A collection of Austin day trips for the holidays.
Austin in December brings with it a grand element of illusion:
We get to do all of the Christmas and Thanksgiving things without any cheery semblance of holiday snow. Okay, sure, Austin got 5.4 inches in February of 2021–it was the first five-inch snowfall in 55 years.
Thirty-five miles from the Austin city limits, Lake Travis boaters don’t care if the temperature is 62. All around the winding lake, communities host winter markets, decorate boats, and embrace a fervent holiday spirit. Northshore Marina, with its clean and spacious docks and enthusiastic staff, loves to live at the center of Lake Travis holiday events. The holiday schedule starts here, and for every community from Leander to Jonestown, we bring you fantastic options for planning your winter Austin day trip.
A day trip from Austin to celebrate the beautiful and the ugly: The Lake Travis Lighted Boat Parade
Yes, that’s a mouthful of a title to describe a Lake Travis holiday event that could be summarized as, “Make yourself look as atrocious as possible, then adore all the prettily decorated boats.”
Northshore Marina is excited to host the Lake Travis Lighted Boat Parade at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 13, as well as hosting the members-only Ugly Sweater Crockpot Cook-Off. To give the Austin-area and Lake Travis public an idea of marina life on Lake Travis, we encourage tenants to wear their ugliest sweater and bring their tastiest crockpot dish, and they’re welcome to make the food ugly, too. Northshore’s team will then award prizes for the best ugly sweaters and tastiest crockpot inventions.
The Lake Travis Lighted Boat Parade is an open-to-the-public collaboration with Lake Travis Lodges Marina and Emerald Point Marina, with a route that starts on the east side of Lake Travis Lodges Marina, curls back around and past Starnes Island, gains strength at Northshore Marina, and glides into its final destination at Emerald Point Marina. We encourage Northshore tenants and Lake Travis boaters to adorn their vessels with the finest in festive lights. Austin daytrippers who want to watch from the water can rent a pontoon or book a party barge from our sister marina at VIP Lake Travis and have a great vantage point anywhere in the vicinity of Starnes Island.
Where: Northshore Marina at the Hollows, 6612 Lantern View Drive, Jonestown
When: Saturday, December 13 at 2 p.m.
How to attend: Email or call 512-267-6222 for info, or rent a boat to watch on Lake Travis.
A half-hour from Austin: A day trip to Hill County Galleria
Photo credit: Hill County Galleria
A day trip out of Austin doesn’t mean you need to drive to Dallas: It’s wonderful when there are holiday activities just far enough away to get outside the city and close enough that it’s not a big to-do.
The Hill County Galleria in Bee Cave, Texas is one of the most festive Austin-area destinations for holiday events. You can truly tire yourself out with a full day of ice skating, shopping at the holiday market, and getting your photos with Santa.
Bee Cave On Ice brings a wondrous winter atmosphere to the Hill County Galleria with its ice-skating rink open from November 14, 2025 to January 19, 2026. Prices and hours of operation are available on the Hill County Galleria site.
Those venturing out from Austin for a day trip with kids have a wide window to sit down–or squirm tremendously–for photos with Santa. From November 29 to December 24, Santa’s Workshop invites families to stop in and the Workshop coincides with the Bee Cave Holiday Market, an Austin crafter-focused pop-up holiday market open from December 5 through December 20. For the crowd who wants nothing to do with milk and cookies, the Galleria hosts the Jingle Bells 5K on Saturday, December 6 from 8 to 10 a.m. Runners can register on the Jingle Bells 5K Eventbrite page.
An Austin day trip to Lakeway City: The Trail of Lights and Polar Bear Plunge
Photo credit: City of Lakeway, Texas
Just about 20 miles northwest of Austin, tucked under the south shore of Lake Travis, is the city of Lakeway. You might say, “Well, I want my day trip to be farther than the suburbs of Austin.” Fair enough, but maybe you’d be swayed differently to see Lakeway’s vibrant (and free) Trail of Lights display.
The lights are a self-guided walking trail near the City Hall area and a place of romance for visitors out for dinner and drinks–the Trail of Lights stays open from 6 p.m. each night until midnight. The dazzling illuminations burst open on December 5 and run each evening until January 1, 2026.
Anybody who likes to celebrate the new year by terrorizing themselves with cold water can do it at the Lakeway Polar Bear Plunge on Wednesday, December 31. Participants will gather at the Lakeway Swim Center at 10 a.m. to ride the water slide then heat up with hot cocoa.
Leander and Lago Vista host tree lightings for an easy Austin day trip
Photo credit: City of Lago Vista
One of the oldest American pastimes dating back to the time of the Model T is to get in your car and simply drive. There’s no better time to find yourself half-lost on the perimeter of Lake Travis than at Christmas.
The City of Lago Vista lies about 10 minutes west of us here at Northshore Marina and is home to a wondrous Winter Wonderland display and Christmas tree lighting. Their annual event occurs the first Wednesday in December (December 1 in 2025), and includes delicious treats, live music, holiday performances, and a grand entrance and extended cameo appearance by Santa. The event runs from 5:30 to 8:30 and is free for everyone.
The city of Leander will likewise dress up the town for Christmas and invites folks to the Old Town Christmas Festival on Saturday, December 6 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The festival includes a Christmas Marketplace, Old Town Rudolph Run, a Hometown Parade, and local crafters and vendors to bring a sense of authenticity to another small-town holiday wonderland. The festival culminates at 6:30 p.m. with the lighting of a 60-foot tree and is followed by a classic screening of The Grinch in the park.
Northshore Marina is an unheralded destination for Austin daytrippers
The Northshore crew at a 2025 Memorial Day event.
You may have noticed a theme in the destinations we chose: They all surround Lake Travis. Northshore Marina rests as a premier luxury destination for boaters on Lake Travis and is a six-time Marina Association of Texas “Outstanding Marina of the Year” award-winner.
Beyond our sophisticated boat storage and a quaint Lake Travis ship store, we strive to foster an on-water community that brings together visitors from Austin and the surrounding neighborhoods on Lake Travis. Please email General Manager Charlotte anytime to ask about events at Northshore Marina, or call us at 512-267-6222.
When you’re ready to find a winter day trip from Austin, the destination isn’t the most important piece. Fill up the tank, take off with someone you love, and drive toward Lake Travis until you see a myriad of lights.
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