Festival of Light

Ashland, Ore — For 23 straight years the city of Ashland has kicked off the holiday season with a huge celebration.

The streets of Ashland were packed with families, small children on mom and dad’s shoulders, all gathering to grab a glimpse of Santa Claus and Misses Claus as the City of Ashland kicked off the holiday season with the Festival of Light.

For the 23rd year Ashland celebrated the holiday season with the annual Festival of Light.

“It really has helped the town in terms of just being a place that you might want to come, in being a season, it’s what the holidays are all about,” said Mary Gardiner.

Following the parade and a visit from Ol’ Saint Nick, the event organized by the Ashland Chamber of Commerce brought visitors near and far to the Ashland Plaza for the big event and with the lights on throughout the town, those in the crowd say it’s time for the holidays to begin.

The Chamber says they’ve been working with Ashland businesses to put the lights up for months now and they’ll stay on through the holiday season.

© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.

Matt Jordan is the Chief Meteorologist for KOBI-TV NBC5. Matt joined the NBC5 weather team in 2014 after a year as a reporter and anchor in Alexandria, Louisiana. His experience with the severe weather of the Deep South and a love of the Pacific Northwest led him to pursue a certification with Mississippi State University as a Broadcast Meteorologist. You can find Matt working in the evenings of NBC5 News at 5, 6 and 11 as well as online. Matt also has a degree in Journalism from the University of Oregon. In addition to being passionate about news and weather, Matt is a BIG Oregon Ducks fan. When not rooting for the Ducks or tracking down the next storm over the Pacific, Matt can be found outdoors in the Oregon wilderness with his wife, his daughter and their dogs Stanley and Gordi.
Skip to content