Shore Acres Holiday Lights

A Podcast By Tim Novotny

Thankfully, once again, the sites are back to join with the sounds of the holidays at Shore Acres holiday lights, display at Cape Arago in Coos Bay. The holiday lights display at Shore Acres State Park is a tradition, unlike very many others, and it’s one that warms the hearts in the coldest of winters on the Oregon South Coast.

325,000 lights. In 2019 we had almost 60,000 visitors.

If you come out here, of course, right away at night, when we interpret the Gardens at night, you are brought to attention to the fact that the of the symmetry in the geography of the formal English garden patterns.

And we have 70 lighted sculptures, and they are all either Marine related or garden related. There’s no cliche holiday. store bought, this is all hand fabricated. It’s very unique. That’s one thing that makes us very much.

Shirley and David Bridgham. Am are the heart and soul behind the holiday light at Shore Acres State Park. They also helped create the nonprofit friends of Shah recur State Park back in 1986. They have seen it Grow from its Inception to this annual Holiday Spectacular.

So, 6,000, lights 9,000, some visitors in the first year.

And it was not as long as season, you know, we we were only open like two or three weeks.

Any idea that, that was where we were headed, when that first started.

No, no idea. I don’t know if I’d be sitting here today if someone sat me down and said “you know what’s going to happen.” But we’ve enjoyed every minute of it.

But, you know, the reason it worked was because we’re all volunteer and because everybody in the community got excited it became an instant tradition.

And part of the larger tradition are the Traditions within the tradition . . .