Zilker Park transforms into a holiday lights wonderland

A gift to the City of Austin from the Austin Parks and Recreation Department “Trail of Lights” known as the "Yule Fest" began with a small gathering of people in December of 1965. “This is what it is that marks the beginning of the holiday season,” Austin Mayor Steve Adler said. More than 50 years later, the Yule Log still burns in the park, but the number of people has grown to hundreds of thousands. “The Trail of Lights has been as good as gold for the City of Austin and it just wouldn’t be the holidays if we didn't have that,” Mayor Adler said at the lighting ceremony.

With more than 40 different holiday displays, you’re bound to find a favorite from walking through the tunnel, or riding on the Ferris Wheel. Year after year, the trail just gets better and better. Leah Davies is the Trail of Lights Foundation Board of Directors, “One of the coolest new things, I think is that Keller Williams has a brand new tunnel. So the tunnels are some of the best photo ops on the trail but that’s one really exciting thing that’s new this year,” she said.

And we can’t forget about all the lights, it takes millions to light up Zilker Park, “People should come to the trail this year because there are so many cool things to do. There’s stuff of course that delights the senses, all the lights by themselves, 2-million lights on the trail are fun for kids and families,” Davis said.

“Trail of Lights” goes until December 23rd, from 7pm to 10pm nightly. Admission is free until the 16th, after that it is $3.  For more information, you can click here.