Events

2024 LITH - Join The Fun /  by Michael Graves

Lights in the Heights - Brief History
It all began on December 12, 1987, when the first Lights in the Heights event was held. The streets of Woodland Heights were adorned with 'luminarias', transforming the neighborhood into a magical 'Winter Wonderland '. Residents were invited to join in by adding luminarias to their streets, 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 the Woodland Heights neighborhood to see the luminarias 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.

2024 LITH Schedule
This year, on December 14, our neighborhood will hold its 37th Annual Lights in the Heights. This year's featured streets will be Byrne, Euclid, and 7 1/2th Streets. They will be closed to vehicular traffic and become vibrant hubs of community activity. Neighbors and visitors alike are invited to stroll through the illuminated streets and enjoy the vibrant displays and holiday cheer.

Click to see larger image

2024 LITH Event Schedule

  • Friday, November 15 - LITH® Bash
    Early Bird Ticket Sales Begin Oct 1st
    Eureka Heights Brewing - 941 W 18th St, Houston, TX 77008

  • Week of December 8 - 12 House Decorating Competition
    Featured streets and nominated homes are eligible to compete

  • Friday, December 13 - Friday Night Lights - Norhill Esplanade
    Neighborhood-only event

  • Saturday, December 14 - Lights in the Heights®
    Featured streets - Byrne, Euclid, and 7 1/2th Streets

What LITH Committee and Volunteers Do
Lights in the Heights is more than just one night of festivities. There is the annual Ornament/Logo contest, coordination with the City Special Events Office to close certain streets and redirect traffic down adjacent streets for safety, judging homes to award prizes for everything from the Most Wattage to the best holiday-themed, planning and setting up Friday night lights (this event is for residents only), and the big finale of the public Saturday event Lights in the Heights.

Volunteers and neighbors like you donate their time to do all the planning and hard work for this event. Planning for the event begins in the summer and continues up to and after the event itself. The LITH Committee is always looking for neighbors who would like to assist in making sure all the details that go into making this event a success; your involvement is crucial to the success of Lights in the Heights.

Did I mention another item the LITH Committee is responsible for? That would be fundraising to cover the cost of putting on LITH. The annual ornament contest provides the logo for the ornaments, t-shirts, and other merchandise sold through the WHCA store, but additional fundraising is where the Lights in the Heights Bash comes into play.

National Night Out - October 1st /  by Michael Graves

"Won't you be my neighbor?"  Neighborhoods mean many different things to a lot of different people…ranging from a place denoted by boundary lines to a group of homes that are close to each other with people who may or may not know each other. The Woodland Heights, a neighborhood with a rich history dating back to 1907, like Houston has evolved over the years. With many neighbors working from home or choosing to live in the Woodland Heights for the schools and amenities offered by living inside the loop there are neighbors who may not have a moment to take advantage of their front porches or chat across their fences to meet their neighbors.

Today, we're inviting you to come out and meet some of your neighbors, friends, and future friends on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, for the WHCA National Night Out from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm on the Norhill Esplanade.

Thanks to Joann Lammons with Sotheby's Realty, a fellow Woodland Heights resident and realtor, for generously sponsoring Dippin' Dots as a sweet treat for the kids! When asked why she contributes to the WHCA National Night Out event, Joann responded,

"I am proud to be a member of the Woodland Heights Community. It brings me back to my roots of uptown New Orleans with like architectural styles, legendary live oaks, walk-ability and wonderful neighbors. I love to support NNO as it honors our brave law enforcers and offers joint community programs for safety awareness. Not to mention a fun excuse for gathering our community!"

Parents be sure to come early to National Night Out as Dippin' Dots are available while supplies last.

In addition, the It's a Wrap food truck will be on site with its popular wraps ready for purchase. Guli Essa. The owner of It's a Wrap began her food truck career in 2011 when the retail store she was managing decided to close and gave her two days' notice. Instead of wondering what her next step would be, Guli followed her dream of owning her own business. Since then, she's been rolling out healthy food varieties that reflect what she likes to eat. The name of the truck is a nod to her LA roots and the movie business where "when you finish a movie, you say, 'it's a wrap." She's also carried the theme a little further by naming all her wraps after movies or something related to movies.

So, bring your lawn chairs, get your kids a Dippin' Dot, buy a wrap from It's a Wrap food truck, and enjoy a fun-filled night out with your neighbors while celebrating National Night Out.

