2026 Lights in the Heights

 

2026 Lights in the Heights - 39th Annual Holiday Tradition

n 1987, Woodland Heights neighbors created a holiday event to celebrate friends, family, and the season’s joy. The streets of Woodland Heights were adorned with 'luminaries', transforming the neighborhood into a magical 'Winter Wonderland '. Residents were invited to join in by adding luminaires to their curbs, driveways, and porches, creating a mesmerizing display of light. The event also featured holiday entertainment and refreshments on the Norhill Esplanade, marking the start of a cherished tradition. According to the WHCA 1989 November/December newsletter, that first event drew 20,000 people to Woodland Heights to see the luminaires lighting up the participating streets and homes. The name we have all come to know the event by, "Lights in the Heights," appears to have been added in 1989, a testament to our community's enduring spirit and commitment to creating memorable experiences.

  • Some 39 years later, Lights in the Heights continues due to the dedicated support of neighbors, sponsors, and volunteers. The scope of the project may have grown but the sentiment remains the same - to celebrate the season with lights, neighbors, and friends; enjoy good music, and experience the small town atmosphere of the Woodland Heights.

    Behind the lights and good times are a few dedicated volunteers who together with the Woodland Heights Civic Association, work to raise funds and coordinate the needed COH Permits, Security, volunteer porches, entertainment, street closures, and other important items needed to hold Lights In The Heights. The WHCA thanks the neighbors who make give their time, energy, and ??? to making this event possible. Including Ashley Allison, who works to secure permits and is the logistical coordinator for the LITH event; Nikki Haley, who is this years LITH Boots & Bow Ties coordinator, Joy Roth, who coordinates the volunteer porches and volunteer musicians who provide the entertainment for the event, Tiffany Tyler, who coordinates the Norhill Dinosaurs creation and fundraising to keep this unique tradition going, Pat Rutledge and Louise Moss, who have tirelessly overseen the lighting of the Watson Street Esplanade (that this year will have a sponsor), Beth Sorensen, who oversees the neighborhood only Friday Night Lights, and all the individual board members who have stepped forward to help in securing sponsorships for the event providing behind the scenes logistical support to pay the bills, put up signage, and all the other heavy lifting required to coordinate Lights in the Heights. Please note if you’d like to volunteer we would love to have your help! Send us a note to board@woodland-heights.org we’d love to hear from you!

2026 Lights in the Heights - event route

The 2026 LITH Event Route has been approved by COH Special Events. This year's Lights in the Heights event, is scheduled for the second Saturday in December, which this year is Saturday, December 12th from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Mark your calendars!

As always LITH is a time for people to stroll the streets and listen to the sounds of music coming from porches along the route. Since the inception of LITH neighbors along the route have volunteered their porches for volunteer musicians to play from. So we’re sending a BIG SHOUT OUT to all the houses on Highland and Omar - asking that they consider volunteering their Porches as places for volunteer musicians to play from.

Joy Roth, a Woodland Heights neighbor, is coordinating the volunteer musicians and volunteer porches along the route. If you volunteer your porch Joy will find a musician to play from your porch for free. Every year we have musicians from across the city who volunteer their time and music to help our neighborhood continue the LITH tradition. Joy will be providing additional details regarding this opportunity to neighbors along the route. We hope you will take a moment to consider her proposal and work with her to be coordinate the music along the event route! If you would like to volunteer your porch send her an email at entertainment@woodland-heights.org.

2026 lith - Boots & bow ties bash

In 2013, to help raise funds for LITH, a first annual ‘gala’ was created. This year that event is titled the LITH Boots & Bow Ties BASH. Proceeds raised from ticket sales, auction items, and sponsorship go to helping WHCA cover the costs incurred for December’s LITH including: COH permitting, officer security, port-a-potties, and additional items that are needed to put on the December event. You can support LITH by purchasing tickets to the 2026 LITH Boots & Bow Ties BASH at the WHCA online store. Just click on the LITH BASH Ticket or the button below to make your purchase.

We’re tipping our hats and raising a glass to the fine folks at Gabby's BBQ, Eureka Heights, and Kagan Cellars for stepping up as our prime LITH Boots & Bow Ties BASH sponsors! They’re providing all the grub and watering hole refreshments for the whole shindig.

Interested in becoming a LITH Boots & Bow Ties Bash sponsor? Email Nikki Hanley at sponsors@woodland-heights.org.

  • Hold onto your hats, 'cause here’s a quick roundup of some prime auction items up for grabs, kindly donated by the generous businesses and folks right here in our neighborhood.

    • Live Auction: Your Very Own Fence Mountable LITH Dino! Bring the Esplanade Dinos to your very own front porch. Created and donated by the Save the Dinos from Extinction Committee

    • 2 Club Level Seats to the UH v Cincinnati football game on November 7, donated by Karen and Andy Webster

    • 2026 Rodeo Wine Competition Winners Package featuring the 2026 HLS&R Grand Champion & Reserve Grand Champion wines, a leather case complete with wine tools, and Houston Rodeo logo glasses, and a Charcuterie Board Gift Card donated by Michael Graves & Estella Espinosa 

    • Restaurant Gift Card Basket valued at $800, donated by Bodensteiner Service Inc. 

    • 6 Dozen Fresh Eggs, donated by Wittpenn Bros Eggs

    If you'd like to contribute to the live or silent auction, complete this donation form or email Nikki Hanley.

2026 lith - sponsors & sponsorship Opportunities

A massive, thank you to our 2026 Gold Sponsor Memorial Hermann Greater Heights. We are incredibly thankful for our Community Sponsors Terry & Thweatt, P.C., Hogan Thompson Schuelke, Generator Supercenter, Creole Design, Eureka Heights Brew Co., Kagan Cellars, Gabby’s BBQ, and Humbug Holiday Lighting. Their support helps make the LITH possible. We also thank our Merchant/Donors January Moon, Cooper Orthodontics, CY Designs, and All Aesthetics for their support of the LITH Boots & Bow Ties BASH.

There is still time for you or your business to become a LITH or LITH Boots & Bow Ties Bash sponsor. Check out sponsorship opportunities at the WHCA online store or send us an email to sponsors@woodland-heights.org. Your sponsorship and your company logo will be featured in our newsletters for October, November, and the printed December Newsletter, in WHCA online social media, and on signage for the December LITH event.

2026 LITH merchandise available

Not a business but would like to help support LITH? You can do this by purchasing various items from the Woodland Heights online store. This includes,

  • LITH cloisonne or glass ornament. artwork by Woodland Heights neighborhood youth and selected by WHCA members in July

  • LITH Boots & Bow Ties Ceramic Cowboy Boot, a great way to express your or your kids artistic creativity (then show them off during the LITH Boots & Bow Ties Event where they will shine as centerpieces that you can take back home after the event!

  • Private Party Signage for you LITH party

More items will be added to the WHCA online store throughout the coming months so be sure to check back and keep up with the additions before they’re sold out!

Related Links