For years, Liberty Hill's holiday season came down to one long Saturday in mid-December. This year the City of Liberty Hill added a second date. On November 2 it announced the town's first-ever Christmas Tree Lighting for Saturday, November 28, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the downtown roundabout. The city's own invitation ends with a suggestion to keep the evening going "with dinner at one of our downtown restaurants."
That suggestion explains the new event. Two of the three Main Street kitchens that serve dinner on a Saturday opened within the past year, and both stay open well past the 6 p.m. switch-on. The November 28 lighting is short, uses one closed block and the usual parking lots, and ends at a dinner table. December 12 is still the all-day festival that closes Main Street from dawn until 10 p.m. For a Sundance Ranch household, these call for two separate plans.
| Tree Lighting, Sat. Nov. 28 | Festival and Parade, Sat. Dec. 12 | |
|---|---|---|
| Hours | 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., switch-on at 6 p.m. | Run at 8 a.m., festival 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., parade at 6 p.m. |
| Where | Downtown roundabout, 332 CR 279 | Downtown Liberty Hill and Main Street |
| Main Street closure | Roundabout to RM 1869, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. | RR 1869 to Munro, 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Munro to Noble Elementary, 5:45 to 10 p.m. |
| Parking | Usual downtown public lots | Free pedicabs from several lots; paid parking at Cross Tracks Church |
| Cost | Free | Festival free; run registration $20 to $35 |
On November 28, Main Street closes for about one hour along one stretch. On December 12, parts of it are closed for more than 15 hours. Plan each Saturday around that difference.
The tree goes up in the center of the downtown roundabout where County Road 279 meets Main Street. The Liberty Hill Independent reported that the roundabout was finished in 2023, alongside the change that renamed Loop 332 as Main Street, and that it was meant to slow traffic and make downtown safer for pedestrians. Three years later, the city is using that walkable center for a gathering.
According to Experience LHTX, hot chocolate and Christmas music start at 5:30 p.m., and the mayor flips the switch at 6 p.m. Main Street closes between the roundabout and RM 1869 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., and parking is in the regular downtown public lots. The city's announcement says Mayor Crystal Mancilla will light both the tree and the downtown decorations.
Since the street reopens at 6:30, the drive home after dinner works like any other Saturday night downtown.
These three Main Street spots publish Saturday hours that run past the lighting. They are all within a few blocks of one another.
Hours are posted by each business and can change around a holiday weekend. A quick call before a party of six walks over from the roundabout is worth it.
Forrest Coffee House, at 103 Forrest St., is also downtown. Community Impact marked its first anniversary in early 2025. It is a coffee stop, so check its hours before planning around it in the evening.
November 28 can also be a full day. The Market LHTX's fifth annual Christmas Holiday Market starts at 10 a.m. that morning, and admission is free. The Community Impact listing includes live music, vendors, crafts for children, a meet-and-greet with the Hanna Herd Mini-Cows, and "choo-choo" train rides from 10 a.m. to noon. On its own site, The Market LHTX describes itself as a family-oriented market of local vendors. Its regular lineup includes makers, bakers, food trucks, local coffee and farm goods. The organizers post the venue and closing time for the holiday market on that site.
With a market in the morning, a free afternoon, a lighting at 6 and dinner on Main Street, one Saturday fills up without driving to Georgetown or Leander.
The festival day keeps its long format, and the timing works best when you plan backward from the road closures. Here is the day in order, using the Experience LHTX festival page and the city's announcement:
That last rule decides where you park. The festival page sends visitors to free pedicabs from Foundation Park, The Old Main Street Social, Liberty Hill Elementary, Noble Elementary, One Chapel and the Liberty Hill ISD Admin Building, with paid parking at Cross Tracks Church. If you are staying through the parade, choose a lot that lets you leave without waiting for Main Street to reopen. If you want to go home between the festival and the parade, park outside the route that morning.
A few other events fill in the weeks around the two big Saturdays.
All of these were announced in early November. Each organizer's own page carries any last-minute changes, and for the city events that page is the Experience LHTX festival page.
On November 28, when the tree in the roundabout lights up at 6 p.m., Wish, Parker's Mercantile and Slot-T will all have their Saturday kitchens running a short walk up Main Street. Whether you're settling into Sundance Ranch this season or getting a home ready for spring, Merissa Anderson Group knows these downtown blocks and the roads in and out of them. Schedule a free consultation, and we'll start with which Saturday fits your household best.
Whether you're moving up or looking for your dream home, we're here to guide you every step of the way. Let’s make your real estate journey a seamless success!
