Lights in the Heights Runs on Porches, Dinosaurs and Neighbors. Here's What Happens Before Dec. 12.

"Such a long-running festival, run entirely by volunteers, is a sign of a strong and caring community." That line comes from the Woodland Heights Civic Association president's December 2025 report, written after last year's event. It also explains how the season works. On the night, Lights in the Heights feels like a citywide event. Most of what makes it worth the walk depends on individual Woodland Heights households agreeing to take part, and they make those decisions now, five weeks before the lights go on.

The 39th edition is set for Saturday, Dec. 12, from 6 to 9 p.m. The City of Houston's Special Events office has approved the route, and this year it centers on Highland and Omar. Those were also the featured streets in 2023. In 2025 the event featured Bayland and Woodland.

The music depends on porches that haven't signed up yet

Since the event began, neighbors along the route have offered their porches to volunteer musicians. The 2026 Lights in the Heights page puts the request plainly. It sends a "BIG SHOUT OUT to all the houses on Highland and Omar," asking them to consider hosting. Joy Roth, a Woodland Heights neighbor, coordinates both the porches and the performers. If a household volunteers its porch, she finds a musician to play there for free. Residents can reach her at [email protected].

The lineup is pieced together one house at a time, and last year's recap shows how much that matters. The president walked the full 2025 route in about 90 minutes. He wrote that placing a choir or bell chorus between DJs and electric bands is "not easy," especially when neighbors sometimes hire a band without telling the organizers. His favorites were porch-level picks. The Brazilian Blues Band at 504 Woodland drew a large crowd, and a band from Bojangles Music School played classic rock at 925 Bayland.

He also described the crowds as "moderate in size and well-behaved," and said that at no point did he find himself in a "crush" of people, "as occasionally happened in the past." When performers are spread across many porches, the crowd spreads with them. Each Highland or Omar household that hosts this year adds another place for people to stop.

The dinosaurs outgrew the family that built them

The porches show how the music gets organized. The Norhill Esplanade dinosaurs show what happens when a neighbor's project gets too big for neighbors alone.

The WHCA's Save the Dinosaurs From Extinction appeal traces them to about 2008. The first was a giant Brontosaurus built on chicken wire, a family project by Ward Pennebaker, his son Drew and Drew's college roommate. Ward and Susan Pennebaker are credited with the creatures that now ring the esplanade, Pterodactyls included. Over time the figures traded chicken wire for lighter, more durable frames and switched from incandescent bulbs to LEDs.

That success created the problem. The 2026 event page says the displays now need a professional lighting company to stage, strike, store and repair them. According to the appeal, Norhill neighbors had been quietly paying for that work. Rising maintenance, storage and repair costs led the WHCA to start a dedicated fund, which takes donations through the WHCA store. The 2026 page says a small group of neighbors has carried the cost for the past couple of years and is now asking the wider neighborhood to help. Tiffany Tyler coordinates the dinosaurs and their fundraising.

The city has noticed too. At last year's Friday Night Lights, the WHCA and Council Member Castillo's office presented the Pennebakers with a proclamation declaring Pennebaker Day in Houston.

The esplanade has a second volunteer project. On the Watson Street Esplanade, Pat Rutledge and Louise Moss oversee the lighting, and Humbug Holiday Lighting sponsors it this year.

The money was raised in October, and it pays for the unglamorous parts

A free evening stroll still has costs. The WHCA's history of the event lists what volunteers arrange each year: city permits, security, volunteer porches, entertainment and street closures. Ashley Allison secures the permits and serves as the event's logistics coordinator.

Much of that is paid for by the Boots & Bow Ties Bash, a fundraiser that began in 2013. This year it was held Oct. 15 at the Historic Heights Fire Station, 107 W. 12th St. Ticket sales, auction items and sponsorships go toward city permitting, officer security and portable restrooms for December. Gabby's BBQ, Eureka Heights and Kagan Cellars provided the food and drinks. Memorial Hermann Greater Heights is the 2026 Gold Sponsor. A long list of neighborhood businesses, from Tiny's Milk & Cookies to January Moon, are listed as merchant donors.

The Bash is over, but residents can still help through merchandise. The WHCA says ornament sales help fund the December event.

From now to Dec. 12

From here the schedule speeds up. Here is what is on the calendar for the 2026 event. The WHCA's 2026 page lists no deadline for porch sign-ups or contest nominations, so earlier is safer.

The decorating contest invites anyone who wants to string up lights. The page addresses "aspiring Clark Griswolds" and lists categories including Most Wattage, Most Historical, Best Movie Theme, Best Single Color, Best Block and Best Team Theme. Judges may add more based on what they see. Winners hear early Saturday morning and get a sign to display during the event.

Friday Night Lights is the WHCA's neighborhood-only kickoff. It is a family gathering with s'mores, holiday music, seasonal drinks and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. Beth Sorensen oversees it. It is also the only place to collect 2026 ornaments, which are pickup-only. The $60 cloisonné design by Phillip Hart, which took first place in the ornament contest, honors Houston's role in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A glass ornament called "Celestial Lights In The Sky," designed by young artist Genevieve Bain, is also available. Last year both the event ornament and the generic Woodland Heights glass ornament sold out, and the WHCA had to reorder.

What past years suggest about getting there

The 2026 route map and closure times have not been published yet, so the details below come from earlier years. Treat them as a general guide and check woodland-heights.org closer to the date.

• Wheels, 2025: No golf carts or electric or gas scooters. Wagons, strollers and other non-electric options were allowed.
• Parking, 2025: Zion Lutheran Church offered pay-what-you-can parking at its lot at the north end of Beauchamp Street, with proceeds going to its children's and youth summer camps.
• Bikes, 2025: BikeHouston ran a secure valet on the Norhill Esplanade at Woodland and Norhill and checked in more than 100 bikes.
• Closures, 2024: Route streets and cross streets between Studewood and Beauchamp closed from 5:30 to 9 p.m. No-parking signs went up Friday, and ticketing and towing began at 3 p.m. Saturday.
• Resident access, 2023: Residents could reach their properties but could not park on route streets, and were asked to keep an ID or utility bill handy.

The lights don't all go dark when the stroll ends. In 2024, Houston Public Media reported that most neighborhood displays would stay on through Christmas and New Year's Day for people to walk or drive through.

The tradition goes back to 1987, when neighbors set out luminaries on curbs and porches and served refreshments on the Norhill Esplanade. According to the WHCA, its 1989 November/December newsletter reported that the first event drew 20,000 people. The WHCA still asks for help every year at [email protected].

If you live on Highland or Omar and are thinking about offering your porch, or just want to compare notes on the best blocks to walk this year, I'd love to hear from you. Neighborhood traditions like this are one of my favorite things to talk about with Heights neighbors, so let's connect at Kelly Henderson.