Published 6/28/24 at 5:45 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection
(Coos Bay, Oregon) – Tens of thousands of Christmas lights and tens of thousands of people visiting over a few weeks: that's the Shore Acres Holiday Lights shindig on the south Oregon coast every year. If it's way too early to start thinking about this one, you might want to think again. This year's illuminated holiday fest became so popular it had to reduce traffic congestion one way or another, and again the parking and timed entry reservations are back in place.
Those reservations just went online early in June. See the site or call 800-452-5687, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
This change took place last year and it worked, according to Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD).
“Visitors no longer have the option to purchase a parking permit onsite to attend,” OPRD said.
It's by far and away one of the most spectacular holiday sights in Oregon and it is the most popular on the coastline. This year it takes place November 28 - December 31.
Reservation time slots for vehicle parking and timed entry are available for 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. daily during the event. That's it, however: visitors don't need any additional reservations.
You can bypass all this by taking the shuttles which are offered by the Charleston / Coos Bay / North Bend Visitors Center, however specifics on that are not available yet. Keep an eye on those changes over the year.
Only about 50 percent of the available times went on sale on June 1. The other half will be offered later in the year with a 7-day rolling window that begins November 21 at 6 a.m.
“The system allows visitors to quickly enter the park, which reduces traffic backups and safety concerns on the Cape Arago Highway,” OPRD said.
The Shore Acres Holiday Lights been going since 1987, gathering bigger and bigger crowds each year. Some 50 to 60 thousand people visit every time. The record was 74,392 visitors in 2017, largely because of little rain.
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