Final day of Trail of Lights event attracts thousands to Zilker Park
AUSTIN, Texas - The Trail Of Lights was closed for four days in 2017 due to rain it’s the most the event has ever had top close.
Executive Director for the Trail of Lights Foundation James Russell said the park collected about 8,000 gallons of rain water but luckily Saturday the ground was no longer soggy.
"The people who come every year you get to hear them talk about what it used to look like,” Russell said. “And for the new folks who just moved to Austin, which is thousands they get to experience part of the quirkiness that is Austin which is having a giant Christmas display in the middle of our crown jewel which is Zilker Park,"
The trail of lights is a 53 year tradition and one of the top two largest holiday events in Austin. Last year they had 375,000 people attend. This year with weather permitting staff says they've had at least 300,000
The trail of lights displays more than 2 million lights. The event has 20 different food options, 90 different sponsors and supports the Central Texas Food Bank.
The Haggerty family had relatives from out of town to see the lights for the first time and Joan Haggerty loved it.
"I’m from New York City to upper New York State or even to Long Island I've never seen anything like this it's incredible," Haggerty said.
The Franklin has been going for the past six years and as soon as they knew the weather was nice the last day they came.
"I love it the lights are so beautiful it gets in the Christmas spirit," said Kiera Franklin.