What is National Night Out?
National Night Out was the brainchild of Matt A. Peskin from Philadelphia, but its success is a testament to the power of community. In 1970, Mr. Peskin was a volunteer working with the Lower Merion Community Watch program in cooperation with the Lower Merion Police Department. He patrolled his neighborhood, assisted in patrol dispatch, and ran the program's newsletter. In search of new content for the newsletter, he went to surrounding neighborhoods for assistance and noticed the need for a shared platform to connect citizens interested in safer neighborhoods. This was the seed for the next step in the development of the program that would become National Night Out.

In 1970, he established the National Association of Town Watch to provide community watch groups with information, resources, and assets to stay informed, interested, involved, and motivated within the community. Then, three years later, in 1984, the NATW organization held the first National Night Out with the simple goal of increasing participation in local crime prevention efforts by uniting entire communities for a single night. That first night, 2.5 million neighbors across 400 communities in 23 states participated. Today, communities celebrate National Night Out events on either the first Tuesday in August or the first Tuesday in October to take into account the difference in weather temperatures across the entire country. We opt for the first Tuesday in October here in Houston due to our weather temps!

What is the goal?
At the National Night Out program's core is the goal of connecting neighbors, promoting community, and raising awareness about police-community partnerships. For us, it's a chance to strengthen the bonds within our Woodland Heights neighborhood and show our support for local law enforcement by uniting our community on this one night in the hopes of uniting it for the future.

Volunteer Fair for High School Students /  by Woodland Heights Civic Association

Leonel Castillo Community Center will be hosting a Volunteer Fair for high school students who are looking to connect with agencies and organizations that need volunteers for the summer. This event will be held outdoors and snacks will be provided as well as other fun activities.

When: Sat, May 14th, 3-7pm

Where: Leonel Castillo Community Center, 2101 South St

Bike to Work Day - Friday, May 20 /  by Woodland Heights Civic Association

Bike to Work Day is Back!

Join us for the first in-person Bike to Work Day (BTWD) in two years. We're celebrating National Bike Month in May by bringing back our annual bike ride to Downtown Houston on Friday, May 20, at 7:15 a.m.

This year’s bike ride will begin at the visitor center at Buffalo Bayou Park at Lost Lake, 3422 Allen Parkway, with riders departing promptly at 7:30 a.m. The ride will end at the Hermann Square Reflection Pond at City Hall.

If you can't join us, we challenge you to ride your bicycle to work on May 20 or another day during Bike Month.

Take a picture and tag the Houston Bikeways social media with the hashtag #BTWD2022.

To help make your ride safe and enjoyable, we’ve listed some safety tips below. We’ll also be crowdsourcing some tips on biking on social media, so be sure to follow us and join the conversation.

Twitter @HoustonBikePlan

Facebook

Bike To Work Day website

April Member Meeting Tuesday, April 12, 6-7pm /  by Woodland Heights Civic Association

https://www.woodland-heights.org/calendar-1/2022/3/8/whca-bi-monthly-member-meeting

Agenda

  • Houston Public Works will make a brief presentation on the North Main Bike Lane Extension, which will run from West Cottage to Airline.

  • WHCA will talk about our Curbside Native Tree Program.

  • We will be accepting nominations for board for May elections.

  • Pickup your 2022 Constable Patrol Sticker or your 100+ club sign.

  • There will be an open forum at the end.

Learn more

Travis PTA Spooky Scavenger Hunt /  by Lori Bigler

Looking for something safe and fun for the family this Halloween? Join us for the Travis Frights in the Heights Scavenger Hunt. The event will take place Wednesday, October 28th through Saturday, October 31st at 5pm.

Registration is $20/participant. Each participant will receive a secret coded list of our Haunted Homes, decoder key, list of Halloween clues, clipboard, pen and Frights in the Heights t-shirt. **Must register by Friday, October 16, for t-shirt guarantee.**

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER: http://www.travispta.org/shop-carnival

Each participant will navigate the mystery in the Woodland Heights neighborhood at their own pace. Put on your thinking cap and don’t forget to wear your Halloween costume. There will be a costume selfie contest and other fun-filled freaky activities to enjoy.

Lights in the Heights 2020 Update /  by Lori Bigler

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The “cooler” weather is here and the holiday season is right around the corner!  With that, every year, comes the building excitement and anticipation for our beloved Lights and the Heights!  Interest and inquiries have been pouring in and the Committee has been hard at work in discussions about how it will be presented this year.

