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In late November 1997, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram described a behind-the-scenes battle over development on the Circle T Ranch that "ultimately left the town in pieces." At the time, Westlake had about 250 residents, and the dispute went to the heart of what the town would become.
Twenty-nine years later, the Town of Westlake is inviting everyone to 1500 Solana Boulevard on Thursday, December 3, for its annual Christmas Tree Lighting. The Town's announcement calls the evening a chance to celebrate Westlake's 70th birthday, "which is this December." The party takes place in the Solana area. In the 1997 dispute, that complex was among the properties the town's aldermen voted to cut loose. On December 3, Westlake marks seventy years as a town and a recovery from the year it nearly stopped being one.
The Ground Under the Tree
The Handbook of Texas tells the short version. In 1997, after the mayor was removed, members of the board of aldermen voted to disannex Circle T Ranch and other properties, "thereby effectively dissolving the town." Months of conflict and lawsuits followed, and neighboring cities moved to annex the Westlake land.
The Star-Telegram followed the case into January 1998, when the question of who was the town's rightful mayor had reached the Texas Supreme Court in the form of a petition. The paper's coverage listed the Solana office complex among the properties disannexed in the aldermen's vote, together with Circle T Ranch.
The resolution came that summer. In July 1998, according to the Handbook of Texas, the Circle T Ranch ownership agreed to pursue development under Westlake's jurisdiction, and Westlake eventually won back its disputed properties.
Today, Town Hall sits at Solana, the event calendar lists the tree lighting at 1500 Solana Blvd, Building 7, and the 2025 lighting was held behind Building 4, right next to Town Hall. The town's biggest civic evening of the year now takes place on land that was briefly outside the town.
Seventy Years in Seven Entries
Here is the arc as the Handbook of Texas records it:
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1956 | Dallas attorney Glen Turner founded Circle T Ranch. That same year, ranchers and homeowners near Grapevine Lake incorporated as Westlake. |
| 1960 | The town counted a population of 112. |
| 1973 | Westlake disannexed part of its northern area. That land became the development that later incorporated as Trophy Club. |
| Mid-1980s | The multiuse office complex called Solana was built. |
| 1993 | Ross Perot Jr. purchased the Circle T Ranch. |
| 1997 | Aldermen voted to disannex Circle T Ranch and other properties, effectively dissolving the town. |
| July 1998 | Development of Circle T moved forward under Westlake's jurisdiction, and the town eventually recovered its disputed land. |
The 1973 row has a local link worth knowing. Neighbors in Trophy Club live on land that started out as part of Westlake. The 1997 row is the one that bears on this December. Without the July 1998 resolution, the land under this year's tree would not be inside Westlake.
A Birthday Year Built Around Solana Boulevard
The Town has framed 2026 as an anniversary year, and both of its marquee events were set for the same address. A spring notice posted in April scheduled a free concert called "Texas Born and Bred" for May 7, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at 1500 Solana Blvd. It was billed as a celebration of the town's 70th birthday, with live Texas-born music and food. The December tree lighting closes out that year at the same spot.
The event itself has grown over time. Compare how the Town has described it across recent years:
| Year | Date and hours | What the Town reported |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Late November | More than 600 attendees from Westlake and surrounding areas |
| 2022 | December 1 | Held at The Terrace beside Town Hall, with free parking at 1500 and 1600 Solana Blvd |
| 2024 | December 4, 6 to 8 p.m. | Free Santa and Mrs. Claus photos, vendors, carriage rides, bounce houses, holiday drone show |
| 2025 | Wednesday, December 3, 6 to 9 p.m. | "Our biggest and brightest event of the year" |
| 2026 | Thursday, December 3, 6 to 9 p.m. | Dozens of food and gift vendors, drone-show finale, 70th birthday celebration |
The evening gained an extra hour between 2024 and 2025, and the Town kept the 6-to-9 window for 2026. In 2018, the Town reported that the crowd came from Westlake and surrounding areas. That year's count was a few hundred more than the roughly 250 people who lived in the town in 1997.
What December 3 Holds
The 2026 announcement lists the attractions for the birthday edition:
- Live entertainment and music throughout the evening
- Photos with Santa and a visit from a live reindeer
- A Christmas monkey, which the Town introduces with "yes, a Christmas monkey!"
- Horse-and-carriage rides and a mechanical reindeer
- Balloon making, face painting and holiday craft-making
- A festive snow globe for family photos
- Free popcorn and holiday goodies at the welcome table
- Dozens of food and gift vendors
- A decorated fire truck from Westlake's Fire-EMS team, set up for photos
- An on-site lounge open all evening
Several of these carry over from last year. The 2025 lineup also had the Christmas monkey, snow globe photos, live reindeer, the mechanical reindeer and carriage rides, along with a cake walk, cookie making and ornament making. The Town says a map on its announcement page shows where every attraction will be set up.
A Thursday date matters for families. The 2025 lighting fell on a Wednesday and the 2024 event on a Wednesday as well, so this year's party falls a night closer to the weekend. With the event running until 9 p.m., there's room to get home from work, pick up the kids and still arrive in good time.
Plan Around the Finale
The Town is direct about the finale: "don't leave early!" The evening ends with a drone show that the Town calls "always a huge hit." The drone show has been part of the program since at least 2024, when the Town promoted a holiday-themed drone-show finale.
That shapes the best plan for the night. The attractions with lines, like Santa photos, the carriage rides and the live reindeer, are easier to manage in the first part of the evening. Save the vendor browsing and the lounge for later, and stay put for the finale.
For parking, the most specific guidance on record comes from 2022. That year the Town designated free parking at 1500 and 1600 Solana Blvd, in the nearby lots and parking garages. Before heading out, check the 2026 event map on the Town's announcement for this year's layout. The calendar listing gives the formal address as 1500 Solana Blvd, Building 7, Suite 7200, Westlake, TX 76262.
If you want to make the evening last longer, Westlake's trails lead toward Solana. We covered the Solana and Entrada Canal segments earlier this year. More about the town is on our Westlake neighborhood page.
Where Westlake Started
The Town's announcement says all are welcome and suggests telling friends, family and neighbors. The history adds weight to that invitation. In 1956, ranchers and homeowners near Grapevine Lake incorporated a town that counted 112 people by 1960. In 1997, its future went to court. On December 3, 2026, Westlake will light its tree on Solana Boulevard, among the office buildings it once gave up and later won back.
At The Wall Team Realty Associates, we've watched Westlake grow, and we're glad to mark seventy years with our neighbors. If the birthday has you curious about what your own piece of Westlake is worth today, start with our free instant home valuation, and we'll be happy to talk it through with you after the drone show.