How To Spend Your Holidays in Austin
so, it’s beginning to feel a lot like the holidays! whether you are either staying in Austin, visiting for the week for the holidays, or having friends and family in town, you are probably wondering what you are going to do to celebrate, unwind and feel festive!
November 23 2021
themed bars
lights
shows
shopping
activities
miracle on 5th street. | credit: atx fyi
miracle on 5th street. | credit: atx fyi
T H E M E D B A R S
miracle on 5th street - next to their sister bar, the roosevelt room, this bar is incredibly festive with returning with their shot ski lodge (with, of course, a shot ski)! joann spiegel, the cocktail creator, brings holiday-themed libations including the elfing around, jolly koala, on dasher, sanTaRex, christmapolitan, snowball old-fashioned, and so many more!
In addition to miracle on 5th street, other festive bars include:
nickle city [e.atx]
1133 east 11th st atx 78702
dumont’s down low [dt - warehouse district]
214 west 4th st suite B atx 78701)
gibson street bar [s.atx]
1109 south lamar blvd atx 78704
kitty cohen’s [e.atx] hanukkah pop-up! [nov 28]
2211 webberville rd #3548 atx 78702
donn’s depot [dt - west 5th]
1600 west 5th st atx 78703
and of course, the year-round christmas bar, lala’s little nugget [cen.atx]
2207 justin lane atx 78757
L I G H T S
Credit: Mozart’s Coffee Roasters Website
Light Show at Mozart’s Coffee Roasters
in its 12th year, Mozart’s decorates their deck on lake austin with over one million LED lights and perform a show to holiday music for 45 minutes, every hour on the hour!
Location
mozart’s coffee roasters - 3825 lake austin blvd atx 78703
WHEN
dates: thursday, november 11 2021 - thursday, january 6 2022
hours: 6pm to 12am
Pricing
free for standing area - tickets HERE
$20 - 30 for seated or standing table - tickets HERE
Parking
there is a parking lot in front of mozart’s and an additional parking lot across Lake Austin Blvd.
credit: Images From Texas
zilker tree lighting
at a whopping 155 feet tall, with over 3300 lights… the zilker holiday tree is attached to a moonlight tower, which is the epitome of iconic austin. the first lighting occured on december 10 of 1967!
location
zilker park - 2207 lou neff road atx 78746
schedule
dates: november 27 2021 - january 1 2022
hours: 6pm to 10pm
pricing
free to attend!
parking
available on-site, first come first served on paved surface lots only
details
masks are required on city property.
more details HERE
there is NO walk-up or pedestrian access to the trail of lights from the tree area. vehicle entry passes must be pre-purchase in advance to that event.
Credit: 37th Street Lights FB Page
the 37th Street Lights
this ‘Keep Austin Weird’ tradition is BACK! for decades this tradition has been alive so keep it that way by visiting or even donating to their amazon wish list or donation boxes! the lights are between guadalupe and home street on 37th. Entering 519 W 37th St, Austin, TX 78705 or La Tazza Fresca into your GPS will get you here. The best house though is actually on the corner of 35th Street and Cedar just around the corner at the end of the block.
Location
507 west 37th street atx
Credit: 37th Street FB Page
Schedule
dates: friday, december 10 2021 - tbd
hours: 7pm to 10pm
Pricing
tickets: FREE Admission
Parking
depending on the night, you can find parking on 37th. otherwise, try neighboring streets such as 34th and 35th. all residential parking is free. ridesharing or carpooling is recommended to bypass traffic.
an atx fyi
enter 519 west 37th street, austin, texas 78705 or la tazza fresca into your GPS will get you there. the best house is said to be on the corner of 35th street and cedar just around the corner at the end of the block.
RESPECT THE STREET! This is a residential neighborhood! Please remember that families, students, young professionals, and more are sharing their homes with you. The group loves to bring the community together, but please be respectful with noise after bedtimes and of the street overall.
FAQs from the facebook group:
are you accepting donations?
Your donations help these wonderful volunteers put it on and keep it going. about half the block are renters and they especially appreciate the donations as many are students and funds are tight.
they prefer donations of equipment, especially: LED christmas lights | extension cords | weird sculptures
also, here is their amazon wishlist.
should I drive or walk?
the lights are best enjoyed walking as some are inaccessible via car. You can drive, and if you do please enter on the Guadalupe side.
what's the traffic like?
there’s more traffic on the weekends, but generally you should be able to do the drive in 10 minutes. But we really recommend walking.
what time should I come?
they aim to have all the lights on from 7pm to 10pm. These hours can vary by house depending on work schedules and bed times.
what dates are the lights on until?
they’ll be on through the new year, at least. There will also be some on before the premiere night, but not to completion.”
Credit: Trail of Lights Website
dRIVE THROUGH the Iconic Trail of Lights
the trail of lights is austin’s longest-running holiday tradition, moving to drive through last year thanks to the you know what… this is the 57th year and will continue to be enjoyed from the comfort of your own vehicle! a reminder that you need a ticket and will have a specific time you’ll be rolling through.
more than 2 million lights, 90 lighted trees, 70 displays & lighted tunnels, plus a ton of holiday magic! hosted by the trail of lights foundation.
credit: trail of lights website
Location
zilker park - 2100 barton springs road atx 78704
Schedule
dates: saturday november 27 2021 - friday december 31 2021
hours: 5:45pm - 10:45pm
general admission pass entry times are 7:00pm | 8:00pm | 9:00pm | 9:45pm
dates not open to the public: sun dec 5, fri dec 24, sat dec 25, tues dec 28, & wed 29
take a look at their calendar for more details.
