Johnson City is a town of about two thousand people, but for five weeks every winter it shines brighter than most cities ten times its size. The Blanco County Courthouse turns into a gingerbread-bright centerpiece, the trees in Memorial Park glow, and a few blocks away the electric co-op’s headquarters lights up like a Christmas card. For 2026, Lights Spectacular runs from Friday, November 27, 2026, through Sunday, January 3, 2027.
It’s one of those Hill Country traditions that still feels homegrown. Here’s how to make the most of an evening there.
What Lights Spectacular is
Lights Spectacular started back in 1989 as a community fundraiser, when local folks wrapped the courthouse in white lights. It has grown every year since, and promoters now describe it as more than two million lights spread across the historic courthouse square, Memorial Park and the grounds of the Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) headquarters. The event bills Johnson City as the “Twinkliest Town in Texas,” and once you’ve seen the square on a cold December night, it’s hard to argue.
Looking at the lights costs nothing. You park, you walk, you look. That’s a big part of the charm.
The Blanco County Courthouse and the square
The heart of it all is the Blanco County Courthouse, a stately 1916 building that sits in the middle of the town square on US 290. During the season, its outline is traced in lights from the ground to the top, and the courthouse lawn and nearby Memorial Park fill in with lit trees and displays. The square is compact, so you can circle it on foot in a few minutes and then wander the side streets, where shops and restaurants usually join in with their own decorations.
Bring a jacket. Hill Country evenings can turn cold fast in December, and you’ll want to linger.
The PEC light display
A short walk or drive from the square, PEC lights up the trees and lawns around its Johnson City headquarters at 201 S. Avenue F. The co-op says the 2026 display runs nightly from 6 p.m. to midnight, November 27 through January 3, with free admission. PEC invites visitors to make a donation to its Power of Change community program if they’d like, but it isn’t required.
Many families make the PEC grounds their first stop and then head to the courthouse, or vice versa. Either way, the two displays together make a nice hour-long loop.
Opening weekend and special events
In past years, Lights Spectacular has kicked off with a switch-flipping celebration on the Friday after Thanksgiving, along with a holiday market, food booths, a lighted parade, Santa photos and carriage rides on select nights. The official Lights Spectacular website notes it was still being updated for the 2026 season at the time of writing, so the full 2026 event calendar wasn’t posted yet. If you want to catch the market or Santa, check the site’s events calendar in November before you pick a night.
How to plan your trip
Johnson City sits in Blanco County, roughly an hour west of Austin and a little over an hour north of San Antonio. Fredericksburg is about 30 miles farther west on US 290, so lots of folks pair the two towns in a single evening, starting with Fredericksburg’s own Christmas lights and then heading east to Johnson City as it gets darker.
- Go on a weeknight if you can. The Friday after Thanksgiving and December weekends draw the biggest crowds and the slowest traffic on 290.
- Arrive just after dark. The PEC display comes on at 6 p.m., and the square looks its best once the sky is fully dark.
- Wear walking shoes. The best views are on foot, and parking close to the square fills up quickly on busy nights.
- Make a day of it. The Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park has a visitor area right in Johnson City, so you can spend the afternoon on history and the evening on lights.
If you’re building a whole season of Texas Christmas trips, our guide to Grapevine, the Christmas Capital of Texas is a good one to pair with this for a North Texas weekend.
Good to Know
- Where: Blanco County Courthouse square and Memorial Park, downtown Johnson City; PEC headquarters, 201 S. Avenue F, Johnson City
- When: November 27, 2026, through January 3, 2027
- PEC display hours: 6 p.m. to midnight nightly
- Cost: Free to view (PEC suggests an optional donation)
- Drive times: About 1 hour from Austin, about 1 hour 15 minutes from San Antonio
- Events: 2026 market, parade and Santa dates were not yet posted; check the official site
Hours, dates and prices can change. Check the official Lights Spectacular website before you head out.
Small towns don’t always get the spotlight, but for a few weeks each winter, Johnson City earns every bit of it. Grab some hot cocoa, bundle up and go see the twinkliest town in Texas for yourself.
Featured photo: Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
