December 10, 2025 • 12 mins
“Can a city’s holiday tradition survive budget cuts, changing times, and unpredictable weather?”
That’s the question at the heart of this unforgettable episode of The JB and Sandy Show! 🎙️ Join JB, Sandy, and Tricia as they welcome James Russell, Executive Director of the Trail of Lights Foundation, for a behind-the-scenes look at how Austin’s beloved Trail of Lights was nearly lost—and the passionate community effort that brought it back from the brink. 🌟 Key moments include:
That’s the question at the heart of this unforgettable episode of The JB and Sandy Show! 🎙️ Join JB, Sandy, and Tricia as they welcome James Russell, Executive Director of the Trail of Lights Foundation, for a behind-the-scenes look at how Austin’s beloved Trail of Lights was nearly lost—and the passionate community effort that brought it back from the brink. 🌟 Key moments include:
- The dramatic story of how the Trail of Lights disappeared during the 2008 recession, and the “pent-up demand” that inspired a group of locals to revive it—proving that civic duty and nostalgia can move mountains.
- James Russell’s candid reflections: “We exist for one reason, and it’s to make sure the Trail of Lights happens. It can’t cost taxpayers a dime.” 💡
- Tricia’s childhood memories of hot chocolate, family drives, and the magic of seeing the same iconic displays year after year—plus her hilarious confession: “I entered that coloring contest every year and I never won. I never flipped the switch. Talk about having a little rage pent up!” ☕🚗
- The delicate balance between corporate sponsorship and keeping the event authentically Austin: “We don’t want to NASCAR it up. We want to preserve that element of tradition.”
- Heartwarming stories of community, resilience, and the hope that future generations will keep the lights shining.
- “We’re just the current stewards of it. This event is owned by the people of Austin.”
- “It’s something every Austinite should experience, either as an adult or as a kid. Go down there and they’ll get you in the Christmas spirit.”
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, it's a big day. Trail of Lights kicks off
tonight at Silker Park. It's a long time Austin tradition.
And we have a guest with us. He's the executive
director of the Trail of Lights Foundation. James Russell joins, so, Hey, James, Hey, Hey, guys,
doing good. Thanks for spending some time with us. Can
we refresh everybody's memory a little bit and go back?
And it wasn't that long ago that the Trail of
(00:21):
Lights was kind of talked maybe going away years ago.
How was that? How'd that all get saved? And what
was your involvement there? Yeah, so it actually did go
away briefly. So if you remember back in eight during
the you know, big recession, you know, there were a
lot of budget cuts, and you know, parks and libraries
(00:42):
always take the hit first, right at least locally, and
the Trail Lights was a program of the Parks Department.
It was a couple million dollar line item in their
budget and it was cut as a cost saving measure,
which you know you can understand, I guess.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
But so it went away for a couple of years
and then there was like what I refer to as
Trail of lights light where they kind of did a
little bit of a trail lights over by the Zilker
Holiday Tree and then the city with you know, obviously
there was some pent up demand to have this thing back,
(01:24):
being the cultural you know, part of our DNA that
it is as as Austinites, there was some pent up
demand to bring it back. The Parks Department then kind
of put out an RFP right to see if anybody
was interested in doing this thing, and no one was.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
James, is that kind of how they do with contracting out? Butler? Yeah,
the pitching pie. Someone comes in, an operator, gets a contract.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Okay, Yeah, it's basically like like they do a concession,
right like whether you're going to rent boats on the
lake or whatever.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
Right there, we're no takers to do it.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
And in twenty twelve, you know, we kind of got
together as a group of us that got together and
we're really trying to figure this thing out, and we said,
you know, kind of, what the hell, let's give it
a shot.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
So, which is always a risky approach in a business venture.
What the heck, let's give it a shot.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
See what happened?
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yep, Yeah, and it panned out the way you would
think it would in the first year, the first couple
of years of doing this. So what we did is
we put together a sole purpose entity. It's a five
o' one C three and we exist for one reason,
and it's to make sure the trail lights happen.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Wow, and you keep saying we like, what is the motivation?
Like this is it's a daunting thing to take on?
Is it because you guys are just longtime austin Ice
and just cannot fathom it going away?
