AUSTIN, Texas – The 2025 holiday season is here and with it comes lighting displays, parades and events.

FOX 7 Austin has gathered a list of where you can go to enjoy holiday lights and celebrate with your friends and family.

The list is arranged by county, then city.

Travis County

Austin

Austin Trail of Lights

• When: Dec. 10-23 from 6-10 p.m. each night
• Where: Zilker Park
• What: Annual event hosted by the Trail of Lights Foundation, trail features more than 2 million lights, 90 lighted holiday trees and more than 70 other displays and lighted tunnels; event also features live music, local food trucks, holiday vendors, and an opportunity to meet Santa and Mrs Claus
• Cost: General admission ranges from $0–$8 depending on the night. ZIP passes range from $20-$35 and include early access, an exclusive entrance and a special lounge area. Platinum passes range from $85-$480 and include valet parking, early access, a shuttle, a special lounge area and drink and ride tickets.
• Website: https://austintrailoflights.org/

Zilker Holiday Tree

• When: Nov. 30–Jan. 1 from 6-10 p.m. (Drive up visitation nights: Dec. 2-6, Dec. 8-9, Dec. 24-Jan. 1)
• Where: Zilker Park
• What: The Zilker Holiday Tree stands 155 feet tall and is composed of 39 streamers, each with 81 multi-colored lights, totaling about 3,309 lights. The lights are hung from the Zilker Moontower, one of 17 original Austin moontowers. It has been lit almost every year since 1967 (excluding 1973)
• Website: Zilker Holiday Tree | AustinTexas.gov

Luminations

• When: Dec. 5-Jan. 3, closed Dec. 24-25, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1
• Where: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
• What: Guests can enjoy a canopy of twinkling lights, glowing garden paths, nightly live music, festive photo moments, and hot chocolate and churros.
• Cost: $30 for adults ($23 for members), $20 for kids age 3-12 ($13 for members), free for kids 2 and under
• Website: www.wildflower.org/luminations

Del Valle

Peppermint Parkway at COTA

• When: Now until Jan. 4, open Monday-Friday 5:30-10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 3-10 p.m.
• Where: Circuit of the Americas, 9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd
• What: Walk-thru trail with millions of twinkling lights, whimsical characters, and more, leading to a plaza filled with delicious seasonal treats, joyful rides, lively activities and more
• Cost: Admission starts at $8 per person, kids 2 and under get in free; additional costs for other events, rides and amusements
• Website: Peppermint Parkway

Lake Austin

Mozart’s 2025 Lake Austin Festival of Lights

• When: Nov. 11-Dec. 11 with showtimes at 7, 8, 9, and 10 p.m.; Dec. 21-Jan. 3 with showtimes at 7, 8, 9, and 10 p.m. (closed Christmas Day); Triple feature experience from Dec. 12-20
• Where: 3825 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin
• What: This year’s festival is themed “Heaven and Nature Sing,” and includes new and spectacular additions like a fire dancer waterfront battle from “The Nutcracker” and a limited-run Broadway-style Christmas concert. The Christmas village is also returning with hot chocolate and sweet treats. Millions of lights will also glow in the ever-expanding Lake Austin Nautical Light Show.
• Cost: General admission to the Holiday Village is $3; additional fees could apply for other parts of the event
• Website: www.mozartscoffee.com/pages/festival-of-lights

Pflugerville

Pfestival of Lights & Parade

• When: Saturday, Dec. 6 from 4-7:30 p.m.
• Where: Downtown Pflugerville
• What: Family friendly activities, hot cocoa, and festive performances behind City Hall; parade from Railroad Avenue to downtown starting at 5 p.m.; Santa arrives for tree lighting and photos at 6:30 p.m.

