37th Street (Austin)

37th Street (Austin)
Frequency annually
Location(s) 37th Street
Austin, Texas
Years active mid-1980s to present[1]
Participants Tens of thousands[1]

37th Street is a street in Austin, Texas known for its many houses that are decorated with Christmas lights.[1][2][3][4] The tradition attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year, though neighbor participation has decreased the past few years due to the economy and original residents having moved away.[1][4]

History

In the mid-1980s, a couple of neighbors began bridging the street with Christmas lights left by other neighbors and found at fraternity and sorority houses near the University of Texas. Soon, other neighbors followed suit. Early participant Bob Godbout recalled, "It didn't start out as Christmas lights. It started out as a wild art form and stayed that way."[1]

In 1993, city workers removed lights strung from city poles due to fire hazard concerns. In response, street residents turned off all lights, resulting in numerous complaints directed at the city from visitors expecting light displays. City workers returned the following day to reinstall the lights.[1]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Beach, Patrick (December 16, 2005). "It's a wonderful light". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved March 14, 2011. Note: This story was first published on December 12, 1999 and has been reprinted annually since then.
  2. ↑ Mottola, Daniel (December 30, 2005). "Are Partiers Dimming the 37th Street Lights?". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved March 14, 2011.
  3. ↑ Mottola, Daniel (December 22, 2006). "37th Street Lights: Will they burn brighter or burn out?". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved March 14, 2011.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Vega, Jackie (December 18, 2008). "Austin's spirit illuminates the season". KXAN-TV. Retrieved March 14, 2011.

External links