The LITH Chairs and the Civic Association Board have agreed that postponing all the live events would be the most socially responsible thing to do. Protecting the neighborhood and our wonderful residents is being prioritized this year.

However! The event will still be there in spirit since we’ll have the house awards and will also be supplementing with several social media and social distancing endeavors that we’re ironing out over the next few weeks.

We’re excited to redesign the event to fit the current climate and are looking forward to getting creative!  If anyone would like to submit an idea, or be involved, please reach out to Ashley Allison or Karen Stowers at lightsintheheights@gmail.com. 

2020 Online Merchandise Sale /  by Lori Bigler

Although the Covid Pandemic has changed the way we are doing everything, we are all looking for the reassurance of familiar and simpler things.  This year, Lights in the Heights will be simpler with no planned gatherings.  But the WHCA wants to keep the beloved LITH tradition alive with familiar items for sale on the WHCA website.  All orders will be through the WHCA Store Page and you can arrange contact-less pick up of your merchandise purchases.  More details about contact-less pick up will be announced.

Fearing the Pandemic would delay production of the popular and collectible tree ornaments, our Merchandise Committee started planning the hand-painted ornaments in February.  The 2020 Lights in the Heights cloisonné ornament was designed by a Hogg Middle School student in the Graphic Design Program during the 2019 spring semester. 

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NEW for 2020, is the Woodland Heights ornament!  The glass bulb has the familiar blue and white tiles spelling Woodland Heights with Houston, Texas on the opposite side. 

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Cloisonné LITH ornaments sell for $45 and glass WH ornaments sell for $30.

2019 Lights in the Heights ornaments are on sale!  The 2019 cloisonné ornament is $35, some have slight imperfections.  Complete your collection of LITH tree ornaments while supplies last.

More Lights in the Heights swag is still available! 

  • The original LITH bulb-logo has been beautifully embroidered on a white cotton apron for $25.

  • Red drink koozies, with the bulb-logo printed in gold, make great stocking stuffers.  A pack of 4 sells for $10.

  • Although there will not be a 2020 Lights in the Heights T-shirt, the iconic 30th anniversary T-shirt is available for $10, in unisex sizes. 

  • 2019 Lights in the Heights T-shirts are available in limited quantities for $10, in men’s and ladies’ sizes. 

  • In addition to the NEW Woodland Heights tree ornament, we have NEW Woodland Heights paper cocktail napkins.  The 5-inch-square, white napkins are printed with the familiar blue tiles spelling Woodland Heights, with Since 1907 and Houston, Texas below.  A pack of 50 sells for $15. 

  • The popular Woodland Heights cookie jar is available, while supplies last.  We do not plan to re-order and we have 5 in inventory.  It sells for $50. 

All profits from merchandise sales benefit our neighborhood through the Woodland Heights Civic Association.

In these uncertain times, we wish you and your family joy through the fall and holiday seasons, 

WHCA Merchandise Committee
Beth Allen-Brock
Melissa McKee
Robyn Klepper

Halloween on the 3300 Block of Beauchamp /  by Lori Bigler

Since 2002, we’ve put a vast effort into Halloween. It started one day when Stella came home with an 8-foot, purple, inflatable spider. I could not just plop this guy down in the yard. That lacked context. So, I dyed some sisal rope and built him a home, in the form of a 20 foot tall, illuminated spider web. A nice backdrop against which to give out candy to the kiddos.

Every year we’d tweak the presentation a bit. We added fog machines and lights. More fog machines. More lights. Better fog machines. Still more lights.

We added music! Loud, but not too loud. Enough skeletons to have our own baseball team. Bigger, badder fog machines with built-in dry ice chambers!

And there were pumpkins. Lots of pumpkins, artfully carved by friends and family.

Stella’s amazing pumpkin carving was met by Philips Hue color changing light bulbs and the amazing Hue Halloween app. That’s a fine solution adding dramatic lights sequenced to scary sound effects!

We did not do this alone. We had help in the form of our regular Beauchamp Street Boo Crew, many of whom came in costume. Some sweet. Others quite frightful.

Many families stop to take pictures of their little ones in the scary scene, with our costumed crew.

The idea is to be scary, but not too scary. We know we’re on target if, on that fateful night, one or two kids around 4 years old are simply too scared to enter our gate. Yes, one or two genuine screams from wee kiddos is the measure of it.

Stella has forbid me getting a fire-breathing dragon. A few years back I thought for sure she’s allow it, since she enjoyed Game of Thrones. But alas, I cannot.

