The Ultimate Guide to Christmas lights in Oregon (2025)
Christmas lights held extra magic in Oregon in 2020. Some neighbors put their lights up a little earlier than other years. Others kept their lights up a little longer than normal, well into January or February.
In the PNW, many of us were waking up in the dark. Going to work in the dark. Spending all daylight hours indoors working. And coming home in the dark.
In the darkest months of the year, during one of the darkest years we have seen, it was as if we as a community knew we all needed that extra light and hope. And what light and hope we had, we did our best to share and spread to those around us.
To continue in the spirit of spreading cheer, I’ve gathered some of the best places to view Christmas lights in Oregon this holiday season.
Post updated November 6th, 2025.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small fee from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Peacock Lane
Located in the Belmont District, Peacock Lane is a Portland holiday icon. These four residential blocks stretch between Stark and Belmont, lined with the character and class of 1920’s and 30’s English style cottages, Tudors, and Colonial revivals. Today, the neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
And every December, Peacock Lane residents deck their street with a festive holiday glow you won’t want to miss. Each house has its own themed light display, from a gingerbread house to Home Alone, and Doctor Who to The Grinch! Some houses even offer fun photos ops.
Peacock Lane residents have now faithfully carried on this holiday tradition since the 1920’s, even as home owners have come and gone. The only interruptions being World War II, during electricity rationing, and the more recent Covid Pandemic. And with it’s long running history, Peacock Lane has earned itself the title of Portland’s Christmas Street.
Although you’re welcome to walk down the lane any time during the event, the first two nights are typically pedestrians only. The rest of the event is open to drive through.
Dates: December 15th to December 31st, 2025, 6 pm to 11 pm, December 19th & 20th are pedestrians-only nights
Price: Free
TIP: Visit after December 25th for smaller crowds.
White Stag Sign and Martini Glass
These holiday lights aren’t exactly an event of their own, but they’re certainly cherished Portland traditions. Watch for them as you’re out and about in Portland this season!
The White Stag Sign, or Portland Oregon Sign, gets a bit of a maker over this time of year, with holiday colors and a Rudolph nose! You can get a great view of it as you cross westward over the Burnside Bridge.
The 30-foot tall Martini Glass shines up in the West Hills, a tradition for roughly fifty seasons now! Attached to a private residence, the custom has been handed down from one homeowner to the next. You can get a good view of the Martini Sign from various spots in Downtown Portland and surrounding neighborhoods.
Cost: Free
ZooLights at the Oregon Zoo
ZooLights at the Oregon Zoo is an entrancing animal-themed walk through experience, and a Portland holiday staple. So bundle up warm for a one-mile stroll through the zoo, as you marvel at the sparkling 1.5 million lights. The animals will all be tucked away warm and slumbering by this hour, but there’s still plenty to do and see.
Take time to stop and explore the food trucks, ride the carousel, and pause to take some fun photos. And be sure to make time for a ride on the light-adorned zoo train for a unique view of ZooLights. You can eat dinner, snack on elephant ears and kettle corn, or warm up with a hot coca. All in all, plan to spend about an hour and a half here.
Dates: November 21st, 2025, to January 4th, 2026, starting at 4:30 pm (closing time varies dependent on the night). There are a few nights this season that ZooLights will be closed, so check the zoo’s website for details.
Cost: $13-35/person. Prices vary through out the season. Check out the zoo’s website to find out about value nights. Although Zoo Lights is not included in your Zoo membership, a 20% discount is offered to Zoo members. Plus, there’s also a special members night November 16th, 2025.
TIP: You must purchase your tickets online in advance.
Winter Wonderland at the Portland International Raceway
Opening the day after Thanksgiving at the Portland International Raceway, this will be Winter Wonderland’s 33rd year running. Proceeds from this event go to the Sunshine Division, which provides healthy meals for Portland families in need, year round.
For bicyclists and dog-lovers, this year there will be three special car-free nights open to view the lights. Sunday November 30th is Bike the Lights Night. And Monday and Tuesday December 1st and 2nd are Lights & Leashes Nights.
