To me, one of the best
things about this time of year is holiday lights. They bathe the cold landscape
in a warm glow and herald the promise of the sun’s return during the darkest
days of winter. And every Christmas, the staff at the Port of Kingston pulls out all of the stops and decorates Mike Wallace Park in a million
of them. It’s no easy task. Preparations begin in March when volunteers start meeting
in the marina office to work on displays and it takes the guys a solid two
months to put them all up. This week marked the official turning on of the lights and we think all of their hard work paid off.
The best way to enjoy the lights is to take a walk through the park. Starting at the guest dock, visitors are warmly greeted by the Port of Kingston:
The marina office and water feature are next in line:
Along the back section of the park, the guys have planted a new garden:
And created an ocean scene complete with a crab, a seahorse, a jelly fish a square-rigger and salmon:
Every year they add more lights and displays so that's it's never the same twice. This year, one of the guys made "Bessie", Kingston's very own sea monster – she's pretty impressive:
And, of course, Kingston wouldn't be a sea port without its very own lighthouse:
A local nursery donates the Christmas tree and there's a big celebration at the pavilion in the park with bonfires, singers, food vendors and hot drinks. At 5 o'clock, Santa arrives by firetruck and turns on the lights.
The lights go beyond the park area and line the waterfront:
And now the view from the boat looks like this:
And that wraps up our walk
through Mike Wallace Park at the Port of Kingston, our quaint little seaside home. If you’d like to read more about
walks through interesting and unique places, check out Restless Jo and Jo’sMonday Walks.
22 comments
Wow - those lights are amazing! I especially love the water scene. There's a lot of creativity that went into these displays. I wonder what the electric bill is like :-)
ReplyDeleteThe water scene's one of my favourites as well, especially with the new sea monster.
DeleteThanks for sharing, that is amazing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Donna. It sure has been festive around here this week . . . and cold. That Arctic weather you guys sent our way has been testing the heater!
DeleteSo beautiful! I love Christmas lights. If you haven't been to Zoo lights, it's a good one, too.
ReplyDeleteI love Christmas lights as well. Every Christmas Eve, my mom, oldest sister and I would drive around town to look at them. The best place I've ever been, though, has to be the Ethel M factory in Las Vegas -- hundreds of thousands of lights in a small area . . . and delicious chocolate!
DeleteWow, that's beautiful! I love the lighthouse and Bessie. #wotw
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carol. It sure has been nice to have all that in our backyard for the last week.
DeleteBeautiful!
ReplyDeleteEverything looks so pretty with the lights!
The guys really do an amazing job every year. It's such a treat for the port and the community of Kingston.
DeleteOh my goodness that looks all so beautiful. You couldn't help to feel festive with those lights as your view each evening. #WotW
ReplyDeleteIt's a really nice treat for the folks travelling back and forth to Seattle on the ferry. The terminal is adjacent to the port and hundreds of people walk through the park every day to their vehicles. I imagine it's a nice way to end a hectic day.
DeleteBeautiful! I love Christmas lights and an excuse for a hot and warming drink :-)
ReplyDeleteSee what you're missing down there in the tropical warmth of Florida? Freezing cold weather, short days, rain, snow . . . oh, wait! I mean, I love Christmas lights too but I'd rather be hanging out on Independence enjoying those underwater lights you guys just installed.
DeleteThose lights and displays are incredible. They would cheer the grumpiest creature up! What a beautiful view you now have from Cambria and every time you go on an evening walk. I am not much of a Christmas fan, but the lights in our neighborhood always make me smile and happy when I am out at night. Something about the effect they produce and the colors they provide in a time of cold, dark days... When I scroll down your page, it even appears that the lights in the photos are flickering!
ReplyDeleteYeah . . . I'm a sucker for Christmas lights.
DeleteOh wow, they look fabulous! Amazing displays, thanks for sharing them with #WotW
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jocelyn! And thanks for stopping by.
DeleteWow these are really impressive. I couldn't help but think of Disney's light parade. #WotW
ReplyDeleteThanks, Helena. That's a great comparison. They guys at the port really work hard and it show!
DeleteThank you for linking up with a beautiful Christmasy walk. What a lovely little spot you've got yourselves to spend the festive season. Have a wonderful time. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jo. The lights do go a long way to warm up these long winter nights.
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