Trail of Lights in Austin returns to in-person for 2022 winter season

General admission is free to $5, depending on the day

Austin Trail of Lights. (Lacey Lynn Seymour, Courtesy, Austin Trail of Lights)

The Trail of Lights in Austin is about to open for the winter 2022 season, and people will once again be able to walk through the display.

Organizers announced that the holiday display will return to its traditional in-person format, rather than a drive-through format, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. It will run from Dec. 8-23 at Zilker Park, excluding Mondays.

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“The most beloved, and longest running holiday tradition of its kind in Texas’ capital city, Austin Trail of Lights powered by H-E-B, welcomes hundreds of thousands of guests from Central Texas and around the world each year for its jubilant displays of lights,” its website states. “The Trail now features more than 2 million lights illuminating the park, 90 lighted holiday trees and more than 70 other holiday displays and lighted tunnels.”

Tickets for the 58th annual event are on sale now. Tickets for general admission range from free to $5, depending on the day and age; ZIP passes are $20-$25; and platinum passes are $90-$320. A limited amount of on-site parking is available for $15-$25, and shuttle passes are available on select days for $7 and include the general admission fee.

The trail is about 1.25 miles and is a mix of grass and cement. The Trail of Lights does not allow pets unless they are service animals.

Traditionally, the in-person event hosts about 400,000 visitors. Zilker Park is located at 2100 Barton Springs Road.

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About the Author:

Rebecca Salinas is an award-winning digital journalist who joined KSAT in 2019. She reports on a variety of topics for KSAT 12 News.