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yeah, I mean, look, it's it would be like, look,
we've all been here a long time. I still have
a little bit of pent up rage about Aqua Fest.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
Which was also running on by the city. It was yeah,
there's a theme here. So I still have a box
of skipper pins that I.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Can't Yeah, they're worth about twenty five to thirty five
bucks on eBay, by the way, I'll.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
Keep that in mind in case that south.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
So, Yeah, there was a group of us, you know,
from board members to just community members or folks that
are now board members to community members that wanted to
figure out how to do this again.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
You know, it's as corny as this sounds.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
You know, growing up going to the trail lights, you know,
driving through it the way you did. And there's a
sense of like civic duty that came along with this
in that we got to at least try right. And
look we did, and we learned a lot in two years,
(04:10):
painfully so, but look it's you know, the deal we
put forward to the city, or that the city put
forward to us, was it can't cost taxpayers at dime.
And that's the model that we have run in since
twenty twelve. We pay all of our city costs, whether
(04:33):
it's PD E, MS, fire, park staff, et cetera, et cetera.
What the city gives us in this public private partnership
is the use of the park right, so they waive
their quote rental fee and that's their contribution to ensure
that the trail lights happens, which is a significant amount
of money, you know, and our goal is to make
(04:56):
this thing.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
You know.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
We charge a gate fee for general admission half the
nights and it's eight bucks. Kids never pay, and that
all goes to sustaining the trail, right. I mean since COVID,
for example, the costs of the trail gone up about
forty four percent just to produce it. Our revenues have
not really changed. It's kind of finite. You got fourteen
(05:19):
nights and you're really hoped for good weather so that
folks can come out and enjoy it. And you know,
unfortunately we are beholden.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
To the weather.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Last year was a good indicator that when I think
we had to close three or four nights.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
James Russell is our guest. He's the executive director of
the Trail of Lights Foundation. Trail of Lights first night
is tonight, so I'm sure you're expecting a crowd, and
as you mentioned, it looks like decent weather and I
think you know, for a long time Austin Nights. Tricia
is a little girl. You have memories of going to
the Trail of Lights, right, Oh.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (05:56):
My grandparents happen to live right at the top of
Strutford Dry Oh when I was little, So we would
all get in the car, all the grandkids with hot
chocolate and just drive down and drive through. That was
before traffic, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
You brought your own hot chocolate.
Speaker 7 (06:12):
That is so ghetto, brought her to buy it from anybody,
brought it down the hill. But I remember and thinking
it was amazing, and I will tell you too that
Sandy and I have a sixteen year old daughter.
Speaker 6 (06:26):
We used to take her when she was little. She
still goes sometimes as a teenager with her friends. But
I was so happy the first time I took her
and some of the same like figures, the same ones
were still on display as when I was little, like
drinking hot chocolate at my grandparents' cary. I love it
that you keep the old ones but also have some
(06:47):
new ones in the mix.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Yeah, and look, that's part of the nostalgia factor of it, right,
and I enjoy that as well of having these older
things out there. Look, we have one one thing out there.
One of the displays has been out there since I
think nineteen sixty six. It was the first display, is
it Charlie Brown?
Speaker 4 (07:07):
It wasn't it?
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Well like it would be Charlie Brown.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
I think it's called tiny town. Anyway, it's.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
It's to upkeep something that was built in nineteen sixty
six is pretty daunting.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
I try to with a few cars. I wouldn't recommend it.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
And you know, with the way technology is too, it's
gotta be kind of to everyone's like, let's do a
drone show at the trail of lights.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
You're like, right, yeah, the people.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Don't have ut money, right, right?
Speaker 4 (07:38):
True?
Speaker 3 (07:38):
But James, is there any other kind of fundraising outside
of ticket prices each year? Is that what sustains it?
Or is there do you do you do other fundraising?
Speaker 4 (07:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (07:49):
So, look, I will you know, it's like most most
nonprofits and most events these days. You know, we rely
heavily on our corporate partners, I mean our sponsors h
G B Ascension and Dell Children's, Vista Equity Partners, Coca Cola,
and on and on. Without them, the cost of putting
(08:10):
this on would be too great. I mean, it's just
it's just a fact of life, right, And I think
we've done our best. You know, the corporate sponsors, you know,
have the we have a shared vision, right. What we
don't want is we don't want to make it look
over commercialized. We don't want it to feel like you're
(08:31):
walking into uh, you know, Barton Creek Mall.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
We want to preserve that element of you know.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
You know what a NASCAR it up, right, And you know,
I think, you know, and I have a skewed view
on this, but I think we've done a good job
with that.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
You know, it's probably a little much for others. But
you know when you when you really look at it
and understand what it takes financially to do this.
