HOLIDAY FUN IN AUSTIN

Find presents for everyone on your holiday gift giving list at the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar

Enjoy live music on the streets of Austin during the Downtown Holiday Stroll

Ways to celebrate the holiday season like a true Texan

By Heather Turk

Those visiting Austin for the holidays will find several festive ways to celebrate the spirit of the season.

One of the city’s longest-running holiday traditions is the Austin Trail of Lights. Every Tuesday through Sunday from Dec. 8 through 23, holiday revelers can head to Zilker Park in downtown Austin to see more than 2 million lights illuminating 90 trees and more than 70 other holiday displays and tunnels. Now in its 58th year, the annual event originally started as a small community gathering around a yule log and has since grown to welcome more than 400,000 guests from around the world each year to enjoy its jubilant display of lights and nightly entertainment. austintrailoflights.org

Another hallmark of the Austin holiday season is the Downtown Holiday Stroll. During the month of December, free entertainment and family-friendly activities take place throughout downtown Austin, including curated weekend artisan markets, pop-up carolers and ample photo opportunities at several decorated Austin landmarks. The festivities kick off on Dec. 3 with a Holiday Sing-Along at 6 p.m. that leads into the lighting of the Capitol tree: a 45-foot tree featuring 137,000 LED lights. The tree will then rotate during a programmed light show throughout December that plays holiday songs at the top and bottom of every hour from some of Austin’s favorite musicians, including Willie Nelson. downtownholidaystroll.com Visitors can also finish their holiday shopping during their trip at one of Austin’s longest-running art and music festivals: the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar. Taking place Dec. 17 through 23 at the Palmer Events Center, the festival not only features nearly 200 local and touring artists selling their unique wares, but also live music. Guests can literally dance while they shop as they listen to a diverse lineup of Austin music acts, from newcomers to Grammy Award winners. armadillobazaar.com