Zilker Holiday Tree — Attraction in Austin

This is the best holiday tree in Austin. The moonlight tower holds the lights extremely well. We've been going to the tree for decades!! The high winds do not affect them much and the light bulbs are long lasting, you don't see any of them going out. There's plenty of parking on the lots adjacent to the tree and some of it is close to the tree on the parking lots down the road and on the fields as well, you will walk a little bit but that's okay you need to lose weight. There are vendors selling foods and Crafts and the grounds are in good condition. There is an easy entrance from Mopac (Remember you have to take the winding road around the park as soon as you drive in) and a super easy entrance from Barton springs but remember the city shuts down the entrance during the trail of lights around 5pm so you can't turn into the tree as you travel west to Mopac so you can only use the entrance that leads to the parking lot that leads to the pool.. canoes..etc.. it's a bit confusing but you'll figure it out.. that's part of the fun 😁... anyway enjoy your time and get trashed on hot chocolate 🤯 oh and don't forget to do the mandatory spin under the tree.. it'll make you throw up.. that's part of the fun as...

I attended the Austin Tree of Light event downtown, hoping for a festive experience, but it was an utter nightmare. The biggest issue was the abysmal parking situation. Finding a spot was like searching for a needle in a haystack – chaotic, frustrating, and ultimately futile. The advertised parking areas were damn near impossible to find leading to a chaotic scramble among attendees. I spent more time circling blocks than enjoying the supposed holiday cheer.

The lack of organized parking significantly tainted the entire event. After finally managing to park far away and trek through the streets, the lights weren’t bad but the dazzling lights and festive ambiance were overshadowed by the stress and hassle of the parking debacle. The disorganization reflected poorly on the event organizers and cast a shadow over what could have been a joyful celebration. Save yourself the trouble and frustration – I wouldn't recommend this...

The tree was a beautiful sight, and the Trail of Lights was fun! Lots of photo ops, food, gorgeous light displays, small shops set up. Love the smores stations with the fires. The trail isn't that long either which I appreciate, lol.

Positive stuff being said, there was a minor downside. We bought the parking pass. We were waiting in a long line for about 20 minutes or so (as expected, it's a big event). Once we first pulled into the lot, there were two directions (if i remember correctly) you could go, with no clear sign as to which way you're supposed to go to park. We went the wrong direction and met with a slightly rude personel who told us we were doing so, and that we had to take the exit up ahead and go to the back of the line, so we did...

It was just fustrating. I'm sure others probably got confused too and had to wait longer than they...