From perfectly in sync Christmas lights to over the top renditions of Grandma got ran over by a reindeer, Austin residents know how to decorate their homes and businesses for Christmas.
Best Neighborhoods for Kids to See Christmas Lights
If you have young children, you may be looking for places to take them that will help everyone get into the Christmas spirit. While everyone knows about Zilker Park’s Trail of Lights, these five Austin locations are less crowded, while still being crowd pleasers. Know The 4 Pros And 4 Cons Of Outdoor Lighting, check out.
Central Austin Neighborhoods
The best Christmas decorations we’ve seen are in the historic Central Austin neighborhoods of Tarrytown, Old Enfield and Clarksville. These neighborhoods are some of the most charming in Austin and when you add a holiday twist, they are spectacular. Most offer long stretches of homes where every home is decorated, so these neighborhoods are perfect for entertaining young children.
Historic 6th Street
While it may not be the first family-friendly location to come to mind, during the holidays East 6th Street becomes a bit of a winter wonderland. The Driskell Hotel, with their beautifully decorated Christmas tree, is a great place to check out before heading to the ice rink at Whole Foods Market. The kids can skate from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. for only $10, including skate rental.
Mozart’s Coffee Roasters
Mozart’s might be our favorite option for Christmas lights. Every hour they have a music & lights show that is sure to give just about any other attraction a run for their money. And don’t forget Mozart’s magical nitro stout, one of the added benefits of their holiday show.
Buda Trail of Lights
If you live south of Austin and don’t want to deal with the crowds downtown, head to Buda’s Trail of Lights. On Dec 8th & 9th, 14th-17th at Historic Stagecoach Park, visitors can browse the booths from local Buda businesses, drink hot cocoa and meet Santa. The best part about this event? It’s free!
Downtown Georgetown
Additionally, if you’re north of Austin, Downtown Georgetown provides enough Christmas magic on the square to avoid the trip downtown. Thousands of Christmas lights line the buildings and various events happen throughout December. We recommend stopping by on a Friday or Saturday night for the most activity and visiting one of Georgetown’s restaurants to make a night of it. Our favorite is El Monumento, which is just off the square.
What’s Your Favorite Spot to See Christmas Lights in Austin?
We’re always looking for new places to send our readers. If you have any suggestions, let us know in the comments!
Want to Live in One of Austin’s Best Neighborhoods for Kids Year Round?
Check out Best Austin Neighborhoods for Kids to find out the top 5 neighborhoods for kids.
Thank you for this!!! We went driving around last night and couldn’t find anything worth looking at……except for maybe one house in circle c. We’re hitting all of these neighborhoods this weekend!
Hi Philip – Glad this was helpful. Also try Southland Oaks. We drove through there the other night and found many of the homes decorated. Have fun checking it all out!
I have a HUGE Christmas display that has been on the news and in the Statesman off an on for years. Come on by! Robert E. Lee (off Barton Springs Rd.) and Barton Hills Drive.
Awesome! We’ll have to come check it out. Thanks for the tip!
You are welcome! Hope you enjoy it!