The other day, my kids, husband and I were driving in our minivan. “What’s your favorite holiday?” Edie asked everyone. While Hubs hemmed and hawed, I had an immediate answer: Christmas. (because obviously.) I love carols, I love the smell of evergreens, I love wrapping presents, and I definitely love Christmas lights. I also love visiting one of my favorite places to see Oregon Christmas lights: Christmas in the Garden in Silverton, OR.
There’s nothing quite like an epic lights display to get you in the holiday spirit. That’s for sure the case at Christmas in the Garden, where the grounds of the Oregon Garden Resort are set atwinkle with literally a million lights. In addition, you’ll enjoy wandering the European-style Christmas market, where you can buy everything from nutcrackers to schnitzel sandwiches.
The Oregon Garden Christmas lights, which have been renamed the Silverton Christmas Market this year, are simply magical. My kids’ eyes were as big and round as ornaments as they took in all the twinkly displays. (I think they loved the rainbow light tunnel the best but it’s hard to say!)
If you’re looking for a Christmas event near Portland or Salem, OR, then skeedaddle your way to Christmas in the Garden.
To give you a sense of what to expect, read on! I’ll cover the Christmas in the Garden lights and displays, the Christmas market, ice skating, the beer garden and more. Have so much fun, and happy light peeping!
Christmas in the Garden near Portland, Oregon
Other Oregon Christmas lights displays got nothin’ on Christmas in the Garden / Silverton Christmas Market. A million lights definitely make the season merry and bright.
In addition to Christmas lights, you’ll find fire pits throughout the grounds. My kids and I loved pausing at these spots to warm our hands. (You’ll want to dress warmly, of course, but little hands get cold easily, even in mittens.) You can also get toasty in partially enclosed warming stations. These warming stations have seats where you can sit. My kids wanted to rest awhile, which gave their legs enough energy to explore the rest of the Christmas in the Garden displays.
The lights display and Oregon Christmas market are located in Silverton, OR. If you’ve explored this part of Oregon, you may know Silverton because it’s home to Silver Falls State Park, one of the prettiest spots to see waterfalls in the area. Oregon Garden Resort, where Christmas in the Garden / Silverton Christmas Market is held, is just an hour drive from Portland.
Its name change to Silverton Christmas Market isn’t the only different thing this year (updated 2021). The owners have also taken out one part of the usual Christmas lights route, I’m guessing to limit back-and-forth traffic in order to reduce exposure to the ‘rona. They extended the path in another direction to increase the total length—and make more room for more lights, naturally. In addition, tickets are not sold at the door: You’ll need to buy tickets online in advance.
Beautiful Oregon Garden lights
The Oregon Garden lights are some of my favorite in the state. The displays are beautiful and big—and we had such a great time!
One of the things I like about the Christmas lights display is that there’s so much room to explore. We wandered for more than an hour throughout the displays.
Different areas had different themes, like Whoville and Rainbow Land. My kids liked the story book area, where they saw an enormous princess castle—at least that’s what they informed me it was.
Christmas in the Garden (remember, which is now called Silverton Christmas Market) also has plenty of interactive areas. We walked through Christmas light tunnels and into oversized ornament structures.
Keep an eye out for Krampus, too. Thankfully a live Krampus wasn’t in attendance when we visited this holiday lights display near Portland, but I did spy a Krampus made of red lights. Spooky!
Ice skating at the Oregon Garden
An indoor ice skating rink helps families pretend they’re at the North Pole, leisurely skating while waiting for Santa. (Just me? Doesn’t everyone imagine that when they’re ice skating?)
The holiday ice skating rink is ringed by seats so non-skaters can watch. Little ones who are wobbly can use skating supports so they spend more time skating and less time plonking on their tushies.
Be prepared for the steep cost of skating. When we went, skating cost $20 per person, which included skate rentals. (Admission is $15 if you bring your own skates, but then you’ll have to carry them throughout the Christmas light displays.) The cost was why I decided to not skate, which my kids literally cried about—until I promised to take them skating back in Portland.
2021 update: This year, there is no ice skating at Christmas in the Garden / Silverton Christmas Market. I hope that the ice rink will be back next year!
Biergarten at Christmas in the Garden
An event in Oregon is hardly an event unless it has craft beer on tap. So it is no surprise that Christmas in the Garden / Silverton Christmas Market has a beer garden (that’s biergarten for those of you channeling the European Christmas market vibe).
