OPRD release – Coos Bay, Ore—Timed entry and parking reservations for the Holiday Lights event at Shore Acres State Park are now available online. The event runs Nov. 23-Dec. 31, and parking time slots are available for 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. daily. A reservation is needed for a vehicle to park at the event and includes entry for everyone inside the car. “The new entry system launched last year with the support of the Friends of Shore Acres,” says Lee Ricci, park manager for the Sunset Bay Management Unit. “Visitor feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and we’ve worked with the Friends to continue the system this year. Visitors said they appreciated the quick entry into the parking area without waiting in long lines on the road. Plus, the system improved safety for everyone traveling on the Cape Arago Highway, and smoothed out the process overall.” The Friends of Shore Acres sponsors the annual Holiday Lights, which has delighted visitors since 1987. The event was paused 2020-2021 for visitor safety during the pandemic and resumed in 2022. The $5 fee for parking and timed entry is the same amount as the normal parking permit price for the park. The fee may be waived if the person making the reservation has one of the following and selects the option during the reservation process: 12- or 24-month parking permit; special access pass for either the veterans with service-connected disabilities or foster, guardian and adoptive foster parents of Oregon foster children; current Oregon State Park camping confirmation that coincides with the date of the event visit; or an Oregon Pacific Coast Passport. Reservations also can be made by calling 800-452-5687. Visitors do not have the option to purchase a parking permit onsite to park. At entry into the light show, visitors must present a screen shot of the ticket via their smartphone or the printed ticket, as well as the selected pass, permit, or campground confirmation. Park staff asks that visitors have everything ready to show to keep traffic moving. Although visitors can reserve their timed entry parking spot now, additional time slots will be available later this fall during a seven-day rolling window. Visitors can make reservations on Nov. 16 for visits on Nov. 23, and so on. The rolling window continues through the end of the event Dec. 31. “We realize that it’s early for many families to make November and December plans and we want people to have an opportunity for spur-of-the-moment visits,” Ricci adds, “We’re holding half the parking sites for that rolling seven-day window to ensure visitors can reserve closer to the event.” Visit the Oregon State Parks website for 12 and 24-month parking permit and special access pass information. Oregon Pacific Coast Passport information is available at the US Forest Service website.
