Shore Acres Holiday Lights, Nov. 24

“A community tradition” – at least 300,000 lights (almost all L.E.D.) at Shore Acres State Park, west of Charleston and Coos Bay.  Thanksgiving, Nov. 24, thru New Year’s Eve – 4:00 – 9:30 PM every night (including Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Walk-thru Display – All abilities accessible. Open Garden House with hot cider, punch, coffee and cookies! Ultimate Bed & Breakfast Raffle – Information & Gift Center Open every night!  During the 2012 season, an estimated 47,336 visitors viewed the lights display and enjoyed the refreshments in the decorated Garden House and the entertainment in the Performance Pavilion. Plenty of Parking – Parking fee: $5 per vehicle or current OPRD Annual Parking Pass or Coastal Passport or current OPRD Campground Receipt or current Special Access Pass. No additional charge for lights viewing. Lights Sculptures: Pelicans, Puffins, Jellyfish, Shore Acres’ Cranes, Life-size leaping Orca whale, Life-size spouting Gray whale, Tulips, Rhododendron, Rose, Dahlia, Dungeness crab, Sea Star, Sea Urchin, Sea Anemone, Sea horse, Octopus, Kelp, Frogs, Butterflies, dragonfly, playful sea lions, leaping frog in pond, ship, fuchsia flower and hummingbird, Koi carp and more! For more information, contact: Shore Acres State Park – (541) 888-3732; Co-Chair – Shirley & David Bridgham (541) 756-5401, bridgham@Epuerto.com  History – A community tradition was born in 1987 when the Friends of Shore Acres decided to “string a few lights” to help celebrate the holidays. That first season, 6,000 miniature lights, one Christmas tree, and the decorated Garden House drew 9,000 visitors. Now, 300,000 LED lights, 30 large landscape lights, dozens of small landscape lights, 26 large holiday trees, dozens of lighted sculptures, entertainment in the pavilion, and a beautifully decorated Garden House draw 40,000 to 50,000+ visitors or more each season. Numbers vary with the weather. Inside the Garden House, scrolls of names are a tribute to business supporters and the more than 1,500 volunteers who make it happen.