Austin Events Calendar: December 2024 & January 2025

Check out this list for a selection of the largest annual events in Austin during December and January. For a more extensive list of daily happenings, see the searchable Events Calendar.

December 2024 Austin Events and Festivals

11/9/24 - 1/4/25
Mozart’s Festival of Lights
Mozart’s Coffee Roasters
At Mozart’s Coffee Roasters, sip on a steaming cup of hot chocolate while watching the shop’s dazzling lights display choreographed to lively music nightly from November through January.
mozartscoffee.com

11/15/24 - 12/24/24
Blue Genie Art Bazaar
Blue Genie Art Bazaar
The Blue Genie Art Bazaar is a fixture of the Austin holiday season. With in-person and virtual shopping alternatives, shoppers can browse thousands of original works ranging from serious art to fun and kitschy items. A great way to buy hassle-free holiday gifts and support local artists.
bluegenieartbazaar.com

11/15/24 - 12/29/24
Miracle on 5th Street
The Eleanor
Miracle is a Christmas-themed pop-up cocktail bar that serves holiday cocktails in the most festive and nostalgic setting in the city. Featuring wall-to-wall Christmas decor, multiple bars, cheery social experiences and a whole lot of Christmas spirits.
miracleon5thst.com

11/22/24 - 12/29/24
Peppermint Parkway
Circuit of The Americas
Peppermint Parkway is a magical experience at Austin's Circuit of The Americas. This year, the holiday spectacular will be transformed into a one-mile driving attraction that immerses visitors in millions of holiday lights synchronized to joyful holiday classics.
peppermintparkway.com

12/6/24 - 12/23/24
Ballet Austin's "The Nutcracker"
Long Center for the Performing Arts
Ballet Austin will against host it's beloved holiday tradition with the 62nd annual performance of The Nutcracker. The ballet production also includes music by the Austin Symphony Orchestra.
balletaustin.org

12/7/24
German-Texan Heritage Society Christmas Market
German Free School of Austin
The German-Texan Heritage Society's annual market offers shoppers handmade, imported crafts, decorations, ornaments and more. Browse the market, listen to traditional German Christmas music and take home Christmas Stollen made by the New World Bakery and German cookies from Silke’s German Gourmet Cookies.
germantexans.org

12/7/24
Downtown Holiday Stroll
Congress Avenue, between Ninth Street & 11th Street
The stroll returns this December with free, family-friendly activities to celebrate the season. Visit downtown Austin for holiday festivities like the holiday shopping passport, pop-ups, appearances by Mr. & Mrs. Claus, holiday window and light displays and the signature 45-foot downtown tree.
downtownholidaystroll.com

12/10/24 - 12/23/24
Austin Trail of Lights
Zilker Park
The 60th Annual Trail of Lights is part of the essential Austin experience, lighting up the season with a celebration of community, memories and fun. Walk through this spectacular 1.25 mile trail illuminated with two million lights, 90 lighted holiday trees and more than 70 other holiday displays. Don't miss this Austin holiday tradition!
austintrailoflights.org

12/12/24 - 12/15/24 & 12/19/24 - 12/21/24
Ventana Ballet's "The Watchmaker's Song"
Neill-Cochran House Museum
An Austin holiday favorite returns. The Watchmaker’s Song is a jazzy and interactive re-imagination of the classic story of the The Nutcracker. This is a Nutcracker for everyone. The Watchmaker’s Song is an immersive dance-theatre production based on the beloved ballet, The Nutcracker, performed by Ventana Ballet at the historic Neill-Cochran House Museum.
ventanaballet.com/watchmaker

12/15/24 - 12/23/24
Armadillo Christmas Bazaar
Palmer Events Center
For 45+ seasons, the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar has been a fine art shopping destination featuring national and local award-winning artists alongside live music in a festive, lively atmosphere. This year, Armadillo Bazaar Outside will offer a multi-day shopping event with a festive, family friendly fine-art scene. Experience a selection of curated artists with works to excite every art lover, collector, or first-time visitor; plus, live local music, surrounded by the sights of the city.
armadillobazaar.com

12/21/24
College Football Playoff
Darrell K Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium
Don't miss the first-ever College Football Playoff game in Austin between the University of Texas Longhorns and the Clemson Tigers at 3:00 p.m. in the iconic DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. Come for the action-packed Round 1 playoff game and stay in Austin for the weekend to enjoy world-class dining, vibrant nightlife and last-minute holiday shopping. Whether you're a Longhorns or a Tigers fan, Austin promises an incredible experience beyond the game that you won't want to miss.
texaslonghorns.com

12/31/24
Austin's New Year
Auditorium Shores
Join the City of Austin and Visit Austin for a free and family-friendly evening as Austin welcomes the new year at Auditorium Shores. CNN Anchor Sara Sidner and CNN Contributor Cari Champion will be live at Austin’s countdown as part of the network's “New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen.” Austin’s New Year also features a night of entertainment headlined by The Band of Heathens, food trucks and beverage vendors, and a midnight fireworks show.
austintexas.gov

Driskill Grand Lobby Tree Lighting
The Driskill Hotel
Gather at The Driskill hotel and watch as the Grand Lobby tree is lit, accompanied by holiday music and caroling. The historic Driskill hosts holiday events throughout the season, including Victorian holiday teas.
driskillhotel.com

Kwanzaa Celebration
George Washington Carver Museum
Visit the Carver Museum's annual Kwanzaa celebration featuring CDF Austin Freedom School scholars with special guest reader Qi Dada from Riders Against the Storm, "Spirit of the Drum" featuring poet Ms. Eartha Colson, African bites, crafts and more. The event celebrates family, community, and culture. This Kwanzaa celebration is free and open to the public
austintexas.gov

January 2025 Austin Events and Festivals

1/3/25 - 1/4/25
Free Week
Around Austin
The first week of January might be the best time for a music fan to visit Austin. Why? Hundreds of Austin bands participate in this annual event that encompasses multiple venues all over Austin.
redriverculturaldistrict.org

1/19/25
Austin International Half
Downtown Austin
Formerly the 3M Half Marathon, the Austin International Half boasts one of the fastest half marathon courses in the country. Enjoy a mostly downhill course that takes you past some of Austin’s finest locations and finishes downtown near the Texas State Capitol.
3mhalfmarathon.com

1/20/25
MLK Day Festival
MLK Statue on the University of Texas campus
This year, participate in the Austin-area MLK Day celebrations with The Austin Area Heritage Council. Enjoy a walk starting from the Martin Luther King Jr. statue on the University of Texas campus to the south steps of the Capitol for a rally and ending the march at the historic Huston-Tillotson University for activities and events.
mlkcelebration.com