The Holiday season is filled with tradition and celebration, including those in both the family and in the community. In Austin, family and community traditions come together with the annual Trail of Lights celebration in Zilker Park. For more than 40 years, Austin residents and visitors have been enjoying the beautiful spectacle and many have made visiting the event a yearly event for their families. As interest in the Trail of Lights has increased over the years, it has grown to be one of the most notable holiday events in Austin and the whole of Texas.
History of the Trail of Lights
The Trail of Lights was started in 1965 and was a collaboration of Austin resident Mrs. Alden Mabel Davis and the director of the Austin Parks and Recreation Department. In the first year, the citizens of Austin were treated to a stroll down a candle-lit path, a living Nativity scene and a display with a ?Twelve Days of Christmas? theme. Festivities were capped off with dance presentations and a Yule log.
The next major addition to the festival was the Zilker Tree, which was billed as ?the world's largest man-made tree.? The tree was first lit in 1967 and the lighting event has become a citywide symbol of the start of the holiday season. Since 1987, the city has held a coloring contest, with the winner receiving the honor of throwing the switch that lights the 155-foot tall wonder. Tree lighting takes place on the first Sunday in December.
Today's Trail of Lights
Today, the four-day event that began in 1965 has become a month long extravaganza. The Zilker Tree lighting and coloring contest are still the opening marker for the festivities on the first Sunday of December. The following Saturday, the city holds a evening 5k run through the trail of lights, followed the next night by the opening parade. The event will then run through the 23rd of the month and will include many entertainment activities. Also on site will be Santa Claus, a mock US Post Office, and the traditional Yule Log. In 2008, the Trail, itself, will feature 41 displays covering a mile long trail.
In addition to the fun and entertainment offered at the event, those who attend have the opportunity to give back to some off the less fortunate in the Austin community. Operation Blue Santa collects unwrapped toys at various drop boxes throughout the Trail of Lights. In 2008, the charity hopes to collect enough donations to provide Christmas gifts for 20,000 children in the city, under the age of twelve. The drive will begin the night of the tree lighting and run through thr close of the festival.
Austin's Trail of Lights is an exciting and beautiful way to enjoy the holiday season. Making a habit to visit the event annually will be a welcome tradition for Austin residents and for those who enjoy traveling to the city. See for yourself the wonder of the displays and entertainment included in this wonderful event.
Although Austin's weather can make Christmas seem like the 4th of July, a sure-fire way to get into the spirit is to visit the annual Trail of Lights Festival. A holiday tradition for decades, this dazzling display of holiday decorations and lights is mounted in Zilker Park in Austin Texas every December, draws thousands of visitors, and along with the lighting of the tree at the State Capitol, is one of Austin's most beloved holiday customs.
The tradition dates back to 1965, when Yule Fest, as it was then called, debuted with a candlelight walk, a live nativity scene, Yule Log, and the first lighting display created for the event. This original display, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," has been a highlight of every festival since the very first one. Two years later, the now-famous Zilker Tree made its debut. Touted as the largest man-made tree in the world, it is 155 feet tall, and 180 feet in diameter, with almost 3,500 bulbs hung on streamers strung from Austin's historical Moonlight Tower. The lighting of this tree on the first Sunday in December has marked the beginning of the holiday season since 1967, and since 1987, the winner of a children's tree-coloring contest has done the honors.
The festival has continued to grow and expand, and in 1992 was renamed The Trail of Lights. Today, the Trail of Lights is over a mile long, and features over 40 elaborate scenes constructed of lights. Santa's House allows children to take pictures with Santa, but if the line is too long, they can "mail" him a wish list at the pretend Post Office. Holiday and winter themes abound, and the spectacular displays include, penguins, Mother Goose, and the King of Winter. Entertainment stages, refreshment stands, and bonfires lend to the air of festivity.
A unique tradition takes place on the Saturday following the lighting of the Zilker Tree. The Trail of Lights 5K Run allows entrants to preview the displays, on a 3.2 mile run that starts under the Zilker Tree, winds through the south side of Zilker Park, goes through the Trail of Lights and finish back at the Zilker Tree. Only registered participants are allowed access to the Trail for this event, and they also received a coveted tee-shirt commemorating the experience.
Entertainment is scheduled throughout all the days of the Trail of Lights festival, and provides family-friendly holiday enjoyment for all. A wide variety of local talent is featured, including dancers, musicians, storytellers, choirs, comedians, and theatre troupes.
This is one of Austin's premier all-ages activity, where you will find teenagers, kids, toddlers in strollers and babies in slings enjoying the glittering displays along with adults of all ages. Because it is so popular, the crowds can get large, but the holiday cheer in the air encourages courtesy and a real feeling of community. The festival is free and open to the public from 7 to 10 p.m. check the website for specific dates, an entertainment schedule, and parking information.
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