Take a Saturday evening stroll past Christmas light-covered homes in the Woodland Heights at the 29th annual Lights in the Heights on Saturday, December 10, 2016, from 6:30pm to 9pm.
Most neighborhood homes, already decorated festively for the season, will pull out all the stops. Select homes will feature musicians performing holiday, folk and other tunes on their front porches.
If you’re looking for charm and community (coupled with some traffic congestion in order to arrive), you may want to head over. If you’re looking for raucous Christmas-themed alternatives to holiday parties, you’ll likely be disappointed this year.
Light in the Heights 2016 Route
This year, the Lights in the Heights will take over Bayland Avenue and Woodland Street between Studewood Street and Beauchamp Street, Norhill Street between Highland Street and Euclid Street. Street closures will last from 5:30pm to 9pm.
As always, Lights in the Heights promises to offer a unique, warm and friendly taste of holiday cheer in the Heights. However, visitors should keep in mind that they are guests in the neighborhood.
Although the streets are open to the public, the homes and yards are not. Many of the homeowners in the Woodland Heights have private parties of their own during Lights in the Heights, so please observe “Private Party” signs posted in yards and do not enter any yards unless you’ve been invited.
History of Lights in Heights
The Lights in the Heights celebration began in 1988 as a neighborly Christmas gathering with lights, music, and cookies. It grew dramatically over the years and by 2012 it became too large for the Woodland Heights neighborhood.
Given large crowds and disorderly behavior a few years ago, the neighborhood association has continued to try scaling down event, preferring it to be a neighborhood-only occasion. However, with the closure of public streets, it remains an event that anyone can attend strolling down the streets and sidewalks and enjoying the free entertainment.
If you can’t make it out to Lights in the Heights, homes in the Woodland Heights remain decorated throughout December and can be viewed any night of the month by car or by foot on the sidewalks.
Police will be on hand to enforce laws on public intoxication and underage drinking at this event.
Lights in the Heights 2016
- Date: Saturday, December 10, 2016
- Time: 6:30pm to 9pm
- Location: Woodland Heights, Houston, TX 77009
- Parking: Parking is very difficult to come by in the Woodland Heights during this event. Visitors from outside the neighborhood are encouraged to ride bicycles, use public transportation or Uber. Barricades will be erected on surrounding streets starting at 5pm. Barricades will be removed at 9pm.
- Admission: Free to attend
