When the Austin parks and rec department held the city's first Yule Fest in 1965, they probably had no idea what a long-lasting mark the holiday festival would make. Now 50 years later, the Yule Fest is still delighting Austinites around the holiday—but today, it's known as the Trail of Lights.

Last year, more than 400,000 people experienced the Trail of Lights at Austin's iconic Zilker Park. Known across the country as one of Austin's biggest events, the Trail of Lights rings in the season with a display of twinkling lights and stunning holiday decorations. They include everything from wintry gingerbread houses and chugging trains to dinosaurs and Ferris wheels. Bring your whole brood along and get swept up in the holiday magic this year at the Trail of Lights at Zilker Park. The fun awaits just a hop, skip and a jump away from Lamar Union.

Trail of Lights
Zilker Park
7 to 10 p.m. Dec. 8 to 22
2100 Barton Springs Road
Austin, TX 78704
austintrailoflights.org

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr brianfagan

Just because you live in Texas doesn't mean you should miss out on the classic holiday activities that signify the start of the season. Case in point: ice skating. The Whole Foods near downtown Austin, which isn't far from Lamar Union, wants to make sure that everyone gets a chance to take a spin around an ice rink. That's why the store welcomes guests to enjoy its ice skating rink from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. all throughout the holiday season.

For $10, you can rent a pair of skates and sail across the ice during open hours with a friend. Since the ice skating rink resides on the rooftop at Whole Foods, you can enjoy beautiful views of Austin while you slice your first figure 8 of the season into the fresh ice at the rink.

Ice Skating on the Plaza
Nov. 29 through Jan. 9
Whole Foods
525 N. Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78703
www.wholefoodsmarket.com/store/event/ice-skating-plaza

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr stevendepolo

It seems every dive bar fan in Austin (and beyond) has heard of Donn’s Depot, a famous spot with tons of live music and dancing that's only 1.5 miles from Lamar Union. BuzzFeed even included Donn’s Depot on a list of 35 must-do things in Austin!

The menu is pretty straightforward, with drafts like Budweiser, Shiner Bock an Guiness; bottles like Bud Lite, Tecate, Smirnoff Ice and Miller Lite; and a number of wines as well as cocktails.

What’s super cool about the bar is that it used to be an old Missouri-Pacific train depot, so the decor throughout the bar is full of some of the original pieces that filled the space — seating throughout the bar are real train cars and the women’s bathroom is the train’s caboose.

Live music rocks the bar six nights a week playing everything from swing to pop.

Donn’s Depot is open until 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday and is closed on Sundays.

Donn’s Depot
1600 W. 5th St.
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 478-0336
donnsdepot.com
www.yelp.com/biz/donns-depot-austin-2

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr Maria Eklind