Silverton Christmas Market returns with more lights, German traditions
The upcoming Silverton Christmas Market aims to draw guests into a world of German traditions, yet the event oozes local pride down a pathway of light displays and community-produced crafts, food and fun.
“We have more lights and larger light displays than ever before,” said Alexis Federico, public events manager at the Oregon Garden Resort, where the event has been located over the past few years. “(There are) lots of light tunnels and themed areas along an even longer walking path.”
The tunnels have lights wrapped around them “so guests can feel like they’re in this Christmas wonderland — that's what kind of makes us different from other Christmas events,” said Isabella Meraz, resort owner Moonstone Hotels’ marketing specialist.
“They can go through the lights and experience different light displays, then end up in a vendor market and be able to meet with these local artists and vendors and get their Christmas shopping done,” she said.
A “family-friendly beer garden” with live music will be a focus each night. Local artist Lori Rodrigues’ hand-painted mural along a 40-foot side of a cargo container at the entrance to the market walk blends the local (Bobbie the Wonder Dog) and Germanic elements of the event.
A special draw of the event is snowless tubing. There is a snowless tubing station at the center point of the walkway, which winds behind the resort's main lodge and behind a row of hotel buildings. Admission to the ride is an add-on to the entry fee, Meraz said.
One of the reasons behind the Silverton Christmas Market’s winning of the 2022 Best of the Willamette Valley Awards silver medal for Best Charity Event was its creation of five Tuesday “Tube for Schools” events. A portion of the proceeds from those five days’ entry fees once again will be donated to the Silver Falls School District.
Other organizations that benefited last year from the event’s proceeds included Silverton Area Community Aid, North Willamette Valley Habitat for Humanity, The Gordon House and the Silverton Mural Society.
Meraz was as effusive as Federico about the event, which formerly was known as Christmas in the Garden, then Lights at the Garden Resort when it was moved last year to the Resort property.
“The whole event is based off of German-European Christmas markets, with light displays and the main focus of the open-air market,” Meraz, a Silverton native, said. “You get all the sights, sounds and smells of the holiday season: music, families enjoying themselves, and the ‘chatter’ of the holidays.”
“We have more interactive light displays and we’re known for our famous candy cane tunnel, so this year guests will see more bright tunnels and be able to walk under different types of lights,” Federico said.
“We’ve received so much great feedback and we’re excited to continue building on the event, making the experience more impressive each year. We kept hearing how much people loved walking around the corner and being met by a grand castle adorned in lights, or a whimsical twinkling farm.”
The market runs from Nov. 25 through Jan. 1 (closed Dec. 24 and 25), at the Oregon Garden Resort, 895 W. Main St., Silverton. Ticket prices (Silverton residents get a break on the entry fee) and other information are available online at silvertonchristmasmarket.com.
“The display is incredibly intimate, and we can’t wait for everyone to experience the magic of Christmas at the resort this holiday season,” Federico said.
Freelance writer/photographer Geoff Parks is based in Salem. Have a Silverton story idea? E-mail him at geoffparks@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Silverton Christmas Market lights, German traditions return