The reward for those who are brave is candy, copious amounts of candy. We are not stingy on either quantity or quality. As my friends at Rodeo Houston always say, “…it’s for the kids.”

The result of all this effort, spanning over 15 years, is that we always draw a huge crowd. In the three hours from 6 – 9pm we are visited by 1500+ kids and their families.

That brings me to the reason for this post. We’ve been thinking about this a lot, and we simply cannot see a way to stage our annual Halloween presentation in a Covid-safe manner.

So this year, we’re just not going to do it quite the same. There’ll be decorations, but no trick-or-treating. Call it a drive-by Halloween. In some respect, not unlike Lights-in-the-Heights.

Every family has to make their own decisions about how to proceed in the era of Covid-19. We thought that sharing our decision about Halloween at this early stage might help others to work through their own thoughts on the matter.

Travis Brownies Conduct Food Drive /  by Lori Bigler

Travis Elementary-based Brownie Girl Scout Troop 122109 did a socially-distanced food drive for the Heights Interfaith Ministries Food Pantry in May. They created flyers to distribute to their neighbors and collected donated food from porches. The girls were able to collect 16 bags full of canned and dried goods to support the neighborhood food bank. For their next community service project, they are spending the summer writing to seniors who are not able to venture out. Way to go Girl Scouts! 
- Melanie Gehman

The Great Flower Hunt /  by Lori Bigler

Our family of five (Lucy, Wesley, Gus, Christina and Dusty) had a great time cruising the hood looking for homes participating in the great flower hunt.  We had such a fun time looking for all the flowers in our neighborhood last week.  Since the beginning of the social distancing, we have loved riding our bikes through the hood and the different treasure hunts added a new element with something new to look for each week. 

We started with the rainbow hunt a few weeks ago, and enjoyed the sunshine, bear, and Easter egg hunts.  This one was especially entertaining because we looked not only at the handmade flowers people created, but also all the flowers in people's front yards and gardens. 

The most popular activity for our family is to yell out at the top of our lungs I FOUND A FLOWER - loud and proud.  We love our neighborhood so much and the fun, creative ways we can come together as s community while respecting the social distancing rules.    

  • Lucy (9) - "I liked getting out of the house, riding my bike and being with my family."

  • Wesley (8) - "I like to ride my bike by my friends' houses and look for their flowers." 

  • Gus (3) - "I like it because I pick them up and give them to my friends because I want to."  (He didn't do that, he's 3.  What he really likes is riding in the bike trailer with his snacks, water bottle and music.)

Christina Wilkerson
www.beautycounter.com/christinawilkerson

Woodland Heights Sunshine Hunt /  by Lori Bigler

This past week there was a Sunshine Hunt in Woodland Heights for anyone who wanted to participate.  The event was to show cheerfulness in this hard time and brighten up our day.  Participants went around and took pictures or counted different suns at houses in the neighborhood.  Everyone was eligible to win a prize at the Sternfel’s house, courtesy of the Woodland Heights Civic Association. 

This hunt was harder than the rainbow hunt because there were fewer suns out, but the suns that we saw were very creative and pretty.  We saw a sun made of papier mache, some paper suns in windows and suns in chalk on the sidewalk.  There was also one made with strings and sticks, like a Tiger’s Eye.  The hunt started April 1 and ended April 5.   We also saw a lot of sidewalk art that brightened up the neighborhood. 

Thank you to everyone who participated and our next hunt is the flower hunt so watch for notices about that coming up soon.

- Grace Lindsay of Lower Morrison Street (LoMo)       

More Rainbow Hunters Reporting /  by Lori Bigler

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Hi there,

This Cora and Juliette, we are 7 and and 5 years old and we are sisters (our mom is transcribing). We hunted all over the Woodland Heights and we found 107 different houses with rainbows! We looked on Euclid, Norhill, Woodland, Bayland, Byrne, Omar and Merrill plus our street.

Cora’s favorite was 1011 E 7 1/2 St - I liked how many different colors there were and how pretty it was. Juliette’s favorite was 815 Merrill - I liked how big and beautiful it was with all the different colors - my best friend lives there too and she helped make it. Here is a photo of us. We did not hug even though it was hard.

We also submit our house as a runner-up - we live at [address removed] and our rainbow has gold glitter on it. We know everyone loves glitter! We had lots of fun but we missed the prize day. If there are any prizes left will you please let us know?

