Real Estate Blog

While Austin has a warm climate, people here still love to experience winter wonderland. Whether you’re in Austin visiting family for the holidays or have lived here for a while, the holidays aren’t complete without a visit to any of these festive, decorative lights displays.

Austin Trail of Lights at Zilker Park

The trail of lights at Zilker Park has been an Austin tradition for over 50 years. Since 1965, it has brought Christmas cheer to its residents. This festive event has grown to include over 2 million lights and dozens of displays. It features numerous holiday activities to suit people of all age groups. You can walk the trail each night between 7pm and 10pm, up until December 23. 

Lights Spectacular, Johnson City

Johnson City, known as Hill Country’s twinkly town during the holiday season, attracts visitors from all over Texas with its spectacular lights display. Over a million bulbs cast their magic across three city blocks downtown. This pet-friendly event takes place until New Year’s Day and is free to attend. For a nominal fee, you can utilize shuttle service that begins at the parking lot of the old high school football field.

Rock'n Lights Holiday Tour

Downtown Round Rock hosts a rocking lights tour that includes hundreds of trees, wrapped in thousands of lights. These brighten the building facades along Main Street, and garlands adorn the street lights. To maximize your viewing experience, start at the Main Street Prete Plaza, go west on Main, turn south on Brown Street and end at the Centennial Plaza.

Santa’s Ranch, New Braunfels

Holiday enthusiasts name Santa’s Ranch in New Braunfels as one of the Lone Star State’s favorite Christmas displays. Make the half-hour drive on I-35, and you’ll be rewarded with over 100 displays and more than 1 million lights. This drive-through park is ideal for those who find walking challenging because you get to see it all from the comfort of your vehicle as you wind down illuminated country roads. It’s $24 per car, but you get to enjoy homemade hot cocoa and snacks along the way, including kettle corn.

Holiday Lights at Mozart’s Coffee Roasters

Mozart’s annual lights display keeps getting better. Expect to see over a million LED lights, some of which are displayed on giant iconic objects that were created in Greece. These include a giant coffee mug, a dozen guitars, a tree with presents and a Disney-type carriage. Kids will especially enjoy an audio-activated wall of lights. Because of the popularity of this event, you can find additional free parking across Lake Austin Boulevard.

The show is free to attend, but you can make it extra memorable by indulging in some of the cafe's specially flavored hot chocolate. Who can say no to pumpkin spice, peppermint or cinnamon? Of course you can always enhance your experience with a delicious dessert as well.