For the next two months, Round Rock's biggest holiday draws are next-door neighbors. The Light Park drive-through display opens Friday, Nov. 6, in the Dell Diamond parking lot at 3400 E. Palm Valley Blvd. Just up the road at 3300 E. Palm Valley Blvd., Old Settlers Park hosts the city's free Light Up the Lake festival on Friday, Dec. 4, and Saturday, Dec. 5. This is the first holiday season with the park's whole new Lakeview area finished. That makes this stretch of Palm Valley the center of the season, with downtown filling the weeks in between.
How the Park Became a Holiday Venue
What happened at Old Settlers Park over the past two years explains why this stretch of road now carries so much of the season.
In 2024, Light Up the Lake ran on Dec. 6 and 7 with music on two stages. Construction squeezed the festival into a straight line along the east side of Bright Lake. The Lakeview Pavilion and Stage opened on Nov. 15, 2025, just a few weeks before the 2025 festival. The city describes it as a two-story, open-air pavilion with a permanent stage, amphitheater seating, vendor space, larger restrooms and event infrastructure. The pavilion is nearly three times the size of the old structure. Parks Director Rick Atkins told KXAN that a permanent stage means the city no longer has to rent stages for major events, which makes those events easier to run.
The Austin American-Statesman reported a $17.2 million cost for the Lakeview Area as a whole. It also reported that Old Settlers Park received $151 million of the $230 million 2023 parks bond. Community Impact estimated that the 2025 festival, the first with the new stage, drew about 30,000 people.
The Joanne Land Playground and the new tennis and pickleball complex opened on April 25, 2026. That same evening the city launched its Live at Lakeview series, with DJ Hella Yella, Faith Lee and Lucas John on the bill. Work continues elsewhere in Old Settlers Park, but the festival that ran in a construction-bound line two years ago now has a permanent stage, a new playground and new courts around it.
Two Neighbors That Work in Opposite Ways
Both attractions sit at the Palm Valley Boulevard addresses above, but almost everything else about them is different. That matters when you're deciding which night to give to which.
| The Light Park | Light Up the Lake | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Dell Diamond parking lot, 3400 E. Palm Valley Blvd. | Old Settlers Park, 3300 E. Palm Valley Blvd. |
| When | Nov. 6, 2026 through Jan. 3, 2027 | Two nights, Dec. 4 and 5 |
| How you see it | From your car, on a one-mile route at about 3 mph | On foot, over sidewalks and grass |
| Cost | Priced per vehicle | Free |
| What's there | A mile-long drive-through light display | Giant balloons over Bright Lake, a light show, live music on the Lakeview Stage, holiday displays, food, crafts and a yule log |
The Light Park is new to Round Rock as of recent seasons. It first announced its Dell Diamond season for the 2024 holidays, according to the Round Rock Express. When this post went up, the operator's site listed a pre-season price of $29.99 per vehicle for any night, with $60 shown as the regular price. That pre-season label suggests the lower price won't last past the Nov. 6 opening, so check before you buy. The operator also says wait times vary, weeknights are less crowded and buying online is recommended.
Light Up the Lake works the other way. Most of its weight lands on two evenings, and the city's event page is clear that this is a walking event, so wear shoes that can handle the grass.
What Last Year's Evening Looked Like
As of this writing, the city's 2026 page lists the dates and the Lakeview Stage. It says sponsor and vendor details are coming soon and has no parking or shuttle plan yet. The best guide for now is the 2025 schedule, which was the same each night:
- 6 p.m.: parking and the vendor market open, with limited holiday lights
- 7 p.m.: welcome from city leaders at the Lakeview Stage
- 7:15 p.m.: "Let There Be Light!" as all holiday lights and activities begin
- 7:20 p.m.: live music at the Lakeview Stage, with Elevation Band on Friday and the Austin Symphonic Band headlining Saturday
So the first hour last year was shopping and parking. The festival didn't fully light up until after 7. If this year follows that pattern, arriving around 6 means a calmer walk through the vendor market and a spot near the stage before the lights come on.
For parking, the 2024 plan gives an idea of how the city has handled the crowd before. That year it ran a Kalahari shuttle starting at 5 p.m., used parking at Aten Loop and Harrell Parkway, and set aside rideshare and accessible-parking areas. Rain closed the Kenney Fort grass lot. That was two years ago. Wait for the city to post its 2026 version before planning around any of it.
The Other Dates on the Lakeview Stage
The stage isn't only for December. On Wednesday, Nov. 11, the city's Veterans Day ceremony runs from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Lakeview Stage and Pavilion. The program includes school performers, a keynote speaker, food and entertainment. It's a good daytime look at the new venue if you haven't been since the stage opened.
Downtown Fills the Weeks in Between
The Palm Valley events cluster in early November and the first weekend of December. Downtown and the city's recreation centers cover the stretches in between with smaller weekly events.
- Wednesdays, October through December: Music on Main: Fall/Holiday 2026 is a free concert series at Prete Plaza, 221 E. Main St. The city calendar lists Nov. 11 as one of the dates, so you can go from the morning ceremony at Old Settlers Park to an evening concert downtown on the same Wednesday.
- Saturday, Nov. 14: The Rockin' Around the Holidays Bazaar runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Clay Madsen Recreation Center, 1600 Gattis School Road. Admission is free with a donation of canned food or colorful Band-Aids.
- December nights downtown: The Round Rock visitor bureau's holiday fact sheet lists Hometown Holiday Lights nightly from Dec. 1 to 31, with oversized ornaments, gift boxes and archways along the historic streets. No year is printed next to those dates, and the downtown event page still shows the 2025 season, so check the schedule closer to December.
Downtown also has some new places to stop on a holiday stroll. Sweet Irene's Boutique at 110 S. Lampasas St., Unit 4, scheduled its grand opening for Oct. 24 and its first week of operation for Oct. 26, Community Impact reported. The shop sells women's and children's clothing, gifts and home décor. The Fair opened on Sept. 25 at 117–119 E. Main St., and Alcove went back to that name after rebranding from Sociedad, Community Impact reported.
Back on Palm Valley, the same Community Impact roundup listed Cottonwood Creek Taproom at 1201 E. Palm Valley Blvd. with a projected November or December opening. If it opens on schedule, it will be on the same road as both light displays. Until it does, treat that as a projection.
Putting the Season on a Calendar
Taken together, the dates make a simple calendar:
- Nov. 6: The Light Park opens at Dell Diamond and runs through Jan. 3, 2027.
- Nov. 11: the Veterans Day ceremony at the Lakeview Stage, plus Music on Main at Prete Plaza that evening.
- Nov. 14: the holiday bazaar at Clay Madsen Recreation Center.
- Dec. 4 and 5: Light Up the Lake at Old Settlers Park.
- Through December: downtown lights and the Wednesday concerts.
Weeknights at the Light Park and the opening hour of Light Up the Lake are the times built for a calmer visit, based on the operator's guidance and last year's schedule.
Hosting family over the holidays, or showing new neighbors around Round Rock? Denise Arndt is happy to share which nights she'd pick on Palm Valley and downtown this season. If those visits get you thinking about a move within Williamson County, she's glad to talk that through too. Contact Denise for a personalized consultation.
