In 2025, Lakeline Park's two biggest fall events were over before Halloween. NightMarket.Fun filled the park on Saturday, October 18, from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. A week later, on October 25, Fall Roundup returned to the same park. This year both events fall in November, on back-to-back Saturdays. Add the two December evenings the city holds at the park, and Lakeline Park at 1510 Alexis Drive has four city-backed events between November 7 and December 12. Each one has its own price, hours and parking.
The shift, side by side
| Event | 2025 date | 2026 date | 2026 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| NightMarket.Fun | Sat., Oct. 18 | Sat., Nov. 14 | 4–10 p.m. |
| Fall Roundup | Sat., Oct. 25 | Sat., Nov. 7 | Noon–4 p.m. |
| A Jolly, Bright, Lakeline Night | Fri., Dec. 12 | Fri., Dec. 11 | 6:30–9 p.m. |
| Tail of Lights | Sat., Dec. 13 | Sat., Dec. 12 | 6:30–8:30 p.m. |
The 2026 dates come from the city's October 1 NightMarket announcement, its Fall Roundup notice and its December events calendar. Fall Roundup's move is the bigger break from routine. City calendar records put it at Lakeline Park on November 4, 2023, and October 26, 2024, so late October had been its usual slot. The December dates slid back one day to line up with this year's Friday and Saturday.
NightMarket also has a shorter day this year. Its 2026 hours begin at 4 p.m., two hours later than last year's 2 p.m. start, which moves more of the evening into the dark.
Saturday, November 7: the free afternoon
This is the first of the four events and the easiest to attend. The city's Fall Roundup page and its October 7 notice describe a Western-themed afternoon from noon to 4 p.m. with armadillo races, a mechanical bull, live music, a petting zoo and Western-themed crafts. According to the Kids Out and About listing, admission is free, and food trucks and a beer and wine vendor are part of the afternoon. The city's own notices haven't published a parking plan or a registration requirement.
Fall Roundup is a daytime event that ends by 4 p.m. The following Saturday's event doesn't open until 4 p.m., so the two weekends land at opposite ends of the day.
Saturday, November 14: the ticketed night
One week later, NightMarket.Fun turns the same park into a gated, ticketed festival that runs until 10 p.m. The City of Cedar Park co-hosts it with The Lunar Foundation, an artist-led nonprofit, and the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce. It celebrates Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander art, food and performance. According to the organizers' FAQ, a ticket covers more than 20 performances, games, kids' programming and security, and food and shopping at the 100-plus vendors cost extra.
Last year's market drew about 2,700 people, according to The Lunar Foundation's GuideStar profile. That number combines ticket scans with an estimate of volunteers, staff and vendors who stayed on as guests. When the park opened in 2023, Community Impact reported 400 parking spaces plus 200 overflow spaces.
The costs, as listed on the NightMarket ticketing page at the time of writing:
- General admission: $30 plus a $2.55 fee in advance, or $35 plus a fee at the gate
- VIP, including the VIP Lounge: $65 plus a $5.53 fee in advance, or $70 plus a fee at the gate
- Children under 12: free admission with a ticketed adult, though the checkout lists a $0.99 fee on the $0 child ticket
- On-site parking: $20 plus a $1.70 fee in advance, or $25 the day of the event
According to the FAQ, an advance parking pass reserves a spot. The ticketing page also warns that pass holders may still wait if the lot is full.
Three ways in that skip the main lot
- Park at Reed Elementary for free. Overflow parking is there, and shuttles run between Reed, Lakeline Station and the park about every 15 minutes from 3:45 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
- Take the CapMetro Red Line to Lakeline Station. Ticket emails include a code for a free 24-hour day pass that you redeem in the UMO app. The number of passes is limited and they go first come, first served. The same shuttle loop serves the station.
- Use Cedar Park LiNK. A rider pays $5 and the city covers up to $10 of an Uber fare within city limits, including trips to and from Lakeline Station.
The H-E-B Center's schedule has Intocable on stage at 8 p.m. that same Saturday, so two large evening crowds will be out in Cedar Park on November 14.
Why the city keeps booking this park
When the city announced NightMarket's return, Parks & Recreation Director Mike DeVito described the festival in terms of what the city wants from the site:
"NightMarket.Fun is a great example of what we want Lakeline Park to be: a place where people come together, experience something new, and build connections with one another."
The park was built for this kind of use. The 100-acre first phase opened in March 2023 with a multipurpose pavilion, a universal playground, a kayak and canoe launch, a fishing pier, four miles of trails, athletic fields and a large lawn, according to Community Impact's opening coverage. The city's facility page lists the pavilion as a 3,000-square-foot venue for performing arts, corporate events and large gatherings. Phase 1 cost $10.3 million, funded by the 2015 bond and other city sources.
More is planned, but not for this season. City Council approved the Lakeline Park Phase 2 master plan on April 23, 2026, and detailed design and engineering are the next step. According to Community Impact's May 2026 report, the plan includes a Southern Meadows parking lot, disc golf, nature play, a canopy walk, more trails, a rebuilt lakeside pavilion and gathering deck, more restrooms near the soccer fields and an extension of the Brushy Creek Regional Trail. No budget had been set as of that report. When the park opened in 2023, the plan called for Phase 2 to open in 2025, so that schedule has slipped. This year's events will be held in the park as it opened in 2023.
December 11 and 12: back-to-back evenings
The city's December calendar lists A Jolly, Bright, Lakeline Night on Friday, December 11, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tail of Lights follows on Saturday, December 12, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Neither listing gives 2026 details yet, so last year's versions are the best preview.
A Jolly, Bright, Lakeline Night started in 2025, when the city called it its newest event. The 2025 edition promised twinkling lights, family activities, holiday music, warm treats and Santa's arrival. According to Community Impact's 2025 holiday guide, it also had the Big Night Vintage Blues and Jazz Band, a holiday market, and food and drink vendors.
Tail of Lights is for dogs. In 2025 the city described a walk along a lit path with holiday music, dogs in holiday outfits, "Santa Paws" photos, yappy-hour treats and pet-friendly vendors. Community Impact listed it as free that year.
The city's other big holiday night is somewhere else. The calendar lists a Tree Lighting on Wednesday, December 2, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., with the location given only as "Heritage." Last year's version was the Heritage Oak Tree Lighting at Heritage Oak Park, 875 Quest Parkway. The city lit Cedar Park's largest live oak with more than 50,000 lights and offered photos with Santa under the tree. The same calendar lists Photos with Santa at Heritage on Saturday, December 5, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Here's how the stretch lays out. Lakeline Park hosts a free afternoon on November 7, a ticketed night with paid parking on November 14, then a family evening and a dog walk on two December nights in a row. The tree lighting, in between on December 2, is the only one of these held at a different park.
At Ealy & Company, we keep track of Cedar Park's event calendar, and we're glad to share what we know, whether it's how to get to Lakeline Park on a busy Saturday or which parts of town sit close to it. Inspire your next chapter: schedule a consultation.
