(Photo Credit: 365thingsaustin.com)
Celebrating the Holidays in Austin
By Alanna Viejo
Personally, after Halloween, I am officially in holiday mode. Typically, however, post-Thanksgiving is seen as the more appropriate time to start appreciating the holidays. Despite the last-minute midterms and projects, not to mention the much-dreaded finals, it is a wonderful time of the year with Christmas that gives off such as joyful, happy vibe and an upcoming New Year that brings about excitement and perhaps nervousness, at the same time. The best part is spending it with the people in our lives. There’s something about drinking peppermint hot chocolate, going Christmas shopping, gazing at the bright red, green, colored lights, while being surrounded by your loved ones. How to enjoy all of this while being in Austin? Look no further.
(Photo Credit: austinot.com)
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Trail of Lights | Zilker Park | December 12-23, 2016
This is just about the #1 “must-go” when celebrating the Holidays in Austin. The Trail
of Lights boasts a walk-through in Zilker Park that displays many Christmas lights,
Along with small tents and concession stands that holds fun activities and food to
enjoy your time while looking at the lights. Entrance costs $3, and parking services
($15) and shuttles are provided (an additional $2 with your entrance ticket).
(Photo Credit: mozartscoffee.com)
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Mozart’s Light Show | Mozart’s Coffee Roasters | November 28-December 12, 2016
I’ve personally been to this one as well, and while it’s a lot smaller than the Trail of
Lights because it is at a cafe, the lights are beautiful and will do well in bringing in
the Christmas spirit! For this place, you’d have to be mindful about how crowded it
gets, so for optimal enjoyment, consider peak times for parking, lines, etc. Entrance
fee is free, but there’s a slight inclination to enjoy hot chocolate while watching the show.
(Photo Credit: AustinAmericanaStudio.com)
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Armadillo Christmas Bazaar | Palmer Events Center | November 11-December 24, 2016
This Christmas festival is perfect for art lovers out there! Here, you can shop for fine
art, listen to live music, and and even shop for Christmas gifts for your loved ones.
The Armadillo Christmas Bazaar is proud to announce that approximately 40,000
shoppers come to the bazaar each year. Kids under 12 are free, and admission is $8.
(Photo Credit: 365thingsaustin.com)
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Christmas Celebration @ The Domain | November 11-December 24, 2016
The Domain is my favorite mall in Austin, and it holds a great variety of stores.
This place is a great destination for Christmas shopping because there’s
live music, a giant Christmas tree to take photos by, and you can also get a picture
with Santa! There are numerous events they’re holding at the Domain to get their
shoppers in the Christmas spirit. The events and Santa photo hours can be found in
the following links if you’re interested:
http://www.simon.com/mall/the-domain/stream/santas-waiting-4590340
https://www.facebook.com/events/450251641812081/
(Photo Credit: santasranch.net)
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Santa’s Ranch Light Display | Santa’s Ranch in New Braunfels, TX | November 4, 2016-January 1, 2017
The holiday weather can get pretty chilly, so maybe being outdoors isn’t the greatest idea. Maybe for the holidays, you even want to take a small break from being in Austin. Sounds like a great idea to you? No problem! Santa’s Ranch Light Display is a drive-through of many Christmas lights, along with concession and even souvenirs you can purchase! The drive to New Braunfels can take around 40 minutes to an hour from around the UT Campus area to give you an idea of the drive time. Tickets are $28 per car.
Good luck as Fall 2016 comes to a close, and have a great Christmas break! Feel free to comment other fun things to do around Austin to get into the Holiday Spirit below.