Speaker 6 (09:02):
You know, Yeah, I haven't noticed a red bull T
shirt on Frosty or.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
Santa, so I think are going a good job. Yeah,
that's right.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
You know what else happens tonight is maybe the tree
has not been lit. That happens tonight, right, tree is
always lit the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Oh okay, because I was
going to bring up that the kid that got the
lighted won the coloring contest that happens every year, and
Tricia again one of her friends when they were kids,
actually won that contest and got to do it.
Speaker 6 (09:34):
Also, I entered that contest every year and I never won.
I never flipped the switch. Talk about having a little
rage pinned up. I'm a little sad about that. But yeah,
my friend Kristen, she got to flip the switch. It's
for sure one of the highlights of her life. She
said it was so cool and if you if she
has a couple of drinks, she'll end up telling you
about it, just because it's one of the biggest things
(09:54):
she's done.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
She loves it. Well, it's good to hear.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
You don't hold a grudge against her in any way.
Speaker 6 (10:00):
No, I'm secretly jealous inside, but.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
I want to tell you there are the childhood memories,
but there's also a lot of teenage memories spinning under
the tree, experimenting with Bartles and James or Zema.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Yes, it never goes well. Zema, look a jolly rancher
in it. I forgot about that. I forgot about that too. Wow.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
It starts tonight the Trail of Lights. I think we
can speak for all Austinites and say thank you to
you and everyone you work with and your sponsors for
keeping this as a as an Austin tradition. It's something
every Austin kit should experience, either as an adult or as
a kid. Go down there and they'll get you in
the Christmas spirit. So thanks James, No.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Thank you. I like to say that we're just the
current stewards of it.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
This event is owned by the people of Austin, and
we're a tiny little piece of this of the history
of this event, and I'm I'm hopeful that there's going
to be a next group of people that want to
make sure that this thing continues as well.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
And you heard it here. Aquifest is coming back, James
said it, dude.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
Do it, James.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
I mean you've figured out the Trail of Lights, you
can figure out how to bring back aqua Fis.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Come on, look, I would settle for just a tug
of war across all Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, you
know what. Aquiest coming back now wouldn't be the same
because there's too much grass. It would it be dusty
enough like it was back in the day.
Speaker 6 (11:32):
Remember going to Aquifest to being covered in dust when
you left, and.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
It always seemed to land on the corners of your mouth.
It's nice and your nostrils, right, James, Thanks for the
time today. Everyone, get out and enjoy the Trail of Lights,
and again please pass along our our gratitude to your
to your team that that will save the Trail of
Lights and made it what it is. So thank you
very much. We appreciate y'all as well. You bet stay
(11:56):
with us. We've got more coming up.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
One O three one Austin dot Comb
Hey, it's a big day. Trail of Lights kicks off
tonight at Silker Park. It's a long time Austin tradition.
And we have a guest with us. He's the executive
director of the Trail of Lights Foundation. James Russell joins, so, Hey, James, Hey, Hey, guys,
doing good. Thanks for spending some time with us. Can
we refresh everybody's memory a little bit and go back?
And it wasn't that long ago that the Trail of
(00:21):
Lights was kind of talked maybe going away years ago.
How was that? How'd that all get saved? And what
was your involvement there? Yeah, so it actually did go
away briefly. So if you remember back in eight during
the you know, big recession, you know, there were a
lot of budget cuts, and you know, parks and libraries
(00:42):
always take the hit first, right at least locally, and
the Trail Lights was a program of the Parks Department.
