Talk about your perfect holiday setting.

Pine trees, brisk weather, good will, Christmas lights. For a truly authentic Yuletide experience, take a trip to Bastrop this weekend and celebrate the season with the community that manages to be festive even as they recover from devastating wildfires over the summer.

The four day Lost Pines Christmas has kicked off, hosting 30 family-friendly activities through Sunday in this charming Hill Country town.

Tonight at 6 p.m., community leaders light up the Bastrop County Courthouse in an event featuring a children's choir and musical performance on the lawn in front of the courthouse.

Then head over to an special, four-course Renaissance-style "Christmas Madrigal Dinner" complete with kings, queens and wenches at the Lumberyard Music Hall on Main Street.

Saturday marks the Christmas street market during the day, and the phenonemal Christmas parade around 6:15 p.m., featuring 125 entries — including floats, dancing bears and Santa Claus. This year's theme: A Western Christmas. And you can't miss the River of Lights, a half-mile stroll along the Colorado River Walk featuring 120 lighted displays.

If you're like most of us and will truly miss the lights in Austin this year, your Christmas cheer salvation is only a 20-minute drive away.

---

The festival goes through Sunday. Click here for more details about all the events, including ticketing and locations.