Holiday Lights at Shore Acres Offers Free Shuttles, More Reservations for S. Oregon Coast Display

Published 11/22/23 a 5:25 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Coos Bay, Oregon) – Coos Bay's Annual Holiday Lights at Shore Acres is one of the powerhouse holiday events on the entire Oregon coast, with tens of thousands of lights turning the mansion's gardens into a glowing mass of Christmas cheer. On its own, it can draw tens of thousands to the south coast hotspot over its seasonal run.

This year, because of clogged traffic conditions in Shore Acres State Park, Holiday Lights at Shore Acres has implemented a reserved parking and time entry system, with presales having begun in the summer. Visitors must reserve their date and time to visit the event.

As of last week, about 50 percent of the spots were sold, but Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) set up rolling sales to release a certain number of spots over various periods. That started earlier in November.

The Holiday Lights at Shore Acres runs from November 23 through December 31, where visitors must now reserve their spot. OPRD said reservation slots are available for 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

This system goes by vehicle and not by number of people, allowing for all those in the car to visit. They will not need a ticket.

However, there is a way to bypass the reservation system by taking a free shuttle to the event. Oregon's Adventure Coast: Coos Bay, North Bend, Charleston announced earlier this month you can take a shuttle bus that runs from the Charleston Marine to Shore Acres State Park each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, (plus Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve). This also sets you free from sitting in your car for awhile in traffic.

“The shuttle does not require any reservations,” said Coos Bay Visitors spokesman Janice Langlinais. “It is first come first serve. We are estimating that we will be able to take about 100 people an hour to the park.”

These wheelchair-accessible shuttles will depart from the marina every 20 minutes between 4:15 p.m. and 8 p.m.

For vehicles, OPRD said all reservations must be made ahead of time: no onsite parking permit purchase is available during event hours. During each day before the event begins, the regular $5 parking fee for state parks will be charged for those visiting the gardens or the wave-viewing area. All will be cleared out by 4:30 p.m. to make way for the lighted event crowds.

“If your preferred date and time are sold out, you have another opportunity via the 7-day rolling window that begins Nov. 16 for visits on Nov. 23; Nov. 17 for visits Nov. 24; and continues to roll through the event,” OPRD said.

See the Holiday Lights at Shore Acres page for full reservation information.

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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