It was a couple million dollar line item in their
budget and it was cut as a cost saving measure,
which you know you can understand, I guess.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
But so it went away for a couple of years
and then there was like what I refer to as
Trail of lights light where they kind of did a
little bit of a trail lights over by the Zilker
Holiday Tree and then the city with you know, obviously
there was some pent up demand to have this thing back,
(01:24):
being the cultural you know, part of our DNA that
it is as as Austinites, there was some pent up
demand to bring it back. The Parks Department then kind
of put out an RFP right to see if anybody
was interested in doing this thing, and no one was.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
James, is that kind of how they do with contracting out? Butler? Yeah,
the pitching pie. Someone comes in, an operator, gets a contract.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Okay, Yeah, it's basically like like they do a concession,
right like whether you're going to rent boats on the
lake or whatever.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
Right there, we're no takers to do it.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
And in twenty twelve, you know, we kind of got
together as a group of us that got together and
we're really trying to figure this thing out, and we said,
you know, kind of, what the hell, let's give it
a shot.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
So, which is always a risky approach in a business venture.
What the heck, let's give it a shot.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
See what happened?
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yep, Yeah, and it panned out the way you would
think it would in the first year, the first couple
of years of doing this. So what we did is
we put together a sole purpose entity. It's a five
o' one C three and we exist for one reason,
and it's to make sure the trail lights happen.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Wow, and you keep saying we like, what is the motivation?
Like this is it's a daunting thing to take on?
Is it because you guys are just longtime austin Ice
and just cannot fathom it going away?
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yeah, I mean, look, it's it would be like, look,
we've all been here a long time. I still have
a little bit of pent up rage about Aqua Fest.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
Which was also running on by the city. It was yeah,
there's a theme here. So I still have a box
of skipper pins that I.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Can't Yeah, they're worth about twenty five to thirty five
bucks on eBay, by the way, I'll.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
Keep that in mind in case that south.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
So, Yeah, there was a group of us, you know,
from board members to just community members or folks that
are now board members to community members that wanted to
figure out how to do this again.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
You know, it's as corny as this sounds.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
You know, growing up going to the trail lights, you know,
driving through it the way you did. And there's a
sense of like civic duty that came along with this
in that we got to at least try right. And
look we did, and we learned a lot in two years,
(04:10):
painfully so, but look it's you know, the deal we
put forward to the city, or that the city put
forward to us, was it can't cost taxpayers at dime.
And that's the model that we have run in since
twenty twelve. We pay all of our city costs, whether
(04:33):
it's PD E, MS, fire, park staff, et cetera, et cetera.
What the city gives us in this public private partnership
is the use of the park right, so they waive
their quote rental fee and that's their contribution to ensure
that the trail lights happens, which is a significant amount
of money, you know, and our goal is to make
(04:56):
this thing.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
You know.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
We charge a gate fee for general admission half the
nights and it's eight bucks. Kids never pay, and that
all goes to sustaining the trail, right. I mean since COVID,
for example, the costs of the trail gone up about
forty four percent just to produce it. Our revenues have
not really changed. It's kind of finite. You got fourteen
(05:19):
nights and you're really hoped for good weather so that
folks can come out and enjoy it. And you know,
unfortunately we are beholden.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
To the weather.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Last year was a good indicator that when I think
we had to close three or four nights.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
James Russell is our guest. He's the executive director of
the Trail of Lights Foundation. Trail of Lights first night
is tonight, so I'm sure you're expecting a crowd, and
as you mentioned, it looks like decent weather and I
think you know, for a long time Austin Nights. Tricia
is a little girl. You have memories of going to
the Trail of Lights, right, Oh.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (05:56):
My grandparents happen to live right at the top of
Strutford Dry Oh when I was little, So we would
all get in the car, all the grandkids with hot
chocolate and just drive down and drive through. That was
before traffic, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
You brought your own hot chocolate.
Speaker 7 (06:12):
That is so ghetto, brought her to buy it from anybody,
brought it down the hill. But I remember and thinking
it was amazing, and I will tell you too that
Sandy and I have a sixteen year old daughter.
Speaker 6 (06:26):
We used to take her when she was little. She
still goes sometimes as a teenager with her friends. But
I was so happy the first time I took her
and some of the same like figures, the same ones
were still on display as when I was little, like
drinking hot chocolate at my grandparents' cary. I love it
that you keep the old ones but also have some
(06:47):
new ones in the mix.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Yeah, and look, that's part of the nostalgia factor of it, right,
and I enjoy that as well of having these older
things out there. Look, we have one one thing out there.
One of the displays has been out there since I
think nineteen sixty six. It was the first display, is
it Charlie Brown?
Speaker 4 (07:07):
It wasn't it?
