The Walkway of Lights in Marble Falls brightens the holiday season. Equal to about a three-block-long stroll, the outdoor gallery of more than 350 colorful light sculptures fills the night with tidings of comfort and joy.
Celebrating its 30th year, the holiday project began with a community Christmas tree downtown, says Mindy Miller, the events coordinator with the chamber of commerce who steered this year’s Walkway to completion.
The Christmas spirit expanded from the single tree to decorating businesses along Main Street and then to Lakeside Park, where the lights were visible from the bridge over Lake Marble Falls. Each year the display has grown larger and more colorful.
In 2018 the Christmas exhibit was hit by a flood that destroyed many of the figurines. Santa Claus and his reindeer were last seen being washed downstream. The new sculpture of Saint Nick near the entrance is even brighter than the old.
Mindy says the displays are being converted to LED lights “one tin soldier at a time.” Not only do the LED lights use less electricity, they provide more vibrant colors. The reds are brighter and the whites are less yellow.
The Walkway of Lights in Marble Falls is in Lakeside Park on the north shore of Lake Marble Falls. Admission is free to the display, which opens 6-10pm daily through January 2. There also is an ice-skating rink in the park. Face coverings are required and social distancing is encouraged while in the park. This year’s event is dedicated to John Kemper, a patron of the Walkway and owner of the Blue Bonnet Cafe, who passed away earlier this year.
1,528th in a series. Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/daily/travel.
This article appears in The 2020 Gift Guide Issue.