Dates: November 28th to December 31st, 2025. Opening and closing times vary, depending on the night.
Cost: $38 to $85 per car, depending on car size and day of the week. Weekends and days closer to Christmas are more expensive. Check the website here for prices.
Admission is per person on car-free nights, $16 for adults, and $5 for kids 6-12; free for kids 5 and under. (These are all online prices; at-the-gate prices are about an additional $2 each.)
TIP: It’s best to attend this light show early in the evening, weeknights, or early in December. Peak times are later in the evening, weekends, and the week of Christmas, when wait times can be as long as an hour.
Lightopia in Hillsboro
Lightopia is a new Christmas light show as of 2021, founded by Hillsboro firefighters, bringing Christmas and meals to local families in need. It’s located in Hillsboro at the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex, right off highway US-26.
I find this light display to be the most enjoyable and relaxing, as this half mile, 15-20 minute drive-through is less trafficked compared to other light shows (for now, at least!).
This may be the last year we get to enjoy Lightopia in its original format, however! According to the city of Hillsboro, it sounds like the holiday event is slated for some big changes and updates in 2026. So be sure to check it out this year while you can.
Dates: December 9th to December 28th, 2025, open 5:30 to 8 pm (Monday through Thursday) and 5:30 to 9 pm (Friday through Sunday). Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Cost: This is a free event. However, you’re encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy or non-perishable food item. Donations will go to the Hillsboro Firefighters Toy & Joy Drive and the Hillsboro School District Food Pantry.
TIP: For the first time, no reservations are required!
Christmas Festival of Lights at The Grotto
This event is located at The Grotto, or the National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, in Northeast Portland. The Grotto covers 62 acres and is a shrine of the Roman Catholic Order of the Friar Servants of Mary. For the Christmas Festival of Lights, an astounding 2 million lights illuminate a quarter mile walk through the Grotto.
Spend the night enjoying the lights, outdoor Christmas carols, snacking on doughnuts and warming up with hot cocoa. Also, be sure to check out the online schedule, as concerts are offered indoors, every night of the event. You’ll want to plan to spend about an hour to an hour and a half here.
Dates: November 28th to December 30th, 2025 (Closed Christmas Day). Open 5 pm to 10 pm
Cost: $18.95 for adults (12 and older), $8.95 for children (3-11), free for children 2 and under. Order in advance online to save $1-2/ticket.
Pioneer Courthouse Square Tree Lighting Ceremony
Don’t miss the 41st annual tree lighting at Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland. It will take place the day after Thanksgiving, on November 28th, from 5:30 to 6:45 pm. At 75 feet tall, this Douglas fir will be a beautiful sight to see, and Santa himself will do the honors of lighting her up!
The event is back, live and in person, after going virtual during the pandemic. And this year, Thomas Lauderdale from Pink Martini will lead a holiday sing-a-long. So show up to spread some holiday cheer by singing loudly, so all can hear!
Date: Friday November 28th, 2025, 5:30-6:45 pm
Cost: Free
Portland Christmas Ships Parade
The Portland Christmas Ships Parade began with just one boat in 1954. Hosted by the Columbia and Willamette River fleets, it now includes 55 to 60 boats in the Christmas Ship Fleet.
There are multiple options for viewing this parade. You can simply find a spot to stand on the river bank and watch. However, a cozier option many people choose is to watch the parade from one of the restaurants or hotels that line the Columbia and Willamette Rivers in Portland.
If you visit the Christmas Ships Parade website, you’ll find a schedule listing the parade route, as well as good restaurants and hotels along the route. Just be sure to make your reservations early, as some may start to fill up as much as a year in advance!
Dates: December 4th to December 21st, 2025
Cost: Free. The Christmas Ships Parade is supported solely by donations, so if you go, considered making a donation online.
Santa Clones
This quirky Portland holiday tradition quickly became a favorite of mine. Not your typical light display, the Santa Clones is owned and organized by local artist, Chris Willis.
