You’ve got a fun night ahead of you. All you need is a car, pajama-clad children, cups of hot chocolate, and THIS LIST. There are Christmas lights to be seen, and memories to be made. Read on, and find out all the best places to see lights this Christmas season, in and around Austin!
Austin:
37th Street Christmas Lights –  located just north of the University of Texas, this street is famous for its lights and community spirit. Here, virtually everyone on the block puts up lights.. THOUSANDS of them. Neighbors string lights between houses and across the street creating a canopy of lights that seem to cover the sky.
Zilker Trail of Lights– a true Austin tradition, the Trail of Lights will be open this year from December 8-22, 7-10 pm. Â A ferris wheel and carousel has been added, to make this already amazing excursion even more fun!
Luminations at The Wildflower Center– Fun and free!  enjoy gardens lighted with more than 3,000 luminarias and 5,000 twinkle lights and to listen to music of the season.Â
Mozart’s Coffee Roasters – 3825 Lake Austin Blvd. Mozart’s deck is a favorite spot for Austinites. During the holiday season, sip coffee, indulge in your favorite dessert, all while enjoying a fantastic music and light show.  Starting at the top of each hour, lasting 15 minutes, and running until 11 PM. Nightly, through the first week of January.  .
The Great Tree at the Domain – the lighting ceremony has already occurred, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still take the kids to see the tree, and snap some great holiday pictures in front of it!
Lakeway Lights On – a cherished tradition in Lakeway, thousands of lights illuminate the walking trails next to City Hall.  Lights, candy canes, and Christmas trees galore!
Texas Capitol Tree- 1100 Congress Avenue
Omni Barton Creek Resort, Lights and Ice –  December 18 – January 6 6th Annual Holiday Lights & Ice event benefiting Make-A-Wish Central & South Texas. Get in the holiday spirit with skating on an indoor ice rink that overlooks the scenic hill country and is accompanied by a display of twinkling lights and festive activities for the whole family to enjoy. Skating tickets: $25 adult; $20 children age 12 and under.
Cedar Park:
Chianti Court – Each night from now through Christmas, Chinati Court will be lit up with Christmas lights, with a roaring fire pit and hot chocolate for sale on Friday and Saturday evenings. Residents collect toy donations for Williamson County Brown Santa at the light display.
Anna Court – lights turn on shortly after 5:30pm and most lights stay on until midnight with the street Christmas tree staying on all night. Residents run a collection drive for Blue Santa, which helps under-privileged children run by the City of Cedar Park’s police department. If you would like to donate please bring a new unwrapped toy before December 16th. If you make it afterwards we continue to collect, but for local churches.
Bastrop:
Lost Pines Christmas River of Lights, November 27th-December 31st, 5:30-10:30 PM, you can take in the River of Lights, 120 lighted displays in a variety of seasonal themes lining Bastrop’s scenic Colorado River Walk and enhanced by music. Free!
Belton:Â
Nature in Lights at Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area –  Nature in Lights is a drive-through extravaganza featuring 130 holiday displays which will delight you and your family. While there, you can visit Santa’s Village and take a picture with Santa himself. Visit Granny’s Cookie Shack and numerous arts and crafts vendors. Experience Nature in Lights every year from late November through early January. For more information call 254-287-4907 or visit hoodmwr.com.
Buda:
Georgetown:
Giddings:
Johnson City:Â
LBJ Lights Spectacular –  The Blanco County Court House (in Johnson City) is covered with more than 100,000 lights
Dexter’s Hill Country Christmas Drive-Thru Light Display –Â 1685 US Highway 281, Johnson City, TX 78636, USA
Llano:Â
Marble Falls:
New Braunfels:Â
Round Rock:
Wimberley:
Emily Ann Trail of Lights – November 28 – December 29, 2015,  6:00-9:00 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 6:00-10:00 p.m. on Fridays & Saturdays
Best Home Displays:
3448 Tourmaline Trail, Round Rock, TXHarlien Family Christmas: 40,000 synchronized lights go on each evening starting Nov 29, this family is accepting donations for the Make a Wish Foundation.  Lights are on 6 -10 pm weekdays and 6 – 11 pm weekends.