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Well like it would be Charlie Brown.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
I think it's called tiny town. Anyway, it's.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
It's to upkeep something that was built in nineteen sixty
six is pretty daunting.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
I try to with a few cars. I wouldn't recommend it.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
And you know, with the way technology is too, it's
gotta be kind of to everyone's like, let's do a
drone show at the trail of lights.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
You're like, right, yeah, the people.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Don't have ut money, right, right?
Speaker 4 (07:38):
True?
Speaker 3 (07:38):
But James, is there any other kind of fundraising outside
of ticket prices each year? Is that what sustains it?
Or is there do you do you do other fundraising?
Speaker 4 (07:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (07:49):
So, look, I will you know, it's like most most
nonprofits and most events these days. You know, we rely
heavily on our corporate partners, I mean our sponsors h
G B Ascension and Dell Children's, Vista Equity Partners, Coca Cola,
and on and on. Without them, the cost of putting
(08:10):
this on would be too great. I mean, it's just
it's just a fact of life, right, And I think
we've done our best. You know, the corporate sponsors, you know,
have the we have a shared vision, right. What we
don't want is we don't want to make it look
over commercialized. We don't want it to feel like you're
(08:31):
walking into uh, you know, Barton Creek Mall.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
We want to preserve that element of you know.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
You know what a NASCAR it up, right, And you know,
I think, you know, and I have a skewed view
on this, but I think we've done a good job
with that.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
You know, it's probably a little much for others. But
you know when you when you really look at it
and understand what it takes financially to do this.
Speaker 6 (09:02):
You know, Yeah, I haven't noticed a red bull T
shirt on Frosty or.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
Santa, so I think are going a good job. Yeah,
that's right.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
You know what else happens tonight is maybe the tree
has not been lit. That happens tonight, right, tree is
always lit the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Oh okay, because I was
going to bring up that the kid that got the
lighted won the coloring contest that happens every year, and
Tricia again one of her friends when they were kids,
actually won that contest and got to do it.
Speaker 6 (09:34):
Also, I entered that contest every year and I never won.
I never flipped the switch. Talk about having a little
rage pinned up. I'm a little sad about that. But yeah,
my friend Kristen, she got to flip the switch. It's
for sure one of the highlights of her life. She
said it was so cool and if you if she
has a couple of drinks, she'll end up telling you
about it, just because it's one of the biggest things
(09:54):
she's done.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
She loves it. Well, it's good to hear.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
You don't hold a grudge against her in any way.
Speaker 6 (10:00):
No, I'm secretly jealous inside, but.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
I want to tell you there are the childhood memories,
but there's also a lot of teenage memories spinning under
the tree, experimenting with Bartles and James or Zema.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Yes, it never goes well. Zema, look a jolly rancher
in it. I forgot about that. I forgot about that too. Wow.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
It starts tonight the Trail of Lights. I think we
can speak for all Austinites and say thank you to
you and everyone you work with and your sponsors for
keeping this as a as an Austin tradition. It's something
every Austin kit should experience, either as an adult or as
a kid. Go down there and they'll get you in
the Christmas spirit. So thanks James, No.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Thank you. I like to say that we're just the
current stewards of it.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
This event is owned by the people of Austin, and
we're a tiny little piece of this of the history
of this event, and I'm I'm hopeful that there's going
to be a next group of people that want to
make sure that this thing continues as well.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
And you heard it here. Aquifest is coming back, James
said it, dude.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
Do it, James.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
I mean you've figured out the Trail of Lights, you
can figure out how to bring back aqua Fis.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Come on, look, I would settle for just a tug
of war across all Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, you
know what. Aquiest coming back now wouldn't be the same
because there's too much grass. It would it be dusty
enough like it was back in the day.
Speaker 6 (11:32):
Remember going to Aquifest to being covered in dust when
you left, and.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
It always seemed to land on the corners of your mouth.
It's nice and your nostrils, right, James, Thanks for the
time today. Everyone, get out and enjoy the Trail of Lights,
and again please pass along our our gratitude to your
to your team that that will save the Trail of
Lights and made it what it is. So thank you
very much. We appreciate y'all as well. You bet stay
(11:56):
with us. We've got more coming up.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
One O three one Austin dot Comb
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Bobby Bones Show
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.