Three winter holiday events to check out in Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi holds several winter holiday events, but here are three the Caller-Times thinks you should check out first.
Wanting to start a new holiday tradition this year?
Consider taking a day trip to a nearby city to check out winter events.
The Caller-Times suggests visiting one of these events in Austin, McAllen and Victoria.
Austin is a popular destination as the capital of Texas, but it also is known for its annual Trail of Lights — an event that features more than 2 million lights, 90 lighted holiday trees and more than 70 holiday displays in Zilker Park.
The event opened Tuesday and will run through Monday, Dec. 23.
Tickets may be purchased at austintrailoflights.org.
The Trail of Lights originally started in 1965 and was known as the Yule Fest. It involved the lighting of a yule log and included performances by carolers from local choirs. Over the years, the one-day event evolved into a four-day festival and then to one that lasts for nearly all of December.
Aside from lights, the festival also includes vendors, food, drinks and live performances. This year, several entertainers will perform through Dec. 23.
South Pole Illuminated Festival is an immersive holiday experience with the tallest RGB Christmas tree in the United States, spanning more than 10 stories tall.
RGB lights are color-controllable LED strings that can be animated with unique effects that may be synchronized to music.
Guests can experience a walking journey through millions of lights at the McAllen Convention Center featuring photos with Santa, train rides, gingerbread house building, live music, a s’mores station, a holiday food court, a NASA photo exhibit, a market, fireworks, a carnival and more.
The festival opened in November and will run until Dec. 29. Tickets may be purchased at southpoleoftexas.com.
Grab your little ones and make a short drive to The Texas Zoo in Victoria for the annual Christmas Nights event, where attendees can stroll through light displays.
The event is held from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 20, Dec. 22, Dec. 23 and Dec. 24.
Tickets are $5 and can be purchased on site.
For more information about the zoo, visit texaszoo.org.
John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Contact him at john.oliva@caller.com or Twitter @johnpoliva.
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FOX 7 Austin’s Dennis de la Pena and producer Julian Martinez talk about the College Football Playoff semifinal matchup between the Texas Longhorns and the Ohio State Buckeyes!
ARLINGTON, Texas – The Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes will face off in Arlington, Texas on Friday in the College Football Playoff semifinal.
The winner of the game between Texas (13-2) and Ohio State (12-2) will go on to play Notre Dame in the national championship.
Neither quarterback in this game is a stranger to playing in Arlington.
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard and Ewers both won Big 12 championships the last time they played at AT&T Stadium.
Texas won the Big 12 in its last season in the conference last year. Howard transferred to Ohio State from Kansas State. He led the Wildcats to a Big 12 championship win over then-undefeated TCU two years ago.
The best matchup of the game could be Texas All-American senior cornerback Jahdae Barron vs. standout Buckeyes freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith. Barron won the Thorpe Award, which is given to the nation’s top defensive back. But Barron gives up four inches and 15 pounds to Smith, the second-team All-American who may be the most electric freshman in the country. Smith has 70 receptions for 1,224 yards and 14 touchdowns. Smith has four touchdowns in these playoffs.
Predictions are made by the Data Skrive betting model.
FOX Sports Analyst Joel Klatt went with Ohio State in his prediction for the Cotton Bowl. Klatt says the Buckeyes are playing the best football in the country right now and the fact that the game is being played in Texas is keeping the line (Texas +6) lower than it should be.
The winner of the Longhorns and Buckeyes game will take on Notre Dame in the championship game.
The game will be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, where the Longhorns played in the SEC Championship and against Arizona State in the College football playoff.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the College Football Playoff, the Associated Press and FOX Sports.
TEXAS — The 89th Texas Legislature will start on Jan. 14 with 181 lawmakers.
The House of Representatives’ organization will be managed by Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson, who will also select temporary officers. The Secretary leads until a Speaker of the House is elected.
Secretary Nelson announced that Walter Fisher and Sharon Carter were appointed as parliamentarians for the House’s session inauguration.
“This is a duo with extensive parliamentary knowledge and the experience to guide the opening of the 89th Legislative Session,” said Secretary Nelson. “With the support of these individuals, we will make sure the organizing of the House is a fair, transparent and orderly process.”
The 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives and the 31 members of the Texas Senate will be sworn in as the 89th Legislature on Tuesday. The legislature will meet until June 2.
You are able to watch the Senate proceedings on opening day at this website.
This story is part of the KXAN Data Hub, where numbers help tell the whole story.
We’ve created several data-driven stories and databases on topics including weather and climate, politics, education, sports and growth in Texas. Each story in the KXAN Data Hub is updated as new data becomes available.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — KXAN is keeping track of the number of homicides in Austin.
As of Jan. 9, two homicides have been reported thus far in 2025.
Last year, 70 homicides were reported, down from 75 in 2023 and 71 in 2022. A record 88 homicides were reported in 2021.
The charts below will be updated as we learn new information. Scroll down for a map of where each homicide occurred.
The chart below shows how the number of homicides reported in recent years changed through the year.
Below is a map showing where homicides occurred in 2025. The map is interactive, so clicking on or hovering over a dot will reveal information about that incident. You can also click on a month in the top left to show only homicides that occurred during that month.
The chart below shows the number of homicides reported each month in 2025.
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