in 1972. The exhibit will run through the end of September in celebration of the band’s 50th anniversary of “Exile on Main St.”
7 -10 p.m. Friday | 📍Modern Rocks, 916 Springdale Rd.🗓 Saturday
🏳️🌈 Austin Pride 2022: Beyond the Rainbow
Pride is back for the first time since 2019. Start the party early at Fiesta Gardens with Drag Queen Story Time, over 100 local vendors, carnival games and a headlining performance from Cupcakke. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 ages 7-17 and free for kids under 6.
11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday | 📍Fiesta Gardens, 2101 Jesse E Segovia St.
🥳 “Deep in the Heart of Pride” Watch Party
OR watch the festivities from a bird’s eye view on top of one of the only terraces overlooking the parade with a Sonesta Pride-themed cocktail. Standing room is $10, or reserve a table for $25 or $50 depending on the terrace. Proceeds go to benefit LGBTQ+ nonprofit OutYouth.
8-11 p.m. Saturday | 📍The Stephen F Austin Royal Sonesta Hotel, 701 Congress Ave.