It’s free. It’s family-friendly. And heck, yeah, it’s even fun. This Saturday, December 3, 2011, marks the 9th annual Holiday Sing-Along and Downtown Stroll – culminating in a Tree Lighting Ceremony at The Capitol Steps in Downtown Austin. The event is a partnership effort of the Downtown Austin Alliance and KUT, and it’s a pretty nice thing to do.
A couple of cool special events that caught my eye in coordination with the Downtown Holiday Stroll to note:
- The Sustainable Food Center will offer a special holiday farmers market at 11th and Congress from 5:30-8pm.
- The Paramount Theatre will be showing Christmas Cartoon Classics from 5-9pm.
- Austin Details Art + Photo will have an Exhibition Preview (from 2-5pm) and Opening Reception (from 6-9pm) for their new exhibit – 24 Hours in Austin. I’ll be attending this.
There is a ton more beyond those three events, too. Mother Falcon is playing at Frost Plaza, and Wild About Music will be passing out Christmas cookies to strollers, yum! Check out The Holiday Stroll website for more details, and I hope to see you there!
A Note Regarding Parking:
Most downtown parking is no longer free on Saturdays (at least from 11am to midnight) – so, for folks driving in for the event, you may want to do some planning, and be prepared to pay ~$5-$10.
You have the option of trying to find street metered parking (good luck!), but if you’d rather just find a nearby lot or garage – The Holiday Stroll has put up a parking map (showing lots / garages in close proximity to the tour) on their website. Additionally, the DAA has a broader map showing downtown parking posted to their website. Both of these maps are automatic .pdf downloads.
Though most street meters and select garages / lots take credit – I would recommend also having some cash on hand to pay if necessary. Metered parking is a buck an hour, and you have a limit of 3 hours (you can also purchase “next day parking”).
PARKING UPDATE: Per the Downtown Austin Alliance, “The state just told us that UT has a volleyball tournament the same night and it’s probably not a good idea to steer people to their garages.” (thanks to fellow contributor Fred Schmidt for the heads-up!)
Does any one know if there will be lights on Congress Ave this year? The city looks sad with no lights other than the ones on East 6th Street. I don’t know how to explain it to guest as to why Austin doesn’t have lights on Congress Ave like they use to have. Any info anyone?
This year the focus is on retail windows. So, this year, we’re not going to see holiday lights strung along the right of way. At least, that’s my understanding. I’ve learned just how big an effort lighting Congress Avenue is. FWIW, in 2012, the DAA is subsidizing permanent year round street and tree lighting that will really bring the Avenue to life.