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The Trail of Lights Festival is an annual Austin holiday tradition and celebration held in Zilker Metropolitan Park, 2100 Barton Springs Rd.

Sponsorship opportunities
The City of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department is now accepting sponsorships for the 2008 Trail of Lights Festival. This years’ trail will run December 15th through 23rd. Be a part of this exciting tradition! Sponsors shall receive logo placement on the Trail, limited passes to the Trail of Lights Preview Party and an advertisement in the Trail Guide: commensurate with sponsorship level.

For more information, please contact Sharon Yarbrough as (512) 974-6723 or sharon.yarbrough@ci.austin.tx.us. All requests for sponsorship must be received by the City by 5:00pm on October 1, 2008. The City has, at its sole discretion, the right to accept or reject sponsors based on appropriateness.

The festival, originally known as Yule Fest, began in 1965 by Mrs. Alden Mabel Davis and then Parks and Recreation Director, Beverly Sheffield, as a holiday gift from the Parks and Recreation Department to the citizens of Austin and visitors. The first display, "The Twelve Days of Christmas", was set up in Zilker Park. This display still holds a prominent location on the Trail this year and has become a big part of the deep tradition of the Trail.

Photo of the Trail of Lights skyline - photo provided by Victor Ovalle


The first festival lasted four days and consisted of a candlelight path, dance performances, a live nativity scene, and the Yule log. In 1967 the Zilker Tree, the "World's Largest Man-made Tree", made its first appearance at the festival. Through the years the festival continued to grow and long lasting traditions, such as a trail of lighted displays, a 5K run, the Zilker Tree lighting, an Opening Night Parade. In 1992, the festival was renamed the Trail of Lights.

The modern day Trail of Lights is a mile long display of 41 lighted scenes, US Post Office (display only- mail will not be processed through the U.S. Post Office), Santa's House, the Yule Log, and an entertainment stage. The festival begins with the lighting of the Zilker Tree, a 155 feet tall, 180 feet diameter lighted tree consisting of 3,309 bulbs on 39 streamers strung from Austin's historical Moonlight Tower. Since 1987 the honor of lighting the tree has been bestowed upon the winner of the city-wide children's tree coloring contest. The tree lighting ceremony takes place on the first Sunday of December.

The following Saturday a 5k Run is held as a preview event to the Trail of Lights. Participants in the 5k Run are the first to experience the Trial if Lights, as the route takes them through the mile long display which is lighted for the first time during the run. Each year a ceremony serves as the opening event for the Trail of Lights. The festival opens on the second Sunday of December and runs through the 23rd. In 2007, over 285, 388 visitors experienced the Trail of Lights .



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