Zilker Park Christmas Tree

[RichardM]

We took my daughter to see the Christmas tree in Zilker Park in Austin last night.


They had lots of American flags around the base.


The view from beneath the tree.


Of course, everyone knows you're supposed to spin around while looking up.


A little bit faster now...


Whoa, getting a little wobbly here...


All right, now I'm downright dizzy.


For those not familiar with this timeless Austin tradition, the tree is 165 feet tall and uses one of the few remaining "moonlight towers" as the pole.  Go rent "Dazed and Confused" for another use for moonlight towers.

[Al]

Great photography!  Here's a Trail of Lights shot taken a couple of years ago.



Al

[tinneyr]

You mean the "holiday" tree.  I remember when the Austin city council determined that it was not politically correct to call it the Christmas tree.  Of course my thoughts were that if it was now a holiday tree that we would see it lit up again on presidents day, valentines day ......

[Vince T]

I thought it was the "Season" Tree.  Holiday implies Holy Days...couldn't have that in Austin!  

Still a Christmas tree to me!  If my Jewish friend can call it a Christmas tree, I should be able to too!
Great pictures.

Vince

[RichardM]

Has anybody been to the Trail of Lights this year?   We'll be coming in to Austin for the holidaze on Sunday and I hope we can squeeze in a visit to Zilker.  It all depends on the mood of thw wife and 3 year old.  Also, it looks like they're just calling it the "Zilker Tree". 

As a bonus, there's a pretty good International Space Station viewing opp that night, but we'd probably have to get away from the tree to be able to spot it.

[cjacob]

Has anybody been to the Trail of Lights this year?   We'll be coming in to Austin for the holidaze on Sunday and I hope we can squeeze in a visit to Zilker.  It all depends on the mood of thw wife and 3 year old.  Also, it looks like they're just calling it the "Zilker Tree". 

As a bonus, there's a pretty good International Space Station viewing opp that night, but we'd probably have to get away from the tree to be able to spot it.

Its great been to it on the first night for the 5k

[STARLITDARKNESS3]

They had lots of American flags around the base.





one tequila


two tequila


three tequila


floor

Just kidding Richard, thanks for the photos.  BTW,  'Dazed and Confused', Really good movie, thanks

[RichardM]

Just a few people there tonight....like half of Austin!  Attached are a few pics.

[RichardM]

A few more...

[homerboy2u]

Simply AMAZING...Thank you Richard, what a great show ,!!!

[RichardM]

Gracias!  The one of my daughter above was taken by me while she was riding on my shoulders so I get extra points for degree of difficulty.  We took turns carrying Jennifer, as she would've been crushed by the hordes had we let her run free.  It was tough trying to take longer exposures without a tripod or at least something solid to rest against.

[SHANEA]

Looks like fun.

Will Santa know where to deliver to?

Thanks for sharing.

[RichardM]

Looks like fun.

Will Santa know where to deliver to?

The jolly old elf has already made a couple of deliveries.  For the first one, he outsourced the delivery to UPS and her art activity table showed up a week earlier than expected.  Naturally, Jennifer answered the door and could tell what it was by the picture Santa was kind enough to put on the box.  A second large package was dropped off by one of the elves just before we drove to Austin (wouldn't fit inthe trunk with all of our luggage).  We brought along some reindeer food so he'll know to stop here Christmas Eve, so we're all set.

[SHANEA]

Stop by the Iron Works and have a BBQ sandwich for me.  Then, jump over to Baby Acapulco's for some fajitas, then for dinner hit Hyde park for the CFS.

[RichardM]

Trail of Lights to be scaled back

By Sarah Coppola | Thursday, November 12, 2009, 09:28 AM

The Zilker Park Trail of Lights will be scaled back this year, with a smaller budget and fewer lighting displays. It will probably last for one week instead of the usual two, but will still have free admission, City Council Member Mike Martinez said.

The Parks Department had considered hiring a private vendor to run the event, which in the past has cost the city nearly $1 million a year to produce. But the city didn’t accept bids from event-management companies until last month, and has basically run out of time to choose a vendor, negotiate a contract and allow the vendor to set up the entire trail by next month.

Instead, the city will spend about a third of its normal budget for the event, scale back the lighting displays and the number of days the trail is open, Martinez said. The city will seek corporate sponsors for the trail, as it always has, but will ask city staffers to volunteer their time to set up and take down the light displays, he said. In the past, paid city crews have done that work, he said.

It’s not clear where the trail will be held, Martinez said. The Parks Department will announce its formal plans today, but one possibility is setting up the trail on the south side of Barton Springs Road near the Zilker Tree, a tower strung with lights that the city has already set up. The trail is typically held on the Great Lawn, on Zilker’s north side.

Martinez said he’s pleased with the plan for this year and hopes the city will continue to seek a private vendor to help produce the trail next year.

“We can’t continue to spend a million dollars every year on the trail so we’ll have to figure out a plan. I think a combination of the city working jointly with a private production company could work but we need to have more detailed conversation about it,” Martinez said.

“I’d hate for us to lose this tradition, it’s been going on for so long. I’m glad we’ll keep it going (this year) but there’s much to do to keep it going beyond that,” he said.