Find the Best Holiday Lights in These 5 Austin Neighborhoods

The most wonderful time of the year is fast approaching—and Austin knows how to celebrate. Central Texas never sees much in the way of snowfall, but winter decor, live bands playing holiday tunes, and impeccably made seasonal baked goods abound in the Lone Star Capital. 

Also, Austinites love to show their holiday spirit by setting up intricate light displays, much to the delight of area residents and visitors alike. For an especially scenic view of holiday lights, wreaths, and decorated outdoor trees, check out these four Austin neighborhoods (and one suburb).

Downtown Austin

Downtown Austin includes the city’s highest concentration of shops, restaurants, hotels, and other businesses, so it’s hardly surprising that the area proves an especially favorable place for holiday light viewing.

The neighborhood’s most famous locale for pretty December lights has to be the Texas Capitol, which sets up an elaborately decorated (and fully lit) Christmas tree every year. On the first Saturday in December, the Capitol hosts a tree lighting ceremony and a holiday stroll, complete with local food trucks, live performances by local bands, and a craft market.

Holiday enthusiasts in the Downtown Austin area also make annual visits to the historic Driskill Hotel, a beautiful and centrally located establishment that spares no expense when it comes to December decor. The Driskill’s fully illuminated holiday tree always features yards and yards of lights (in addition to exquisitely fashioned ornaments).

The lobby also includes non-tree-related light displays, as does the hotel’s exterior. The Driskill’s Sixth Street neighbors regularly get in on the light action, too, with both white and colored light ropes wrapped around lamp posts, business signs, and door columns.

Clarksville

A quaint and scenic neighborhood just west of Downtown that’s designated as a historic district, Clarksville mainly contains residential homes, many of which feature impressive architecture, large front porches, and plenty of opportunity for holiday-light decorating. Annually, residents of the Clarksville Historic District erect well-curated light displays, each designed to complement the old-time charm of these homes and the neighborhood at large.

Clarksville contains fewer businesses than many other Austin neighborhoods, but the area’s cafes and restaurants (like Josephine House, Cipollina, and Nau’s Enfield Drug) abide by the standards set by Clarksville’s homes when it comes to holiday decor (lights included).

Arguably the crown jewel of Clarksville’s array of light displays, the home of local decorator Willis Littlefield offers an especially creative and eye-catching holiday sight.

Hyde Park 

Residents of the idyllic North Austin neighborhood known as Hyde Park always enjoy the quirky annual tradition that occurs on nearby West 37th Street. Originally started by homeowners in the 1980s, the light displays on West 37th Street are unlike any others in Austin.

Many local artists have historically participated (and still do), and the street’s denizens know to plan for the yearly light extravaganza. The eclectic decor schemes often follow a theme, and Austinites—including University of Texas students and northside families alike—flock to Hyde Park in December to see what’s happening on West 37th.

Zilker

Home to some of South Austin’s most popular greenspaces, like Zilker Memorial Park and the Barton Creek Greenbelt, the neighborhood of Zilker is well-set-up for outdoor holiday celebrations. That’s why light-spotters consider Zilker a definite destination during the month of December.

Unlike the Texas Capitol, Zilker Park doesn’t put up an actual pine tree as the centerpiece of its holiday display. Instead, the Zilker Park team repurposes one of Austin’s legendary “moonlight towers” as a Festivus pole of sorts, extending strings of multicolored lights down from the top of the tower until they create a tree-shaped formation. It’s a quintessentially Austin decorative statement, and Austinites take enormous pride in their festive moonlight tower. 

While in Zilker Park, make sure to take a stroll through the Trail of Lights, a beloved event that includes more than 65 holiday light displays, an illuminated Ferris wheel and carousel, live musical performances, food trucks, and plenty of seasonal fun.

Round Rock

For a show-stopping assortment of holiday light displays outside of Austin city limits, Central Texans frequently head to the nearby city of Round Rock, where they can check out the annual Christmas Towne in the Dell Diamond parking lot.

This mini-festival, entirely dedicated to the beauty of holiday lights, features dozens of curated displays, a “tunnel of lights,” carnival rides, and winter-appropriate concessions available for purchase.

While you’re in town, take some time to browse Round Rock’s downtown center, where restaurants, shops, and local businesses partake in some friendly competition with their light displays, much to the delight of Round Rockers and seasonal visitors.