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    Can I get a watt watt?

    5 of the biggest and brightest holiday light displays across Texas

    Justine Harrington
    Dec 14, 2017 | 12:30 pm
    Zilker Trail of Lights
    Zilker Park in Austin is transformed into a winter wonderland every December.
    Austin Trail of Lights/Facebook

    When it’s still a balmy 70 degrees in December but you really, really need to get your holiday fix, we’ve got two words for you: holiday lights. Texas is filled with huge holiday light displays that are an instant cure for the holiday blahs. There are plenty in the Dallas area, of course. But if you're up for a road trip, here are five of the biggest and brightest.

    Santa's Ranch in New Braunfels
    If you’d rather keep the kids corralled in the car while you gaze at holiday lights, Santa’s Ranch in New Braunfels is your best bet. For just $22 per vehicle, you’ll cruise through numerous impressive displays, including lit-up nativity scenes, giant gingerbread houses, and even a Christmas dinosaur or two.

    Know before you go: If you’re not in the mood to sit in traffic, we highly recommend heading to Santa’s Ranch during the week. However, if you’ve become used to traffic after sitting on I-35 for years of your life, check it out anytime through December 31 (Sunday through Thursday, 6-10 pm; Friday and Saturday, 6-11 pm).

    The River Walk in San Antonio
    San Antonio’s ever-popular River Walk is also one of the best places in Texas to get into the holiday spirit, thanks to the explosion of lights that drape over every square inch of this area. Now would be the time of year to take a gondola ride up and down the river to properly take in this festive spectacle.

    Know before you go: This year, the lights will remain on through January 7, starting at 5:30 pm every night.

    Zoo Lights in Houston
    Every year, the Houston Zoo undergoes a wintertime makeover to become a holiday lights attraction the likes of which you’ve never seen — we’re talking 15 miles of lights; a 1958 Cadillac festooned with a musical light show; an enchanted forest; and an interactive, rather chatty zebra.

    Know before you go: Zoo Lights runs from December 1 through January 15; check out ticket pricing and times here.

    Lights Spectacular in Johnson City
    If your idea of a good holiday lights display involves feeling like you’ve stepped into an old-fashioned Christmas card, you’re in luck: the Lights Spectacular in Johnson City is exactly that. Every year (for the last 28), the Blanco County Courthouse and its surrounding trees have sparkled brighter than the night sky, thanks to over 100,000 twinkly white lights. Nearly every home and business in the town square joins in on the action, rendering this one of the loveliest, quaintest spots in the state to enjoy a holiday lights show.

    Know before you go: The Lights Spectacular runs every weekend through January 2, from 6-9 pm.

    Austin Trail of Lights in Zilker Park
    It isn't really Christmas time in Austin until the city’s Holiday Lights Bonanza 2.0, otherwise known as the Trail of Lights in Zilker Park, switches on. The official grand opening this year was Saturday, December 9, and the Trail will remain open until December 23. Gather up your crew and take your time strolling through the 2 million lights and 40 displays — just don’t chug eggnog or drink too much spiked hot chocolate before taking a twirl under the Zilker Tree.

    Know before you go: The Trail of Lights is open through December 23, from 7-10 pm. General admission is just $3, but there are some free nights, as well.

    holidays
    news/travel

    BACKSTAGE PASS

    Universal Music unveils new hotel and amphitheater near Texas Hill Country

    Brianna Caleri
    Jun 23, 2026 | 2:02 pm
    UMusic Hotel & Private Residences Austin
    Rendering courtesy of UMusic Hospitality & Lifestyle
    A rendering of the property, with another building extending off-screen to the right.

    Texas travelers who want to make sure their next weekend trip takes full advantage of the “Live Music Capital” have an upcoming community to consider: UMusic Hotel & Private Residences Austin, an effort owned by White Rocks and developed in partnership with Universal Music Group, will bring 150 hotel rooms, 600 private residences, and a new amphitheater to a 71-acre site at the edge of the Hill Country.

    A representative says an opening is projected for the first quarter of 2029, with construction beginning in the first quarter of 2027. Residences are on sale now. Different units cost $850-$1,450 per square foot, depending on variables like locations, views, and more.

    There is already one UMusic Hotel operating in Madrid, Spain. The Austin location will introduce private residences for the first time.

    The keystone of the property will be White Rocks Amphitheater, an open-air venue that takes advantage of the natural surroundings. More than 70 percent of the site will "remain green open space," the release says. There will also be a performance venue inside the hotel, plus professional recording and content studios.

    Music is the central force of the property, but it's not the only thing to do at the hotel. There will also be a bar, a nightclub, a comedy club, dining, a rooftop pool and fitness center, and a spa and wellness center.

    At the spa, visitors can get traditional treatments like massages, facials, hair, makeup, and manicures, while the wellness center offers weight training, steam rooms, hammam (a Southwest Asian or North African bath), plus more advanced technologies including red-light therapy, peptide therapy, cryogenic chambers, and more. Sometimes the amphitheater will host yoga, weight training, and other physical events.

    Similarly, the residences will have access to their own set of amenities including, a private pool and fitness facilities, underground parking, and common areas, the release says. They can visit the hotel anytime and enjoy the culture there, too.

    "The result is a living environment that offers the peace of a private retreat alongside the vibrancy of an international cultural hub," the release says.

    Since nature is such a big part of the plan, the developer has a number of sustainability commitments going into the project. Those include a mostly hidden plant for hot and cold water and power, microgrid energy tech, a closed-loop water system that developers say complies with a 100 percent water reuse goal set by the city, and DarkSky-compliant practices that help reduce light pollution, which is better for wildlife and seeing stars. That will help at monthly stargazing events held at the amphitheater.

    The developers have also committed to the creative community that made them want to work in Austin to begin with; things like allocating a portion of ticket sales to a perpetual endowment for local artists and nonprofits, setting up paid gigs for emerging talent, and partnering with schools and other cultural institutions, sometimes for mentorship opportunities.

    “Our vision is to create places where culture is made, shared, and celebrated," said UMusic Hospitality & Lifestyle president Jordi Solé in the release. "This property combines performance, wellness, nature, and community into a single living ecosystem, reflecting Austin's creative spirit on a global stage.”

    hotelsdevelopmentscondosvenueslive music
    news/travel
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