Thanks!
Cora & Juliette

Melissa Sternfels responds:

Thank you so much for your lovely note, and for taking the rainbow hunt so very seriously. I can first assure you that there are PLENTY of prizes left.

Second, I agree with you about glitter. Everyone loves glitter. And, I hope to see a glittery sun on your house on Wednesday when my daughter I begin our “sunshine” hunt, April 1.

WH Rainbow Hunt-Harper Hatfield Reporting /  by Lori Bigler

I am Harper Hatfield and I am a 9 year old 4th grader at Travis Elementary.

Last week, some brilliant people organized a rainbow scavenger hunt to spread a little cheer around the neighborhood during this dark time. You can enjoy this event by riding a bike, driving around in the car or even just taking a stroll down the street! This is a great experience to have fun with our community and see everyone’s amazing art work while still being safe and socially distanced. 

It was so exciting to see all of the different rainbows the kids created and displayed. We spotted painted rainbows, crayon rainbows, flag rainbows, sidewalk chalk rainbows and even a pinata rainbow! But, my mom and my favorite was definitely the rainbow made of streamers, with Kermit the Frog sitting on a balcony and holding a poster that said “the lovers, the dreamers and me” (pictured above.)

It was the perfect excuse to pull my mom and myself out of the house, get some fresh air, exercise and see our beautiful neighborhood. I had so much fun making my rainbow art so I can’t wait to see what’s in store for next time!

Thank you!

Harper Hatfield
Morrison St.
Woodland Heights

Great Rainbow Hunt Official Rules /  by Lori Bigler

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First: observe all safety guidelines, and safe social distancing at all times. You know what to do. (In other words, don’t be getting us into trouble with Mayor Sylvester, County Judge Lina or Principal Day!)

Second: walk, skip, ride, scooter, saunter, skate or stroll your way through our neighborhood, keeping track of how many Rainbows you can find (within the boundaries of the Woodland Heights, which is generally I-10 to the South, Studewood to the West, Pecore to the North and I-45 to the East). 

Third: if you didn’t take a picture, did it really happen? Take lots of photos! And if you are into that whole social media thing, please tag us!

Fourth: once have finished your Great Rainbow Hunt, please email the WHCA at communications@woodland-heights.org or, better yet, post on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WoodlandHeightsCivicAssociation/. Please tell us who was in your search party, the total number of Rainbows your search party found, and the address(es) of your very favorite Rainbows. Please also include any photographs that we can share.

Fifth: at all times, at all times, be aware of your surroundings and again, please pretty please be safe. Also see, Official Rule 1, above. 

FINALLY: You are a winner! Collect your family’s prize from the purple bucket on the porch at 714 Euclid (March 25 through the 30th, and until we run out) generally between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm OR, please let us know your address for prize drop off. 

***Note that all prizes were pre-packaged and have also been placed in paper bags, by gloved hands. Before handling, please take all appropriate measures to ensure both your and your family’s safety. Again, see Rule 1.***

The City of Houston’s COVID safety guidelines can be found here: https://houstonemergency.org/covid19/

The CDC’s COVID guidelines can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fprotect%2Findex.html

Introducing The Great Rainbow Hunt /  by Lori Bigler

Following from the success of the city-wide ☘️Shamrock Hunt☘️, the Woodland Heights Civic Association cordially invites you and your family to participate in the 🌈 Great Rainbow Hunt!

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Similar to the Shamrock Hunt, neighbors are asked to place a rainbow (or two, or three, or twenty) of their choosing, in their windows, on or before Tuesday, March 24th.

🌈Paint it. 🌈Color it. 🌈Print it out. 🌈Macrame it. Whatever! Then, on Wednesday, March 25th, the 🌈 Great Rainbow Hunt will begin.

Additional details will follow, including how YOU or YOUR FAMILY can win a prize for locating the most 🌈s (within the boundaries of the Woodland Heights Civic Association).

Also, be on the lookout for the WHCA’s announcement of a neighborhood-wide scavenger hunt, which will be aimed at our younger neighbors, as well as the upcoming 🌞Great Sunshine Hunt, the 🌼 Great Flower Hunt, and other family-friendly-social-distancing-activities.

Questions? communications@woodland-heights.org. And, if you aren’t already a WHCA member, please consider joining us by visiting our website at https://www.woodland-heights.org/membership

P.S. - an easy way to add rainbows to your home is to use these Rainbow Windows Clings, available on Amazon.com.