Christmas magic on 37th Street
While the Zilker Christmas Tree and the Trail of Lights attract thousands of light-peeping visitors each December, for sheer Austintatiousness, the most famous Christmas display has for 20 years been on 37th Street just east of Guadalupe.
Politics and humor mix saucily with creative lighting. This year, at one house, President-elect Obama strains to pull up the plummeting stock market.
The sidewalk out front has been transformed into a human-sized Monopoly board illustrating the bankruptcies and bailouts of the financial and auto industries.
Look up in the trees, and you see the CEO of AIG’s golden parachute in lights, along with several others.
There’s plenty of political humor to go around.
The only way to really appreciate these displays is to park the car and walk the two-block stretch of small cottages. I’m always surprised by the line of cars waiting to drive down the street because they just can’t see the details that way.
In the last couple of years, the founders of the light show have moved, and the spectacle has faded considerably. It’s creative and well-lit but nothing like what it once was. I’ll never forget the guy who wrapped his home in black plastic and swathed it in colored blocks of lights, Lite Brite-style. An open gate invited visitors through the front and back yards, where every surface was fantastically lit. Not a Santa or snowman to be seen, but an old grill spouted red lights for flames, a sink poured blue lights, and strings of pill bottles, tic-tac containers, and wine bottles stuffed with lights caused the electric meter to spin crazily. Enthusiastic visitors pinned dollar bills to his back-yard clothesline to help offset the electric bill. Another homeowner made a volcano of lights on his roof that actually smoked and erupted periodically. Yet another made a manger scene with the baby cheeses—literally, a baby gouda and other small cheeses.
Ah well. All things must end. There’s still fun to be had, and the new owners are wonderful sports for continuing with the tradition. This house is one of the best-decorated this year.
University of Texas and Willie Nelson fans will appreciate Bevo’s Whiskey River.
Bevo dances atop the house, and a river of blue lights and empty whiskey bottles flows toward the street.
In the same theme, a lit reindeer (in both senses) holds a can of Coors Light while sitting in a car parked along the street. A dashboard littered with crushed empties shows that he definitely should not be behind the wheel.
This was another favorite of mine: the Austin skyline replicated in lights on this home’s facade, with a Colorado River of blue lights running through the yard, a miniature Zilker Christmas Tree, and, spanning the river (not visible here), a lighted replica of Hwy. 360’s Pennybacker Bridge.
Thanks, 37th Street, for reminding me why I love Austin. Merry Christmas to you and to my readers far and near!
All material © 2006-2008 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
This city calls to me with every story you and other Austinites tell! Fantastically fun post and city! Merry Christmas Pam…gail
Austin’s fun-loving, friendly people make for a pretty strong siren song, Gail. Thanks for your enthusiasm for our craziness. 😉 Merry Xmas! —Pam
I meant to correct that ever and make it every before I hit submit! gail
I fixed it already, Gail. The copy editor in me just can’t help it. —Pam
Quite the light display. Though we’ll see a few houses here and there with “over the top” lighting in Indianapolis, and in the center of the city they always light up a monument that attracts thousands to see it, we have nothing quite like these two blocks in Austin. Thanks for sharing it with us.
I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!
You’re welcome, Carol. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas as well! Will it be a white one? I need to pop over to your blog to find out. —Pam
One day I would love to see this festive street! Merry Christmas to you and your family Pam!
And a merry Christmas to you and yours too, Linda! I hope you get to see 37th Street one of these days. —Pam
Thank you for posting the photos. I miss living in Austin and this is just one of the 100 reasons. My son and I enjoyed them. He wants to know if they are still doing the volcano one?
I’m glad you enjoyed the photos, Skye. As I wrote in my post, the volcano is no longer active, alas. It’s not what it used to be. But the street still brings smiles to a lot of faces. —Pam
Pam, thanks for sharing yet another one of Austin’s funky wonders with us! I may insist on visiting next week just so I can see this for myself. Merry, Merry Christmas to you and yours!
I don’t know how long the lights stay up, Cindy. They may be off by next week. But you’ll still be able to spin under the Zilker Tree until New Year’s Eve. Merry Christmas! —Pam
Just love the political twist and turns wrapped in lights…very fun…..Happy Holidays!
Yes, it’s lots of fun. Happy holidays to you too, CIMS. —Pam
Merry Christmas to you, and thank you for the great lights tour.
My pleasure, Kim. Merry Christmas! —Pam
weird.
have a great holiday.
Exactly. 😉 Have a wonderful Christmas, Bill. —Pam
It’s great to see that some people are still trying to keep Austin weird. Haven’t done that tour for years so it was fun to see your posting. Thanks for introducing me to garden blogging. It’s been a fun year.
Didn’t I tell you it would be fun? I’m so glad you joined the Austin bloggers this year, Jenny. Merry Christmas! —Pam
Pam, you are bringing up memories for me! Yes, the street was better when it was actually named 37 1/2 Street, instead of 37th. And that guy with the black plastic wrapped house? My favorite thing he did was to buy boxes of lights, leave them all wrapped up around the cardboard that they came in, remove the cardboard lid and just staple the box bottom, cardboard, wrapped lights and all, right to the house! Do you remember how he had dozens of those boxes lined up, almost looking light a circuit board? So funny! And I also loved the lights that traveled across the street from house to house, as well as the Elvis house and the house with the appliances (toilet and stove if I recall) all lit up. I haven’t gone since those original owners moved out; I had no idea they were doing anything remotely similar now (the work and expense must have been enormous for them, as well as the headache of all the traffic for 3 weeks each year). I love the Monopoly game and the AIG golden parachute! It sounds worth it just to go see that. Thanks for sharing this, you made my day. Robin
You’re right, Robin. That house did look like a circuit board. And I too remember when the street was named 37 1/2 St., and the lights stretched across the street to join houses together. Wow, what a lot of electricity they must have burned! Fun Christmas memories, right? Have a merry one. —Pam
I love the “Austintatiousness” of the displays (and the pun)!
