
Its own red-and-gold entrance tunnel at Circuit of the Americas is pretty impressive. Peppermint Parkway proper is entirely contained to your vehicle, meanwhile. More: Where to see 'Elf' and Christmas movies you've never heard of in Austin How nice is it to walk through the crown jewel of Austin's park system with the rest of the community and look at displays that generations have enjoyed?

The Trail of Lights is a tradition for a reason. You might say, "Don't those cut-out displays of popular cartoon characters look off-brand in a way that evokes a flea market piñata?" To which we say, "Shut up, I'm trying to take a picture with Alvin of 'and the Chipmunks' fame." There's the iconic, rainbow-hued entrance tunnel, and several other tunnels along the walk. For its 58th year, the Trail of Lights has recaptured the old-school charm that's helped it endure. This year, though, it's returned to its traditional walking-path format in Zilker Park.Īnd what a format it is. To get the elephant-size carbon dioxide footprint out of the way, we should note that Austin Trail of Lights pivoted to a pandemic-safe, drive-thru version in 20.
#Peppermint park close series#
If you're having trouble planning your festive fun, we've matched up Austin Trail of Lights and Peppermint Parkway in a series of comparative challenges, with one declared the victor in each. This is America, though, and the invisible hand of the market calls for competition in the public square. Now, there's no real tough choice to be made here: Go to both, or go to whichever makes you happiest. When it comes to holiday lights in Austin, two titans tower above the twinkling crowd: Austin Trail of Lights, a beloved local tradition, and Peppermint Parkway, a shiny drive-thru innovation of the pandemic. I, however, would like to inject what's been missing: forced conflict between family-friendly experiences that are engineered only to brighten up our dark, dark nights. It's time for a Christmas light battle.Īs the holidays roll around, you will hear calls to remember the reason for the season and to eschew the commercialization of our sacred December rites.

View Gallery: Photos of Peppermint Parkway 2022 Christmas lights at COTA in AustinĪ championship of cheer.
