This is your guide to highlight Austin happenings during the holidays. Whether you’re a longtime Austinite or visiting Austin around Christmas, we hope this guide helps you out.
Austin has some great stuff to do during the holidays. Highlights include the Trail of Lights in Zilker Park and the Blue Genie Art Bazaar. Some of the more unique Christmas events in Austin are the Fun Run through the Trail of Lights, the Zilker “tree,” and being serenaded by tuba and euphonium players on the steps of the capitol.
This list is continually updated throughout the 2023 holiday season. Please email us for suggestions or corrections.
This guide is brought to you by the Austin Events 2024 Wall Calendar.
See the Austin 2024 Calendar Photos and more on our website!
Austin Holiday Light Displays
Trail of Lights
The Trail of Lights in Zilker Park (near downtown) is a beautiful, festive mile-long walk through dazzling light displays. Grab a cup of hot chocolate, and gather the whole family for a night of lights and fun for all ages!
Zilker Tree Lighting
When the Zilker Tree bursts to life against the Austin night sky, it’s hard to not feel the Christmas spirit! This awe-inspiring tree consists of over 3,300 Christmas lights and stands more than 150 feet tall. What a brilliant way to ring in the season! The tree-lighting ceremony is open to the public
Luminations at the Wildflower Center
This display features thousands of luminaries and twinkling lights, turning the Wildflower Center into a winter wonderland. Stroll through the gardens and along the trails filled with delightful displays, also expect live music, festive food, and more.
Peppermint Parkway
A drive-through holiday experience at The Circuit of the Americas. Featuring Candycane Lane, Twinkle Tunnel, Gingerbread Alley, The Enchanted Forest, Frozen Land, Peppermint Plaza, and The North Pole. Plus special holiday zipline and go-carting options.
Santa’s Ranch
Enjoy a sensational light show from the comfort of your car at Santa’s Ranch. One hundred displays and animations, comprising more than one million lights, fill the mile-long route. Excitement and fun for the whole family for one great price!
Mozart’s Coffee Christmas Lights Show
Make your way to the deck at Mozart’s to witness over 1 million festive lights that twinkle along with holiday tunes.
The Eureka Room
Technically not holiday lights, but still a fun light show. Austin-made, strange, fun, and impossible to explain. This immersive experience room filled with participatory absurdity and surprise in East Austin will only be there until March. Go support this one-of-a-kind creation while you still can. Check the Eureka Room website for current offerings and be prepared for some mind-blowing weirdness.
Austin-Area Christmas Lights and Events
See the complete guide to Austin-area Christmas and holiday lights and lightings!
Austin Holiday Markets and Shopping
Blue Genie Art Bazaar
The spectacular Blue Genie Art Bazaar showcases more than 200 of the best artists from Austin and the surrounding region. This free event offers incredible indoor shopping throughout much of December, with the best in art, ceramics, paintings, sculpture, and more. Great holiday fun for the whole family!
German Christmas Market
The German Christmas Market is a special holiday destination you won’t want to miss! Traditional German Christmas music fills the air, while authentic German wares, handcrafted in the Erzgebirge region of Germany, fill the tables. Kids will love a visit with St. Nikolaus himself! An extraordinary shopping experience!
Armadillo Christmas Bazaar
Armadillo Christmas Bazaar is a shopping experience like no other in Austin! Enjoy great live music, aisles spaced wide for dancing, and the finest work of more than 100 artists, craftsmen, and merchants who bring their best to this holiday spectacular each season. You won’t want to miss this beloved Austin tradition.
Junior League’s A Christmas Affair
A Christmas Affair brings together more than 200 national merchants for one unforgettable holiday event. Shoppers may also enjoy fine dining Noel de Paris-style in the upstairs tearoom.
Real Texas Christmas Trees
Start a new holiday tradition with a live Texas Christmas tree! Skip the tree lots, and bring the whole family to an Austin-area tree farm instead. Create warm memories by selecting and cutting your own tree, then enjoy the sights and sounds of the farm during the holiday season.
This guide is brought to you by the Austin Events 2024 Wall Calendar.
See the Austin 2024 Calendar Photos and more on our website!
Austin Holiday Giving Opportunities
Operation Blue Santa
Join Austin’s Operation Blue Santa and the Austin Police Department in spreading Christmas cheer to thousands of Austin children in need by donating a new, unwrapped toy for children ages 12 and under. Collection sites are located throughout the Austin area.
Giving Tuesday
If the holiday season puts you in the mood to give back to your community, this is the best Tuesday for you! This global day of giving is fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Show Austin how much you love it by donating to local charitable organizations.
Austin Holiday Shows and Entertainment
Austin Downtown Holiday Stroll
Enjoy carols, live entertainment, and free food as you meander down Austin’s Congress Avenue, where the galleries, stores, and restaurants spill into the street in celebration. Afterward, leave a much-appreciated donation for the Central Texas Food Bank under the glowing Capitol Tree.
Seasonal Offerings at Zach Theatre
Zach conjures the warm, nostalgic fuzzies this year with a revival of the classic A Christmas Carol. For more festive holiday storytelling, you can also check out Una Noche Buena and POP!
Ballet Austin’s The Nutcracker
Which local celebrities will be making cameo appearances as Mother Ginger this year? Only one way to find out. Don your gowns and bow ties, or whatever one wears to the theater these days, and join Ballet Austin for your seasonal dose of high culture.