400 Liscio Cove Georgetown , Texas 78628
Spindler Family Christmas Light Show: The Spindler Family is in Georgetown and bringing an all new light show for us this year.  Runs daily until Jan 3 from 6 pm – 10 pm.
2441 Candle Ridge Trail, Georgetown, TX 78626
Toungate Klub Kringle: The Toungate Family has over 25,000 Red, White, & Blue lights that twinkle to over 14 differnt songs – including one for the Troops!  They also feature an 18-foot treet that lights up to the music.  Runs nightly starting Dec 5.
2305 Arroyo Grande, Leander, TX
Frozen Christmas Light Show: This home in Avery Ranch has a great 4 minute Frozen Medley.  Now running nightly thru Dec 31, from 5:30-9:45 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and from 5:30-10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
16412 Rockgate Dr., Austin, TX 78717
Rhodes Family Christmas: This home was featured on ABC’s Great Christmas Light Fight last year, so we expect big things to come this year! Check their Facebook page below for details.
2410 Sharon Drive Cedar Park, TX
Shady Oak Christmas Display:Â Another amazing home light display running now nightly.
107 Shady Oak Drive Georgetown, TX
“Frozen” Medley Christmas Light Show by Dennington Decor –16412 Rockgate Dr, Austin, TX 78717, USA
8304 Roan Lane in the Oak Hill neighborhood features thousands of lights timed to music. It’s an excellent display, and even has its own website. The house is also collecting donations for the Make-A-Wish foundation
Willis Littlefield’s Over-the-Top Charming House – 1611 West 12th Street.  (Oftentimes Mr. Littlefield is in the yard to greet you as you drive by his charming home.)
Melting Blue and White Iceberg Display – 1608 Woodlawn Blvd – creative iceberg/waterfall that drips on to the lawn – truly magical!
Pease Mansion –  1606 Niles Road –  built in 1853, this Greek Revival building is the centerpiece of the Old West Austin Historic District. Delicate blue and white Christmas lights surround all sides of this already stunning mansion
Georgetown Holiday Light Show – 7710 Pebble Creek Drive Georgetown, Texas 78628
Spindler Family Christmas Light Show –1805 Rusty Nail Loop, Round Rock, Texas 78681
Do you have any well-known or little-known spots you would add to this list? We’d love to hear about them! Comment below!
My parents have an awesome home display as well near Oak Hill. Come by and see!
5623 Wagon Train Rd., Austin, TX 78749
There is a little know display in Leander at the corner of Napa Valley Bend and St. Genevieve Dr in Block House Creek, they have their lights synchronized to music with singing tree faces. This is a great location to add to your list.
Checkout Kandy Drive in Southwest Austin. Street is lined with candy canes and lights galore.
Convict Hill and Kandy Drive. Turn in at the Candy Canes.
Thanks for telling us about the lights on Wagon Train. They are spectacular. Our 2-year-old kept repeating “wow” the entire time we were there.
Holiday Lights in Round Rock:
Dickens the ReinDog Wonderland: light display up and running this year by Thanksgiving with 42,000 lights and 12 songs set on FM 100.5.
30 Meandering Way Round Rock, TX 78664 (79 and Red Bud)
There’s a small animated light show in Cedar Park at the corner of Riviera Springs and Dior Drive. It’s faces Riviera Springs and plays 7 songs from 6-8pm on the weekend and, 6-7:10pm weekdays.
Lights are on until midnight. On speaker. No FM station setup. If you’re in the area, stop and enjoy some of the specially selected songs. Playing through New Years!!
Love to submit our light show in Georgetown/Leander facebook.com/twinklylightsgtx