Pricing
general admission: $30 - $40 per vehicle (depending on entry time & night with timed access each hour starting at 7pm.)
dash pass: $65 per vehicle, dash passes allow for early entry between 5:45 to 7:00pm. guests will receive a box of holiday cookies & bottled water. (presented by Northern Trust)
premiere night: $95 per vehicle, be among the first to drive through the Trail on November 27! Passes include a festive cookie box delivered to each car, and a commemorative gift.
credit: peppermint parkway facebook
Drive Through The Peppermint Parkway
drive through a mile of millions of holiday lights, dancing elves, plaza with food & activities, holiday displays, and more!
location
circuit of the americas - 9201 circuit of the americas blvd atx 78617
schedule
dates: friday november 26 2021 - sunday december 26 2021
hours: 6:30pm to 9:30pm -OR- 8:30pm to 9:30pm (twilight)
credit: Peppermint Parkway website
ticket packages
the parkway [$40] - admission for one vehicle to the peppermint parkway
candy cane cruise [$65] - parkway admission + lap on track
all of the fun of the parkway pass plus the once-in-a-lifetime experience of taking a 25mph lap around the only purpose-built f1 racetrack in the US.
polar express fast pass [$80] - parkway admission + fast pass
skip the wait with a separate fast pass entrance and check-in lane for the parkway
the sweetest deal [$95] - parkway admission + track lap + fast pass
AN ATX FYI
entering after 8:30pm will save you a few dollars!
website: https://peppermintparkway.com/
H O L I D A Y
S H O P P I N G
Credit: Armadillo Bazaar Website
Shop at The Armadillo Bazaar
a very unique Austin holiday shopping staple that features almost 200 local and touring makers plus live music and food! you will find gifts in all price ranges and I promise that no one else will have the same gifts as you if you visit the armadillo christmas bazaar.
Location
palmer events center (outside) - 900 barton springs road atx 78704
blue genie art bazaar
another iconic holiday shopping experience with exhibition categories: body care, ceramics, clothing, fine art, folk art, gift items, glass art, home decor, jewelry, mixed, photos, prints, sculpture, wood, and more.
now with the ability to shop online and pick it up or have it shipped! bluegenieartbazaar.shop/
location
6100 airport blvd atx 78752
schedule
dates: friday november 19 2021 - friday december 24 2021
hours: daily, 10am to 10pm (10am to 6pm on christmas eve)
parking
free parking is available in the lot (enter from dillard circle) and along dillard circle. bike parking is also available on site. the bazaar is also accessible via capmetro bus and metrorail, visit capmetro.org for routes and schedules.
other details
capacity: shoppers are allowed inside on a first-come, first-served basis. however, you may have a brief wait if the store is already at capacity.
masks: wearing a mask is highly encouraged while indoors. disposable masks are available at the entrance.
payment options: credit/debit cards are preferred for a contact-less payment process. all major cards accepted.
Credit: Downtown Austin Alliance Holiday Stroll
Downtown austin alliance holiday stroll
over twenty days, visit local downtown austin restaurants, bars, shops, hotels, & more to support and empower local austin.
Location
downtown austin - see participating businesses below
schedule
saturday december 4 2021 - friday december 24 2021
PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES
1886 Cafe & Bakery, 3TEN, ACL Live, Alfred Coffee, Austin General Store, Austin Rocks, AWAY Spa, Cooper's BBQ, CRU Food & Wine Bar, The Driskill, The Driskill Bar, Good Things, Group Therapy, Halcyon, Hemline, The Hideout Theatre, Hyatt Regency, La Peña, Love, Tito's, Luxe Apothetique, Parkside, Pelon's Tex-Mex, Royal Blue Grocery, Salt & Time Cafe, Sneaker Politics, [Solidcore], Stubb's, Toy Joy, TRACE, Velvet Taco, The W, Wild About Music, Yummi Joy
website
S H O W S
credit: ballet austin
ballet austin’s the nutcracker
with two 50 minute acts & a 20-minute intermission, choreography by stephen mills, music from pyotr ilyich tchaikovsky, and live accompaniment by austin symphony orchestra. the show will include footlights for families, ballet-o-mania, photo stations, and warm cookies & hot cocoa.
location
the long center - 701 west riverside drive atx 78704
schedule
saturday dec 4 at 2pm & 7:30pm
sunday dec 5 at 2pm
friday dec 10 at 7:30pm
saturday dec 11 at 2pm & 7:30pm
sunday dec 12 at 2pm
friday dec 17 at 7:30pm
satuday dec 18 at 2pm & 7:30pm
sunday dec 19 at 2pm
tuesday dec 21 at 2pm
wednesday dec 22 at 2pm
thursday dec 23 at 2pm
pricing
prices: ranging from $20 - 99
buy tickets HERE
a christmas carol at the zach
credit: zach theatre
after two years, austin’s hottest holiday tradition has returned with all new music and surprises to ring in the holiday season!
location
zach theatre - 202 south lamar atx 78704
schedule
wednesday november 24 2021 - sunday january 2 2022
pricing
prices: ranging from $25 - $95
tickets available soon!
a c t i v i t i e s
Gingerbread House Building
teaming up with lady quackenbush cakery, thinkery in mueller is offering a selection of gingerbread kits you can build & decorate at home.
location
pickup at the thinkery (1830 simon ave atx 78723) and build from your own home
schedule
kits available for preorder through online store beginning november 15, pickup beginning saturday december 4
pricing
three different kits to choose from:
people decorating kit - all-ages fun [$20]
full gingerbread house-building kid - builders age 4+ [$30]
cookie construction kits - builders age 6+ [$40]
Note: Whole Foods downtown will not be having their roof ice skating this year.
Wherever you end up over this holiday season, I hope that you have a very safe and blessed holiday!
Let me know if you have other places you enjoy celebrating!
Cheers!
