Tickets To 55th Annual Trail of Lights On Sale In Austin

AUSTIN, TX — It's beginning to look a lot like....Christmas?!?! We have yet to get through Thanksgiving, yet tickets to the 55th annual Trail of Lights are now eligible for purchase online.

The beloved event powered by H-E-B (Here Everthing's Brighter, don't you know) is the largest holiday tradition in Austin and the second-biggest event in the city. It's will be open from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. nightly from Tuesday, Dec. 10, through Monday, Dec. 23.

The Trail of Lights Foundation ensures general admission is free and open to the public seven out of the festival’s 14 nights, but limited quantities of premium tickets, allowing expedited “pre-paid” entrance to skip the long lines and other perks, are also available. Visitors are encouraged to purchase passes ahead of time to secure access on their preferred dates.

Those special tickets are available for purchase at www.austintrailoflights.org.

Voted among the "10 Best Public Display of Holiday Lights" by USA Today and mentioned as one of the best places to see Christmas lights by CNN, the event has grown to be a not-to-be missed tradition and community-wide event that celebrates the spirit and the people that make Austin unique, organizers explained.

There's a reason for the positive reviews — more precisely at least 2 million reasons. The Austin Trail of Lights features more than 2 million lights illuminating the park, 90 lighted holiday trees, and more than 70 other holiday displays and lighted tunnels.

See the event calendar here for which nights offer free entry and which nights carry a $5 entry fee. Children 11 and under are always free of charge. Pre-paid Parking Passes ($15 per vehicle) grant access to the Zilker Park parking lots, which open at 5:30 p.m. nightly. Parking at the Trail is limited each night and tickets must be purchased in advance online. Purchase a parking pass here.

There are shuttles offered from Dec. 13-15 and Dec. 19-23 from two convenient locations directly to the front gate of the Trail. Visitors are encouraged to purchase a shuttle pass in advance to avoid lines at shuttle pick up spots. The shuttle fare includes general admission access to the Austin Trail of Lights and costs $7 per person. The pickup locations are Downtown at Republic Square (422 Guadalupe St) and in South Austin at Toney Burger Event Center (3200 Jones Rd). For more information about Austin Trail of Lights shuttles, visit https://austintrailoflights.org/ticket-types#Shuttleticket.

Austin Trail of Lights ZIP pass holders can skip the line with one hour early entry at 6 p.m. nightly and have special access to the ZIP Lounge with complimentary holiday cookies, cocoa and more. ZIP Passes are $20 on Dec. 11-23.

Platinum Passes are also available for purchase and come with concierge service for a truly VIP experience. With an early 6 p.m. entry through an exclusive Platinum back gate entrance, valet parking for one vehicle beginning at 5:30 p.m., and golf cart shuttle service from the Platinum Lounge to the Trailhead, the pass offers an easy, stress-free experience. Platinum Pass holders also receive a drink ticket valid at all bars along the Trail and one ride ticket for expedited entry to the Ferris Wheel or Carousel. Platinum guests have all-evening access to the private, heated Platinum Lounge, presented by Northern Trust, where they can enjoy comfortable seating, holiday cookies, cocoa and more. Individual Platinum Passes are $80, a 2-pack for $150 and a 4-pack for $270.

"Each year, the Austin Trail of Lights celebrates the vibrancy, spirit and diversity of Austin through its specialty nights, many of which are free and open to the public," officials said in a press advisory. Specialty nights running throughout December 2019 will include:

• Dec. 1: The 53rd annual Zilker Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony; the holiday tree stands 155 feet tall and is built around one of Austin's historic moon towers.
• Dec. 2-4: The 6th Annual STARS at the Trail program, presented by Vista Equity Partners, hosts up to 20 nonprofit organizations for private tours of the Trail. Since 2013, the STARS at the Trail program has benefited more than 8,000 children, families, veterans and seniors offering Trail of Lights experiences on private nights.
• Dec. 6: Night Lights, the 6th Annual Preview Party, presented by Austin Community Foundation, serves as the Trail of Lights Foundation's annual fundraising event, with funds going to help keep the Austin Trail of Lights accessible for all in the community. The event will feature headlining entertainment, complimentary beverages and food from Austin restaurants and more attractions not available during the general run of the Trail.
• Dec. 7: The 8th Annual Trail of Lights Fun Run, presented by St. David’s HealthCare, helps to Keep Austin Active for a night where fun runners run, jog or stroll a 2.1 mile course through Zilker Park and the Austin Trail of Lights ending in the Finish Line Festival. Guests will enjoy a fitness and wellness expo, DJ entertainment, a costume contest, photos with Santa, and more. Tickets currently available at http://austintrailoflights.org/2019-fun-run
• Dec. 10: Austin Trail of Lights Grand Opening kicks off the public run of show with a countdown ceremony and entry tunnel lighting, presentations by H-E-B, KXAN, community leaders, and a special celebration for Austin Trail of Lights sponsors. General admission on December 10th is free and open to the public.
• Dec. 11: Heroes Night, presented by Humana, will honor veterans, active military and first responders with special ZIP access for Heroes and up to 3 family members along with specialty programming.
• Dec. 12: Movies in the Park at the Austin Trail of Lights, presented by Austin Parks Foundation, brings a special screening of holiday classic Home Alone to the Trail starting with story time at 7:30p.m. and the movie starting at 8:00p.m.
• Dec. 15: UT Night, presented by The University of Texas at Austin, brings loads of Longhorn spirit to the Trail with special guests and programming along with a sea of burnt orange pride.
• Dec. 23: Closing Night

Calendars for ticket availability, special programming and online ticket purchases are now available at www.austintrailoflights.org.

Night Lights Preview Party

The annual Night Lights Preview Party allows for a first look at the 2019 lights with ticket proceeds benefiting the Trail of Lights Foundation. On Friday, December 6th, the Night Lights Preview Party will have local headline performers, bites from local restaurants, a beer and wine open bar, cocktail tastings, and complimentary Ferris Wheel and Carousel rides. Tickets are limited to this sell-out event and are currently on sale. More details to come.

8th Annual Trail of Lights Fun Run

The Austin Trail of Lights annual Fun Run, presented by St. David’s HealthCare, is on Saturday, December 7th and includes a 2.1 mile course beginning at the iconic Zilker Holiday Tree. Thousands of festive Fun Runners sporting holiday costumes will run through the grounds of the Trail of Lights, ending at the Finish Line Festival celebration, which features a DJ dance party, Ferris Wheel and Carousel rides, food trucks, a fitness expo and more. In 2018, over 9,000 runners kicked off the annual event at the sold-out Fun Run. This year, participants will have the option of choosing from four waves of start times to accommodate a variety of schedules and guests needs. The addition of the start times, taking place every 30 minutes from 6p.m. – 7:30 p.m., is new for 2019. Tickets for the Fun Run can be purchased here.

Operating entirely with support from sponsors, donations and funds from ticket sales, the Austin Trail of Lights welcomes the return of title sponsor H-E-B for the 8th year. Additional support comes from partners including Ascension / Dell Children’s, Vista Equity Partners, Keller Williams Realty, Inc., Cirrus Logic, Austin Parks Foundation, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin Convention Center Department, Austin Community Foundation, Silicon Labs, Lori & Tito Beveridge, SHI, Samsung Austin Semiconductors, Austin FC, Northern Trust and Humana.

For general information on the 2019 Austin Trail of Lights, visit www.austintrailoflights.org, https://www.facebook.com/austintrailoflights or follow along on Instagram, @ATXLights. Applications for STARS at the Trail participation are available online at https://form.jotform.com/92405335729157

Applications for performers to apply to perform at the Austin Trail of Lights are available online at https://form.jotform.com/92405865485164. Both applications are available until October 13, 2019. For more information about hosting a Holiday Party at the 2019 Austin Trail of Lights, visit www.austintrailoflights.org/holiday-parties. For more information on the 2019 Fun Run, visit www.austintrailoflights.org/2019-fun-run.

About the Trail of Lights Foundation

The Trail of Lights Foundation is an independent nonprofit corporation dedicated to producing and maintaining the Austin Trail of Lights as an authentically Austin community celebration. The organization raises funds from donations by individuals and the business community to produce and ensure the long-term sustainability of Austin's largest community celebration. It is curated in close conjunction with its long-time partner, Forefront, who provides turn-key production, programming, sponsorship, and marketing services to the foundation. The Austin Trail of Lights has remained in the top three largest Austin events since the Trail of Lights Foundation adopted the event in 2012.