Part of Zilker Park's Great Lawn reopens

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Portions of Zilker Park's Great Lawn reopened on Wednesday, but parts of the area will close again once the holiday season arrives.

The Austin Parks and Recreation Department said it has completed post-Austin City Limits Music Festival maintenance of the lawn. The southwest portion and the volleyball courts are open.

Great Lawn areas adjacent to Lou Neff Road will continue to be closed for the staging of the Trail of Lights Festival. The volleyball courts will close in a few weeks when the 2012 Trail of Lights Festival display installation begins in that area.

The city said it is "making every effort to keep areas of the Great Lawn open to park patrons while balancing public safety and staging needs for The Trail of Lights Festival."

Various areas of Zilker Metropolitan Park will be temporarily closed to park patrons through Jan. 7, 2013. Additional areas of the park and park roads are anticipated to be closed Dec. 15-23, 2012 for the annual Trail of Lights Festival events.

The public is urged to stay out of closed areas of the park for their safety.