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Updated 12/24/2010 12:02 PM

Texas Tidings: Austinites keep holiday traditions weird

By: Kevyn Oakes

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Even though there may not be a trail of lights this year. Austinites are keeping the tradition of strolling through lights alive.

Just head to 37th Street and you’ll see not one but two streets full of lights, music and all sorts of oddities. It’s a tradition unlike any other and you won’t find these unique treasures anywhere else but Austin.

The Williford’s have kept the tradition in their family for four years.

<span style="color:#CC0000"><em>Texas Tidings: </em></span>Austinites keep holiday traditions weird
"We do it every year," Julie Williford said. "It's definitely Austin. It feels like Austin. We're keeping Austin weird."

Nicholas Nelson decorated his house with a bicycle, as Santa’s sleigh, and reindeer on his roof.

He said neighborhood rivalry keeps the tradition alive.

"You'd like to see everybody have lights on their houses, but you want your house to have something that stands out, looks good and keeps people in front of your house,” he said.

Walking down the street you'll encounter stuffed animal petting zoos, lit motorcycles, 50-foot lights and so much more. It's all part of the charm these Austinites hope to pass on to visitors.

<span style="color:#CC0000"><em>Texas Tidings: </em></span>Austinites keep holiday traditions weird
"My favorite part is to see all the creativity people use with their lights. We just use kind of regular style lights at our house, and so we get ideas here," visitor Chris Jacobs said.

Jacobs brought his whole family. He said he'd like to see it become a tradition for them.

"They (the kids) all love it so I think we'll keep coming back year after year," he said.

A tradition that the Williford's have already adopted.

"Just to be together and go out and see the lights and have some hot chocolate, walk down the streets, drive down the streets. There's nothing like Christmas in Austin," they said.

And as Nelson said, "There has to be a place to go where the whole street is full of lights."

The quirky area around 37th Street is just the place to go for the Austin personality that keeps it "weird."