37th Street (Austin) explained

Frequency:annually
Location:West 37th Street between Guadalupe Street and Home Lane
Austin, Texas
Years Active:mid-1980s to present
Participants:Tens of thousands

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 original residents having moved away and more students renting homes in the neighborhood.[1] [4] [5]

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

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: It's a wonderful light. Patrick. Beach. Austin American-Statesman. December 16, 2005. March 14, 2011. July 16, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110716134710/http://www.statesman.com/news/content/life/stories/archive/37th_street.html. live. Note: This story was first published on December 12, 1999, and has been reprinted annually since then.
  2. News: Are Partiers Dimming the 37th Street Lights?. December 30, 2005. March 14, 2011. Daniel. Mottola. The Austin Chronicle. June 29, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110629194559/http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2005-12-30/322078/. live.
  3. News: 37th Street Lights: Will they burn brighter or burn out?. December 22, 2006. March 14, 2011. The Austin Chronicle. Daniel. Mottola. June 29, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110629194618/http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2006-12-22/431134/. live.
  4. News: Austin's spirit illuminates the season. Jackie. Vega. December 18, 2008. March 14, 2011. KXAN-TV. December 26, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101226182547/http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/austins_spirit_illuminates_the_season. live.
  5. Web site: Meet the owner behind Austin's 'Stranger Things' house. KVUE. 2018-12-08. 2018-12-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20181209124657/https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/meet-the-owner-behind-austins-stranger-things-house/269-501414548. live.

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