Handel’s Messiah
Join the Austin Symphony Orchestra and Chorus Austin for this annual performance of the holiday classic at Hyde Park Baptist Church. This night of musical magic will comfort you through its familiarity and fill you with the joy of rediscovery. Begin your winter celebrations with a performance full of rejoicing!
Sembrando Herencia
Every year, Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance brings audiences a new, original musical that brings history to life. The original play combines live music, dance, and community theater, while honoring unsung heroes!
Austin Holiday Fun and Events
Ice-Skating on Whole Foods Roof
Hit the roof for a unique holiday skating event! Ice-Skating on the Plaza takes place on the roof of the Whole Foods Market on South Lamar. Lots of fun for the whole family! Admission includes skate rental.
Trail of Lights Fun Run
Check out the Trail of Lights before it opens to the general public during this family-friendly two-mile run. It starts at the Zilker Tree and meanders through the Trail of Lights. Costumes are highly encouraged.
Teddy Bear Teas and Gingerbread Village
Bring a new, unwrapped teddy bear to the Four Seasons Hotel for donation to local nonprofits, and stay for caroling, tea, and fireside story time with Santa. Also great for the little ones – or pretty much any baked-good enthusiast – the Gingerbread Village in the lobby features early-evening open houses throughout the holiday season, with cider, cookies, and elbow-rubbing with the talent (aka, pastry chefs and Santa).
Gingerbread Workshops and Winter Wonderlands
In December, the Thinkery features all kinds of opportunities for kids to explore the sights and sounds of the season. Wee ones can make snowflakes and “ski” on their socks during Winter Wonderland workshops, and kids of all ages will find something to do in the age- and interest-specific Gingerbread Workshop series, which takes cookie construction to a whole new level. Candy Chemistry or Seriously Sweet Structures? Choose your flavor.
TubaChristmas
For over 40 years, TubaChristmas has been celebrated all over world, including here in Austin, where tuba and euphonium players are invited to convene on the steps of the state Capitol to serenade passersby with the sounds of the season. No tuba? No problem. You can still show your support with an authentic TubaChristmas hat or scarf, available on the TubaChristmas website.
This guide is brought to you by the Austin Events 2024 Wall Calendar.
See the Austin 2024 Calendar Photos and more on our website!
Out of Town Holiday Fun
Lost Pines Christmas (Bastrop)
All decked out for the holidays, historic downtown Bastrop offers a variety of events throughout the season to keep the little ones – and the big ones – entertained. Highlights include the Lighted Christmas Parade and the Holiday Homes Tour.
Old Town Christmas Festival (Leander)
Leander rings in the season with a day of holiday activities for all ages. This event includes the Old Town Rudolph Run 5K, Leander in Lights Parade, the HEB Snow Globe, activities for the kids, pictures with Santa, local school performances and entertainment, a food court, local vendors, and more
North Pole Flyer (Bertram)
This two-hour train trip hosted by the Austin Steam Train Association is so fun, even Mrs. Claus joins in. Parents get to enjoy kids enjoying story time, picture-taking with the Clauses, and all the hot cocoa they can handle for the duration of the trip. We mentioned the two-hour part, right? Tickets sell out fast.
Sights & Sounds of Christmas (San Marcos)
This event roundup in San Marcos now spills over into a second weekend, with a packed concert schedule plus a scavenger hunt, a 5K race, and more. All events take place amidst a sea of beautiful Christmas lights spread throughout the park. Proceeds go to local nonprofits.
Christmas Family Night (Round Rock)
Downtown Round Rock’s Main Street transforms into an all-out holiday wonderland with a tree-lighting ceremony, live music, dance performances, games, carriage rides, and more. According to rumor, both Santa and Frosty the Snowman will be in attendance. Make sure the kiddos bring their “wish lists” for Santa.
Georgetown Christmas Stroll (Georgetown)
Bedecked in twinkling lights, downtown Georgetown kicks off the season each year with a smorgasbord of holiday delights packed into one weekend. Visitors can stroll through Bethlehem Village, take pictures with Santa, join the Grinch for dessert, and enjoy live music. Plus there’s a town parade – a little something for everyone.
Hutto Downtown Christmas Fair (Hutto)
Get some Christmas shopping done among more than 100 vendors, and bring the kids along for crafts, train rides, and playing in the “snow.”
Hutto Santa Claus Crawl (Hutto)
This shop and stroll features special holiday cocktails served up by downtown Hutto businesses. Purchase a commemorative Santa mug to enjoy your beverages, and at the end of the night vote on your favorite. Bonus, you can shop for all the people on your list at the same time.
Holiday Model Train Exhibit (Round Rock)
Enjoy the holidays in miniature at this annual show brought to the Downtowner Gallery in Round Rock by Tinplate Trackers of Austin. These trains aren’t just beautiful to watch in motion, but for a donation to the Tinplate Trackers, you can be a “junior engineer” and operate the train controls. Additionally, raffle tickets are available for purchase to enter to win a starter train set for your children.
Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration & Trail of Lights (City of Lago Vista)
In Lago Vista, the countdown to Christmas begins with its annual tree lighting ceremony, which is held in early December at the City Hall. After enjoying the local performances and holiday-themed activities, meander through the array of lights in Veterans Memorial Park and on Dawn Drive for the perfect holiday pic.
This guide is brought to you by the Austin Events 2024 Wall Calendar.
See the Austin 2024 Calendar Photos and more on our website!