An untimed holiday fun run through the Austin Trail of Lights, starting at the Zilker Holiday Tree and following Barton Springs Road into the lights, with a finish line festival afterwards.
The Austin Trail of Lights Fun Run is back at Zilker Park on Saturday, December 5, 2026. It's an untimed holiday run through the Trail of Lights, starting at the Zilker Holiday Tree and following Barton Springs Road right into the displays. The whole point is that you can walk, jog, or run through the illuminated park before settling in for the evening, so you don't have to choose between getting some movement in and seeing the lights.
If you've been around Austin a while, you know the Trail of Lights is one of the city's biggest traditions. It started back in 1965 as 'Yule Fest,' a gift to the community from the Austin Parks and Recreation Department. Since then, it's grown into more than 2 million lights, 90 illuminated holiday trees, and over 70 displays and lighted tunnels across Zilker Park. The nonprofit Trail of Lights Foundation took over production in 2012, and they still count it as one of Austin's three largest events.
The run feeds straight into the Finish Line Festival, an after-party with local food trucks, a health and fitness expo, rides on a Ferris Wheel and Carousel, and music and lights. So you can do the run and then hang out for the rest of the night without leaving the park. Raising Cane's returns as title sponsor, with VIP registration presented by Velocity Credit Union.
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Logistically, it's a rolling start between 6 PM and 8 PM, so you can pick your own time to get moving. The Runner's Start is at 6 PM, which is when the VIP registrants also head out. The run starts at the Zilker Holiday Tree and follows Barton Springs Road into the lights, and the whole thing takes place at Zilker Park, 2100 Barton Springs Road.
