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Named in the Top Ten Holiday Lightings by USA Today, the Trail of Lights Festival is a wonderland of light painted on the canvas of nature. This annual holiday tradition is celebrated in Austin’s beloved Zilker Metropolitan Park, 2100 Barton Springs Road. The 2008 Trail of Lights opens Sunday, December 14th and runs nightly through December 23rd, 7pm - 10pm.
For more information, look for our Trail Guide in the Austin American Statesman on December 4th, call (512) 974-6700 or e-mail. For ADA accommodations call (512)974-4038. For inclement weather closures call (512)974-4020 for a recorded message.
The Trail of Lights is generously supported by hundreds of volunteers, City of Austin staff, and our sponsors.
The Trail of Lights is a continuous 1.25 mile long display of 41 lighted scenes, and special features including Santa's House, Santa’s post box, a giant Yule Log, a crafts fair, food and beverage stands, a holiday train ride and two stages of entertainment.
The Festival begins with the Zilker Tree Lighting, a 155 feet tall, 180 feet diameter lighted man-made 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 provides registrants with a sneak preview of the Trail of Lights. The Trail of Lights Parade, on December 14th, opens the Trail of Lights opens with pomp and ceremony featuring large scale puppetry, music and Santa’s sleigh.
Over 300,000 visitors experienced the Trail of Lights and the Zilker Tree in 2007.
History
The festival, originally known as Yule Fest, began in 1965 by Mrs. Alden Mabel Davis and former Parks and Recreation Director Beverly Sheffield as a holiday gift from the Parks and Recreation Department to the citizens of Austin and its visitors. The first display, "The Twelve Days of Christmas", was initially set up in Zilker Park and still holds a prominent location on the Trail every year.
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 continues to grow and long lasting traditions, such as the trail of lighted displays, a 5K run, the Zilker Tree lighting, an Opening Night Parade sustain the holiday memories of thousands of families. In 1992, the festival was renamed the Trail of Lights.
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