PDX Christmas - The Festival of Lights at The Grotto

The line at the Grotto was long. I don't know if that's because I got there right at opening, because it was the last night of the season, or because Michael Allen Harrison was going to be playing later - maybe it was all of the above - but it was long.

 I definitely saw the value of having purchased tickets in advance. Since I hadn't, I had to stand in a very long line waiting to get them, before then getting into another line to enter.

 I have to say, though, that everyone was pretty good about it. I assumed that most of the labor was volunteer. Some of it may have been paid, but everyone was really friendly, courteous, and helpful. I appreciated that.

 You can tell that a lot of thought has gone into the design.

 As you wind down the initial path, there is another procession alongside: a caravan of sheep, camels, and even people. Recordings play of scriptural passages from the Nativity story.

 Then there is the star, and a sky of angels, and the stable itself.

 That takes you to the main area, and there is plenty to do there.

 There are places to sit and listen to music and there are concessions. I glanced at these but did not really pay any attention.

 I was there for the lights.

 Mainly it was the way that they lit the trees, but also the way some things were hanging.

 There were the reindeer and other shapes as well.

All of that worked together. And honestly, without knowing how crowded or comfortable it gets, the $11 admission getting you a concert is pretty good.

But mainly I was there for the lights, and they were very beautiful.

https://thegrotto.org/christmas-festival-of-lights/