Folks 21 and up can lift a glass to the holidays; even kids can take a break in the beer garden tent with their grownups, since the beer garden is kid-friendly. Space heaters keep the inside toasty. I’m not sure exactly what beers are on tap, but they’ll be pouring locally crafted brews.
You can also listen to live bands in the beer garden tent. Taste your way through Oregon beers, then head back out to enjoy the Oregon Christmas lights.
Photos with Santa
If you and your family want to get a photo with the Big Guy, you’ll want to visit Christmas in the Garden by December 23. After that point, he’ll need to return to the North Pole to get ready for his big trip, naturally.
Look for Santa next to the booths in the Christmas Market.
Silverton Christmas Market, Oregon
In 2021, Christmas in the Garden was renamed the Silverton Christmas Market. Not everyone has yet caught on, and most people still call it the Christmas in the Garden, or the Oregon Garden lights. Whatever you call it, though, it’s a fun thing to do for the holidays near Portland and Salem, OR!
In addition to all the Christmas lights, you’ll also find handcrafts shops and food. My kids and I enjoyed walking among the booths to check out hand-knit hats, blown glass ornaments, homemade soaps and many more gifts. We’d already done all our holiday shopping by the time we went to the Silverton Christmas Market, but it was fun to browse.
You’ll also find food and drink booths throughout the market, in addition to the beer garden. The food booths mainly sell German foods, such as sausage and schnitzel, as well as pretzels and potato salad. They also sell kid-friendly fare, such as hot dogs and applesauce. The food booths sell beer as well.
We bought hot cocoa and hot cider. It was so cozy to sip a hot drink while walking among the Christmas lights!
Make sure to bring credit or debit cards, as the Christmas market booths do not accept cash.
FAQs: How to visit Christmas at the Garden
Admission to Christmas at the Garden in Oregon varies, depending on what day you attend. Tickets cost up to $15 on Monday through Wednesday and $18 on Thursday through Sunday. Children 5 and under are free. Silverton residents get a discount.
Yes. VIP parking, which must be reserved in advance, costs $15 per car. General parking on the Oregon Garden Resort grounds costs $10. (You’ll still need to walk a ways when parking at the resort.) You can also park for free at Robert Frost Elementary or Silverton High School, then ride the free shuttle to the Christmas in the Garden entrance.
Yes! Dogs are allowed at Christmas in the Garden / Silverton Christmas Market. They must be kept on leash at all times. That said, think carefully about whether your dog will enjoy the holiday event. My own dogs, for example, would be totally freaked out by all the people and lights. Know that the free parking shuttles do not allow pets.
The paths throughout Christmas in the Garden / Silverton Christmas market are ADA accessible. Paths are wide and flat. They’re gravel paths, so consider if that is going to work for your accessibility needs.
Ready to celebrate the holidays at Christmas in the Garden? Get your tickets while the event runs, from November 16, 2021 through January 9, 2022. (The event is closed Christmas Even and Christmas Day, December 24 and 25.)
Hop on the Christmas market craze! Have fun, and pin this post so you don’t forget about this fun Oregon Christmas lights display!
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A small indoor ice skating rink makes Christmas in the Garden feel even more festive. We didn’t skate when my kids and I went to see the Oregon Garden lights, but we did watch for a bit.
The ice skating rink was very kid friendly. The rink had supports kids could use if they were unsteady. My own kids liked how the lights inside changed colors. It was as if the Oregon Garden Christmas lights experience kept going inside the skating rink!
Be prepared for the steep cost of skating. When we went, skating cost $20 per person, which included skate rentals. (Admission is $15 if you bring your own skates, but then you’ll have to carry them throughout the Christmas light displays.) The cost was why I decided to not skate, which my kids literally cried about—until I promised to take them skating back in Portland.
2021 update: This year, there is no ice skating at Christmas in the Garden / Silverton Christmas Market. I hope that the ice rink will be back next year!
Biergarten at Christmas in the Garden
An event in Oregon is hardly an event unless it has craft beer on tap. So it is no surprise that Christmas in the Garden / Silverton Christmas Market has a beer garden (that’s biergarten for those of you channeling the European Christmas market vibe).
Folks 21 and up can lift a glass to the holidays; even kids can take a break in the beer garden tent with their grownups, since the beer garden is kid-friendly. Space heaters keep the inside toasty. I’m not sure exactly what beers are on tap, but they’ll be pouring locally crafted brews.
You can also listen to live bands in the beer garden tent. Taste your way through Oregon beers, then head back out to enjoy the Oregon Christmas lights.
Photos with Santa
If you and your family want to get a photo with the Big Guy, you’ll want to visit Christmas in the Garden by December 23. After that point, he’ll need to return to the North Pole to get ready for his big trip, naturally.