Menorah Lighting

• When: Sunday, Dec. 14 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
• Where: Downtown Pflugerville
• What: Third annual Menorah Lighting with Chabad of Round Rock/Pflugerville

Hays County

San Marcos

Lone Star Light Show

• When: Now until Dec. 31, open Sunday-Thursday 6-10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 6-11 p.m.
• Where: 6218 I-35 South frontage road, northeast of Old Bastrop Road
• What: Interactive drive-thru light show with seven immersive tunnels, an entirely LED nativity, thousands of light strands, a 50-foot-high Christmas tree and more.
• Cost: $25 general vehicle admission for weekdays; $30 general vehicle admission for weekends
• Website: www.lonestarlightshow.com

Wimberley

EmilyAnn Theatre’s Trail of Lights

• When: Now until Dec. 26, open Sunday-Thursday 6-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 6-10 p.m. (except Dec 21-23, open from 6-10 p.m.)
• Where: EmilyAnn Theatre, 1101 FM 2325, Wimberley
• What: A walking trail through about 8 acres of lighted exhibits; live entertainment onstage near the yule log where guests can enjoy complimentary marshmallows and hot chocolate; several special event nights throughout the run of the trail; a concession stand and an entrance store
• Cost: Free, but donations accepted as this is a fundraiser for the theatre
• Website: www.emilyann.org/trailoflights.html

Bastrop County

Bastrop

Bastrop River of Lights

• When: Now until Jan. 5, from dusk to 10 p.m. every night
• Where: 601 Chestnut Street, Bastrop
• What: Attendees can stroll the half-mile June Hill Pape Riverwalk and enjoy hundreds of sparkling displays in festive holiday themes

Lost Pines Lighted Christmas Parade

• When: Saturday, Dec. 13 starting at 6 p.m.
• Where: Downtown Bastrop
• What: More than 150 dazzling entries of floats, fire trucks, unicycles, vintage cars and even Santa himself. Event will travel south down Main Street

Bexar County

San Antonio

Zoo Lights at the San Antonio Zoo

• When: Now until Jan. 4
• Where: 3903 N. St. Mary’s St., San Antonio
• What: Multiple realms of twinkling lights, festive music and whimsical displays; daily activities like Pick-A-Present, S’mores Pits and photos with Santa; weekend activities and meet-and-greets with the zoo’s mascots;
• Cost: Free for San Antonio Zoo members or with a standard admission ticket; day memberships start at $44.99; daily admissions start at $21.91; children under 3 get in free
• Website: Zoo Lights at the San Antonio Zoo

Holiday Lights on the San Antonio River Walk

• When: Now until Jan. 11, from sundown to sunrise
• Where: San Antonio River Walk in Downtown San Antonio
• What: About 200,000 lights draped across the bald cypress trees lining the downtown portion of the River Walk
• Cost: Free
• Website: Holiday Lights on the San Antonio River Walk

Blanco County

Johnson City

Lights Spectacular 2025

• When: Now until Jan. 4, from dusk (about 5:45 p.m.) to midnight
• Where: Located at various locations throughout downtown Johnson City; Memorial Park; Pedernales Electric Coop HQ
• What: Laser show and fun lighted ornaments at courthouse; over 1 million lights on oak trees and colorful themed displays at Memorial Park and PEC HQ; interactive displays, carriage rides
• Cost: Free
• Website: www.lightsspectacular.com

Burnet County

Marble Falls

Walkway of Lights

• When: Now until Jan. 3, from 6-10 p.m. (weather permitting)
• Where: Lakeside Park & Beach, 205 Buena Vista Drive
• What: Attendees can stroll past Christmas sculptures on Marble Falls Lake and enjoy many different events, like pictures with Santa, a boat parade, movies in the park and more. Concessions will also be available such as cookies, hot chocolate and coffee
• Cost: $2 per person
• Website: Walkway of Lights

Comal County

New Braunfels

Santa’s Ranch

• When: Now through Jan. 4, open Sundays through Thursdays 6-10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays 6-11 p.m.
• Where: 9561 I-35 North in New Braunfels, just southwest of San Marcos
• What: A drive-thru mile-long light display with over 3 million lights, a concession stand with hot chocolate, kettle corn, snacks, souvenirs and more
• Cost: $37 plus tax for a single pass per vehicle; $74 plus tax for a season pass per vehicle
• Website: www.santasranch.com

