You probably know the Trail of Lights has been an Austin staple for 50+ years and you may even know that the light display brings in more than 400,000 visitors annually — but did you know that the set-up takes ~15,000 hours to construct?
Yeah, neither did we.
This year’s display will light up the night Tuesday, Dec. 10-Monday, Dec. 23, with seven free admission nights and seven ticketed nights starting at $8 per person.
In honor of the 60th year of one of Austin’s longest-running holiday events, we put together even more fun facts about the Trail of Lights.
Six decades of history
The Trail of Lights wasn’t always a trail. The original celebration — launched in 1965 and funded by Austin Parks and Recreation — was actually called “Yule Fest” and involved a celebratory lighting of a yule log.
The event was renamed the “Trail of Lights” in 1992, almost 30 years later.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the Trail was held in a drive-thru format. That might seem like a uniquely pandemic-era occurrence, but it was actually how most Austinites experienced the Trail of Lights during the larger part of the 1970s through 1990s.
That’s also not the first time the Trail has been impacted by outside factors — longtime Austinites will remember it was canceled in 2010 + 2011 due to city budget constraints. Local businesses and sponsors worked to raise funding to bring the show back, and the Trail of Lights is now funded + produced by the Trail of Lights Foundation.
Fun facts about the show
- It features 90 lit trees and 70+ displays and tunnels
- Displays are made with more than two million lights
- It’s assembled by ~1,000 volunteers
- Its electric bill in 2014 was $8,500
For the first time in the history of the holiday festival, people will be able to tie the knot at the Trail of Lights this year with Santa officiating.
It’s fitting because at least 15 people have proposed to their significant others at the Trail, which has even landed a spot on USA Today’s “Best Public Holiday Displays” several times in years past.
Are you looking for other ways to celebrate the season in ATX? Check out our full list of holiday light displays, holiday pop-up bars, and our gift guide.