Look for Santa next to the booths in the Christmas Market.
Silverton Christmas Market, Oregon
In 2021, Christmas in the Garden was renamed the Silverton Christmas Market. Not everyone has yet caught on, and most people still call it the Christmas in the Garden, or the Oregon Garden lights. Whatever you call it, though, it’s a fun thing to do for the holidays near Portland and Salem, OR!
In addition to all the Christmas lights, you’ll also find handcrafts shops and food. My kids and I enjoyed walking among the booths to check out hand-knit hats, blown glass ornaments, homemade soaps and many more gifts. We’d already done all our holiday shopping by the time we went to the Silverton Christmas Market, but it was fun to browse.
You’ll also find food and drink booths throughout the market, in addition to the beer garden. The food booths mainly sell German foods, such as sausage and schnitzel, as well as pretzels and potato salad. They also sell kid-friendly fare, such as hot dogs and applesauce. The food booths sell beer as well.
We bought hot cocoa and hot cider. It was so cozy to sip a hot drink while walking among the Christmas lights!
Make sure to bring credit or debit cards, as the booths do not accept cash.
FAQs: How to visit Christmas at the Garden
Admission to Christmas at the Garden in Oregon varies, depending on what day you attend. Tickets cost up to $15 on Monday through Wednesday and $18 on Thursday through Sunday. Children 5 and under are free. Silverton residents get a discount.
Yes. VIP parking, which must be reserved in advance, costs $15 per car. General parking on the Oregon Garden Resort grounds costs $10. (You’ll still need to walk a ways when parking at the resort.) You can also park for free at Robert Frost Elementary or Silverton High School, then ride the free shuttle to the Christmas in the Garden entrance.
Yes! Dogs are allowed at Christmas in the Garden / Silverton Christmas Market. They must be kept on leash at all times. That said, think carefully about whether your dog will enjoy the holiday event. My own dogs, for example, would be totally freaked out by all the people and lights. Know that the free parking shuttles do not allow pets.
The paths throughout Christmas in the Garden / Silverton Christmas market are ADA accessible. Paths are wide and flat. They’re gravel paths, so consider if that is going to work for your accessibility needs.
Ready to celebrate the holidays at Christmas in the Garden? Get your tickets while the event runs, from November 16, 2021 through January 9, 2022. (The event is closed Christmas Even and Christmas Day, December 24 and 25.)
Hop on the Christmas market craze! Have fun, and pin this post so you don’t forget about this fun Oregon Christmas lights display!
I’m also a big fan of the holiday season and I’d love to visit just to see the light display alone. You’ve listed a plethora of things to do which have peaked my interest. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome Lenore, happy to share. And happy holidays!
I am absolutely in awe of these light displays. I wish I lived closer to Oregon! The ice skating tent looks so cozy as well. Thank you for sharing!
This looks like a really cool light display place! And I love that there’s ice skating, too! My kids always want to ice skate 🙂
Same! My kids love ice skating.
I love all things Christmas lights! I’ve already done two experiences just like this in Austin and Houston so far this year 🙂. The Silverton Christmas Market looks like such a fun spot to get into the holiday spirit! If I’m ever in the area this time of year, I will definitely check this out. Thanks for sharing! Xx Sara
So glad you enjoyed the post – and are getting to see Christmas lights in your area too!
What a festive way to get the family into the holiday spirit!
For sure! My kids loved the lights at Christmas in the Garden!
This definitely sounds like my kind of place. What a wonderful way to enjoy the holiday season
Oh for sure! These Oregon holiday lights are absolutely worth seeing.
I love light displays that you can walk through instead of just driving past. This looks like so much fun to do with the family, especially in the snow!
Same! I appreciate getting to walk through holiday lights displays even more since last year so many were canceled.
I love going out to see beautiful lights ahead of Christmas! This one looks so gorgeous, and the skating looks so fun. Thanks for sharing!
So happy you liked the Oregon Christmas lights, Erin! Thanks for reading 🙂
Christmas lights are definitely one of my favorite parts of the season! I love when a lot of effort is put into a display!
Me too!! I’m always so impressed by what they can create with lights.
I love the holiday season and these lights look amazing. The skating looks so much fun. I’m going next week in New York.
Ooh fun! Seeing holiday lights is such a fun way to celebrate the holidays when you travel!
These Christmas lights in Oregon look absolutely magical! What a wonderful event to get you in the Christmas spirit! I’d love to visit! Thanks for the great guide!