EmilyAnn Trail of Lights, Wimberley

The EmilyAnn Theatre & Gardens is a nonprofit outdoor theater and garden park in Wimberley, about 45 minutes southwest of Austin. Each December it turns its grounds into a Trail of Lights: a walking path through about 8 acres of light displays, most of them built by local businesses, groups and families. It's the EmilyAnn's biggest fundraiser of the year.

The trail is open from November 28 to December 26, 2026. It's open 6–9 pm on most nights and 6–10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, every night from December 18 to 23, and on December 26. On December 24 and 25 only the walking trail is open, 6–9 pm. Opening night, Saturday, November 28, starts at 5 pm with Santa's arrival and a tree lighting with carols on the hilltop. Santa and a small train are there on some weekend nights; the EmilyAnn posts the schedule night by night.

Entry is free, but there are donation stations at the entrance and along the path, with a suggested $20 a family. It's a smaller, homemade-feeling outing, a good contrast to the big Austin shows.