December 2017

I love winter. I love beanies and scarves. I love warm sweaters in cool colors, and I love the hand-knit socks my mother-in-law always sends, wrapped around festively-colored paper-wrapped Russian chocolates. I love sledding and hiking and all of the mountain sports. But most of all, I love the lights.

I’m not alone in my passion, either. My kids share my fascination. This time of year, we play a game in which we’re naturalists, looking for new species of decorated houses: “There’s a whole flock of common rainbow twinkles.” and “Look! A rare Columbian Prancing Rudolph! And it’s got its icicle plumage in!” My kids battle to be the first one to find a decorated house for the year, and then they look for the last lonely house in January, the one that forgot to migrate with its fellows.

Portland lends itself so well to these games. It’s a city that loves the light, loves the warmth of the holidays. We can spend days looking at the displays—private and professional. I’ve spent a bit of time and compiled for you a list of our favorites, a short directory of the light shows that reflect the beauty of our area. So get out there and enjoy!

Melissa