Newberg Christmas Light Route Announced

See full Newberg Christmas Light Map here

When the days get shorter and darker, the lights come on around Newberg. And just in time for the holidays, a group in town organized the best outdoor light shows for families to enjoy while raising money for nonprofits.

The Newberg Christmas Light Route, an unofficial organization organized by Newberg resident Gina Kluver, announced its map for 2023 which includes 17 locations around town with external holiday-themed decorations celebrating the season.

“I started the route Christmas of 2021 in the midst of COVID as a family-friendly and free activity with the hopes of spreading some Christmas cheer to those in and around the community,” Kluver wrote on the group’s Facebook page.

While the lights are the main attraction, the Christmas Light Route also organizes a free scavenger hunt for children tracking down the decorated houses on the map. Visitors to certain houses on the map marked with red holiday light bulbs will find a stamp which they use to mark a paper tree families can print at home.

After the tree is filled with six unique stamps, families can email a photo of the filled tree to newbergchristmaslightroute@gmail.com to be entered into a prize drawing. The prize is a collection of gift cards provided by Kluver, which she purchases with donations to the light route. Community members interested in sending a donation can send money using the Venmo app to the account @Newberg-Christmas-Light-Route.

Houses on the route can also offer fun additions like mailboxes where children can send letters to Santa. Others, like Kendall and Chris Ekerson’s Hawthorne Loop Light Show, use their elaborate light shows to raise money and donations for charities.

“We love Christmas and with little kids, we try to make it magical,” Kendall said. “We have put up regular lights every year, always trying to add more as we go.”

The Ekersons co-own Simply Affordable Roofing and said they’ve been interested in creating elaborate light shows every year. This past August, they decided to dive in and make a full light show in front of their house, which syncs with a holiday music playlist they have playing through a FM radio transmitter so drivers can tune in and watch as the lights bounce with the tunes.

“[Chris] has put in countless hours to make this all come together,” Kendall said. “So much goes in to making these displays work. The running joke is that I called him a ‘grinch’ our first year of marriage and he has been out to prove me wrong ever since. He truly has outdone himself.”

The Ekersons are using the funds to raise money and donations for two causes close to their hearts: the Alzheimer’s Association and A Family Place. Kendall said the’ve had multiple family members affected by Alzheimer’s, and they’ve been supporting the Alzheimer’s Association for over 10 years.

They added a diaper drive for A Family Place after an event at the Chamber of Commerce, where she learned “just what one pack of diapers can do for a family.”

“That is a necessity that no family should ever struggle to get,” Kendall said. “This year as a business we decided to do a diaper drive as well and as a family we decided to add on this element as something easy that people can purchase and then simply drop off at our home while viewing lights.

“We believe that Christmas is about giving and blessing those around us and so this year this is how we have chosen to do that. We hope to continue for many years to come.”

Newberg Christmas Light Route 2023

Locations are listed in proximity to each other. See full, interactive map here.

• 31727 NE WIlsonville Road (The North Pole at Eagle Crest) — raising money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
• 157 Link Court
• The Greens Neighborhood
• Haworth Avenue
• 1202 Hawthorne Loop — raising money for Alzheimer’s Association and A Family Place
• 810 Sitka Avenue
• 1001 Hillsdale Drive
• 609 Lewis Court
• 3867 Morris Street
• 205 Chandler Drive
• 2417 Heritage Way
• Heritage Way/Banner/Roger Smith Loop
• Mission Drive/Rentfrow Way
• 9990 NE Trillium Lane (Mr. Christmas Light Display)
• 102 East 5th Street — raising money for Juliette’s House
• 209 South Center Street — raising money for Animal Rescue Center
• 815 South Chehalem Street

The map also includes the Chehalem Cultural Center‘s courtyard, where the town’s holiday tree resides, as well as The Kelly Group‘s Kellyland winter decorations.

“This event has brought me personally, so much joy as I have been able to connect with other community members and see people come together to enjoy the lights,” Kluver wrote on Facebook. “I am looking forward to getting things started once again! Thank you for your support.”

Find the original Newberg Christmas Light Route post here, which details the information for the scavenger hunt and ways to donate to the prize pool.