Kerrville Christmas Lighting Corp pivots after courthouse and Tranquility Island electrical destroyed
The board is now actively evaluating alternative venues — The Water Street parking lot and the Cailloux Theater parking lot are both under consideration — to host the holiday tree and vendor booths. The annual parade, which historically draws 10,000 spectators, will go on.
Kinslee Owens grew up in Johnson City. She knows exactly how seriously that town takes its holiday lights. And she is not ready to concede.
“Our parade is 10 times better than theirs,” Owens said Tuesday on Lead Live.
Owens, a native of one of the Hill Country’s most festively competitive towns, joined the Kerrville Christmas Lighting Corporation’s board after complaining that Kerrville was not using its historic courthouse lawn to full holiday advantage. Board president George Eychner — a retired Air Force logistics veteran who spent two years stationed in Ankara during the Iranian hostage crisis — made the case that Owens’ dissatisfaction made her exactly the right person to fix it.
This year, fixing it is considerably harder than it was.
The historic courthouse square and courtyard sustained severe electrical damage in the July flood. The county maintenance department has not yet determined whether the underground wiring is salvageable. Tranquility Island suffered worse: Parks Department liaison Ethan Mitchell confirmed that the underground electrical infrastructure there is completely ruined and financially unviable to replace. Tranquility Island will be dark for Christmas 2026.
The board is now actively evaluating alternative venues — The Water Street parking lot and the Cailloux Theater parking lot are both under consideration — to host the holiday tree and vendor booths. The annual parade, which historically draws 10,000 spectators, will go on. KPUB is donating a massive silent generator to eliminate the smoky commercial generators that have long been a logistical complaint. Justin McClure of JAM Radio is adding advanced speaker systems to improve the sound experience for spectators.
The corporation is seeking 20 vendors for the holiday event and is hosting a cookie-decorating fundraiser in the interim.
Owens acknowledged the emotional weight of the moment.
“It kind of just feels defeating a little bit right now,” she said. “Do we want to keep putting money and effort towards fixing things for them to be destroyed again?”
But Eychner answered that question before it could fully settle.
“We feel like we need to have something that spreads hope and joy,” he said. “That the future is possible.”
Vendor and volunteer inquiries: contact the Kerrville Christmas Lighting Corporation on Facebook.
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