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Christmas In Austin

Submitted by clex on Sat, 12/23/2006 - 7:47pm. Outdoors | Scenes

Austin has always struggled for a mainstream Christmas tradition... the Zilker Tree, the Trail of lights, Congress Ave. lights. However, there has also always been a counter-culture season tradition as well.

- Take, for example, the (now!) well known "Hippie Christmas" on 37th street. Started off weird-as-you-please but it didn't take long for the Westlake set to start cruising through in Explorers with the windows rolled up.

- When was the first time that you saw a wild cedar tree on the side of the road in full Christmas decoration? Pretty common now.

- Before the Continental Club went legit, you could always count on them being there AND open.

- Christmas Tamales and Tamaladas: one of many Tejano traditions that I first experienced in Austin. Remember when they called it "Austin style Mexican food"?

- The town getting empty. Remember when the UT students leaving town made a significant dent in the population? Suddenly, everything was empty and the folks remaining had the bond of true Austin kinship.

All is not lost. I hear that there is a very healthy chapter of the Santa Rampage here in town. Good for them.

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Christmas bazaar

Submitted by NickWallingford on Sat, 12/30/2006 - 2:05pm.

On a trip back to Austin in 1986, I think it was, I went to one of the earlier Armadillo Christmas Bazaars. It was only then that I found out that the Armadillo itself was gone - the bazaar was at some municipal hall in that same area.

My biggest disappointment of that day? After traipsing around for some hours, my partner and I went back to the place we were staying - only to find out that Stephen Fromholz had been due to play less than an hour after we had left! I regret not getting to hear him then to this day...

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