Thanks for the lights and the fun!
Have a VERY Merry Christmas!
Cameron
You too, Cameron. Have a wonderful Christmas day! —Pam
I got really lucky in that my first year in Austin, a friend dragged me to 37th Street, and I got to see the crazy front and back yard place with the lit yoplait containers and everything. Somewhere on my hard drive, I have pictures of the volcano house in all stages of erupting!
Have a great Christmas! 😀
Wasn’t it great back then? That volcano was incredible. Do you remember that giant spinning dreidel you could stand under? Merry Christmas to you too, Lori! —Pam
What a wonderful display Pam. Thanks for sharing it with us. I have a crummy cold and don’t feel like even getting out to look this year so this is a real treat. Merry Christmas to you and yours. I bet you are having a blast thinking of ways to display your favorite Christmas treasures in your new home. Peace…
Merry Christmas to you too, Lisa! I hope you feel much better by tomorrow morning. We’re certainly enjoying Christmas in our new home—thanks. —Pam
Merry Christmas!!!!!!!
And to you, Cindee! —Pam
That was a fun post, Pam! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!
Thanks, Robin. I hope your Xmas was wonderful. —Pam
I love Christmas lights all year long. Who needs Christmas to enjoy the lights? They bring cheer and warmth to dark winter nights and laidback cool to hot summer nights. Christmas lights are the best thing about secular Christmas overdrive.
They are pretty cool, aren’t they? Now if they could just invent strands that wouldn’t burn out. —Pam
Hi Pam: The Outer Limits decor of the holiday houses! Your milder climate enables people to go wild, or is that crazy?, with lights and commentary. It would all be snowed-under here in New England. The drunk reindeer in the car; the manger scene done with cheeses. The current-events commentary! Thanks for letting the rest of us know what we’ve been missing. Louis
“Keep Austin Weird” is the city’s unofficial motto, and 37th Street fits right in. I didn’t think about the snow factor in colder climes, but you’re probably right. Our warm climate enables more crazy exuberance. —Pam
What a beautiful Christmas decorations….if you don’t have snow..do it with lamps…almost like real snow.
We wish you a Merry Christmas Pam
Ken&Carina
I hope you both had a joyful holiday too. —Pam
Can’t believe that I missed my trip to Austin. So quirky and fun! Love the light show and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas in your new home! Best, Layanee
Thanks for the warm wishes, Layanee. I hope you had a wonderful holiday too. —Pam
Oh, Pam – that was great fun! Thanks so much for sharing the holiday silliness done in Austin style. Hope you’re having a super Christmas in your new place!
Thanks, Nan, and the same to you! —Pam
Merry Christmas, Pam, to you and yours. We have nothing on 37th Street here, and I wish I could have walked it with you. Seems the one fellow was obsessed or perhaps possessed by “spirits.”~~Dee
Like the Ghost of Christmas Past, right? I hope you’re enjoying your holiday, Dee. —Pam
That’s why I love Austin, too, Pam. I am always amazed at their creativity and ability to put that many lights on those small cottage homes. Merry Christmas!
And a happy holiday to you too, Jenny! —Pam
What a great display of lights. Although they are bright, they don’t seem as gaudy as so many I’ve seen the last few years. Our neighborhood is pretty dark–always has been, but the folks next door have a nice all white display. They have huge gathering there every year, so I think they decorate for that reason. Have a great new year in your new garden.
Aiyana
Austin likes its lights, and most neighborhoods decorate. But this one is one-of-a-kind. I hope you had a joyful Christmas Day, Aiyana. —Pam
Thanks, Pam! You sent Philo and me out the door to 37th St – there were people walking around in 70°F weather at 11PM. When we got to the end of the block on 37th we jogged right to another lit up group around the corner (maybe it was 36th St?) and saw a few more lit up houses – did you know Volkswagen fenders make really cool angel wings? There was also a very interesting shrub with tiny flowers – in the glow of the lights it looked like a rosemary on steroids but had no rosemary scent that I could detect.
Happy Christmas to you and yours~
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I’m glad you had a chance to see it too. Wasn’t it fun, even if not as wild as in years past? I hope you and Philo had a very merry Christmas. —Pam
I have read that Texans use more energy per capita than any other state, now I know why. I would love to get there to see this, we do have lots of colorful displays here, but without the great humor or innovation.
Be it sacred or profane – just celebrate.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours!
Les
And the same to you, Les! —Pam
I can´t find any words, what a beautiful Christmas decorations, my husband likes the motorbike best.
We have snow, and lights but not that multitude.
We Wish you a Happy New Year.
Gunilla in Sweden
The motorbike is fun, isn’t it? Happy New Year to you too, Gunilla. —Pam
Wow, Pam–you should be on retainer for the city of Austin! LOL! You make such a great case for living there! I was sorry to read about your Christmas event above,but very happy to hear the roses cooperated! Hope all are doing well!
We’re all doing well, Kathryn. Wishing you a happy new year. —Pam
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing those incredible sights.
You’re welcome, Kerri. Happy new year! —Pam