Gillespie County

Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg Christmas Nights of Lights

• When: Now until Jan. 6, nightly beginning at 5 p.m. (closed on Dec. 5 and Dec. 31)
• Where: Marktplatz in Fredericksburg
• What: Each evening will feature holiday music starting at 5 p.m., followed by a 10-minute audio presentation on the history of Fredericksburg’s German heritage at 6 p.m., then a countdown to the lighting of Marktplatz. The music will end at 6:30 p.m. following the countdown.
• Cost: Free
• Website: Visit Fredericksburg

TEXAS — Driving along State Highway 130 — the fastest highway in Texas — in the Austin area now means seeing driverless semi-trucks operate along the way.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has partnered with Cavnue, a smart road technology company, to pilot the “Smart Freight Corridor.” It’s a 21-mile highway stretch designed to “advance the future of freight mobility,” according to Cavnue’s description of the project. TxDOT and Cavnue announced this project in late 2023.

The corridor’s technology is designed to prioritize highway safety, and it’ll include sensors, cameras, radar and wireless communication systems that constantly update experts on the state of the highway: traffic, road conditions and hazards. It’s the first of its kind in the country.

“Safety is priority number one at TxDOT. The largest opportunity to reduce crashes is by improving the driver experience by broadcasting digital roadway information to on-board automated systems to help advanced and automated trucks navigate the roadway environment safely and more efficiently,” said Mike Arellano, who is the deputy district engineer at TxDOT.

The expansion comes just months after the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 2807, which set a standard statewide system to permit operation of autonomous vehicles.

Running from Georgetown, through Hutto and Pflugerville down to Del Valle, an average of 57,000 vehicles daily will travel through the corridor. Those trucks will also cut carbon emissions using Cavnue’s technology by alerting the trucks to potential debris and traffic.

The project first launched in late 2024 with only a 4-mile stretch. This expansion isn’t the end, Cavnue representatives wrote online.

“This corridor has the potential to expand across key interstate routes, including I-10, I-35 and I-45, strengthening freight movement within the Texas Triangle,” they wrote.

SAN ANTONIO – One San Antonio father said a high-profile investigation feels all too familiar.

Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera, 19, died last weekend in Austin after falling from a 17-story apartment complex balcony.

When Ezechiel Hernandez heard Aguilera‘s story, he said the parallels of his own son’s death were shocking.

“It’s just so similar to my son,” he said. “How does this happen?”

Ezechiel Hernandez’s son, Grant, 19, died in January 2019. He was also a Texas A&M student visiting a friend at the University of Texas at Austin.

The Travis County Medical Examiner ruled his death a suicide, per documents provided to KSAT by Hernandez.

Hernandez said drugs were also found in Grant’s system.

“He fell 250 feet from the 18th floor,” Hernandez said. “He apparently just hallucinated, and it affected him in a very bad way.”

When news broke about Aguilera this week, Hernandez said he saw the similarities and felt compelled to share his son’s story.

>> What we know about Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera’s death in Austin

“I just want her parents to know that something similar, same place, happened,” he said.

Hernandez’s son and Aguilera went to the same school, were the same age and both fell from an apartment complex balcony. A spokesperson with the Austin Police Department confirmed with KSAT on Thursday they both died at the same complex, 21 Rio.

“We were in search of answers too, and we never quite got the answers I felt like we wanted,” Hernandez said. “There’s got to be some accountability somewhere.”

Hernandez said his son’s case is closed.

Aguilera’s parents have retained attorneys and are set to have a news conference Friday in Houston.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide, call 988 or text TALK to 741-741.

You can also reach out to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) or the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) at 210-223-7233 (SAFE) or 800-316-9241. You can also text NAMI to 741-741.

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