Since not all residents of the Austin, TX, area are fortunate enough to be able to attend this light extravaganza under normal circumstances, the Trail of Lights Foundation, joined by Vista Equity Partners, other sponsors, and individual donors, created STARS at the Trail Program. Since its founding in 2013, the STARS at the Trail Program, with Vista’s sponsorship, has been able to help dozens of nonprofit organizations, and tens of thousands of individuals, who would otherwise not be able to experience the trail. While the program was initially limited, in 2016, the STARS at the Trail was expanded to three nights and now allows more than 20 nonprofit organizations to participate each year. According to Leah Davies, Trail of Lights Foundation member and former president, “We identify that as an event by and for Austin, [we] need to do a very good consistent job of making [Trail of Lights] accessible for all Austinites. We thought the best way to do that would be to feature and highlight and give special access to those nonprofit groups.”

Over the years, numerous nonprofit organizations dear to both Vista and the Trail of Lights Foundation have been sponsored, including, but not limited to, African American Youth Harvest Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas, Communities in Schools of Central Texas, Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas (DSACT) and GirlForward. And, that generosity has not gone unnoticed by the community and organizations served. A member of DSACT went on the record by stating, “It was the VIP attention, from the transportation to the cookies and crafts, that [made] all the difference. Many of our members deal with sensory sensitivities so having the trail be a little less crowded and avoiding lines means everything to them and makes the whole experience that much more enjoyable. For a lot of our families, without Stars at the Trail, they would be hesitant to even go to Trail of Lights.”

A member of Communities in School of Central Texas also went on to say, “For those children and families who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend, a special night hosted by Trail of Lights for them is a dream come true. We love to see the awestruck reactions as children ride the Ferris wheel and overlook their city. It is priceless and most certainly a highlight.”

While Vista’s partnership with Austin Trail of Lights has been mostly in conjunction with the STARS at the Trails Program, the pair have also teamed up on other projects to bring new and exciting festivities to the event. In 2014, Vista helped sponsor an interactive Santa’s Workshop in honor of the event’s 50th anniversary. The Vista-sponsored workshop is still a part of the Austin Trail of Lights today, delighting children and adults alike every holiday season. While a variety of activities are available at the workshop, the highlight for many families is creating holiday videos to share.