The collection was inspired by a gift his grandmother gave him one year, and has since grown to include roughly 450 of these vintage Santas! And ever since 2010, the Santa Clones mysteriously appear in a new Portland location each holiday season.
To find where the Santa Clones are hiding this season, follow Chris Willis on Instagram and read the captions. One of the captions will contain a poem holding clues as to their whereabouts!
It’s basically a holiday city-wide scavenger hunt! Just be sure not to spoil the fun for others—don’t give the riddle away once you find the Santa Clones. In the meantime happy hunting!
Cost: Free
Pittock Mansion Christmas: Home for the Holidays
Ok, so this is not exactly Christmas lights in Oregon, but Pittock Mansion has a beautiful holiday display each year. This year’s theme is “Home for the Holidays.” Explore Henry Pittock’s Mansion, elegantly decorated for the holidays, and catch a breathtaking view of Portland from the mansion’s grounds.
Dates: November 17th, 2025, to January 11th, 2026. Open 9:30 am to 4:30 pm Wednesday through Monday, and 12 pm to 4:30 pm on Tuesdays. (Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day)
Cost: $17 for adults, $13 for children, free for children 5 and under and to members
Silverton Christmas Market at the Oregon Garden Resort
The Silverton Christmas Market is an event that has got it all going on. Where do I even begin?! I suppose I’ll start with the Christmas lights, since this is a post about Christmas lights in Oregon, after all. The light display includes 1 million lights, starts at the Oregon Garden Resort main lodge, and winds through the grounds.
You can book an over night stay at the Oregon Garden Resort to make the most of the experience. Explore the traditional German Christmas Market, sip on some glühwein, meet Santa and Frosty, and go snowless tubing. There’s even a Biergarten serving local brews.
Click here to check availability at the Oregon Garden Resort.
Dates: November 21st, 2025, to December 31st, 2025, 5-9pm. Closed November 24-25, 27 and December 1-2, 8-9, and 24-25.
Cost: $15-25 for adults, $8-12 for children (6-12), free for children 5 and under. Week days are less expensive than weekends, and Silverton residents receive will receive a discount with proof of residence. Snowless tubing is $5-9. Parking starts at $12.
TIPS: Order tickets online in advance, as this event frequently sells out! Also, no cash is accepted at this event.
Winter Gleam PDX
Unfortunately, Winter Gleam at Oaks Amusement Park is not returning for the 2025 holiday season, although they do hope to return next year! Check back next holiday season, and I’ll keep you posted.
Magic of Lights at the Oregon State Fair and Expo Center
Salem’s Magic of Lights is held at the Oregon State Fair and Expo Center. This dazzling drive through display is just over a mile of sparkling lights, featuring beloved holiday characters and scenes. Spend a few extra dollars to purchase a Dash Pass, and skip the lines!
Dates: November 21st, 2025, to January 3rd, 2026, Monday-Thursday 5:30-9 pm, Friday-Sunday 5:30-10 pm, open until 10 pm nightly starting December 11th.
Cost: Santa Saver Discount is $23.81-$25.88/vehicle.
Yuletide in Seaside, Parade of Lights and Tree Lighting
Do something unique this holiday season and head out to the Oregon coast for a weekend of holiday cheer. The little coastal town of Seaside kicks off the holiday season in a big way with their Yuletide in Seaside Festival and Market.
Start the day at the Yuletide Market, where parents can shop for handmade artisan gifts, while the kids meet Santa and make crafts. Later that evening, the Seaside Parade of Lights starts on Necanicum Dr and moves through downtown Seaside. And the tree lighting takes place after the parade.
Date: November 28th, 2025. Parade starts at 7 pm, Tree Lighting at 7:30 pm. The holiday market is November 28th to 29th, 2025.
Cost: Free
Further Reading
I hope this guide to Christmas lights in Oregon was helpful. If you’re looking for Christmas lights in Washington, Flannels or Flip Flops has got you covered! Looking for more things to do in the PNW? Check out these 10 PNW travel blogs you need to read in 2022.
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