Hillsboro gets a little brighter each winter, and this year is no different as the annual Winter Lighting has begun, bringing a vibrant touch to the Downtown and Cultural Arts District. To beckon the community to local businesses during the increasingly longer nights, the city has decked out several areas with a display of lights that will shine through March.
The Winter Lighting focuses on three main areas: the Downtown Civic Center, the 10th Avenue/Calle Diez area, and M&M Marketplace. At the city's cultural heart, the Hillsboro Civic Center features freestanding holiday decorations. At the same time, street trees along Main Street and nearby avenues twinkle merrily, inviting locals to shop and dine in a charming atmosphere. In the 10th Avenue/Calle Diez area, over 4,500 multi-colored lights bring a festive glow to the Shute Park Campus, casting a cheerful light on trees near the Shute Park Library and the Hillsboro Community Senior Center and illuminating the adjacent parking lots. Even the building façades along 10th Avenue join the celebration with outlining, twinkling lights.
A new touch has been added to the M&M Marketplace. Special lights installed along the roofline complement a freshly painted mural, infusing an extra measure of warmth into the marketplace. According to a Hillsboro announcement, the lighting enhancement has returned for its fourth year after receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from business owners and the community.
Businesses and patrons alike express their appreciation for the initiative. "The lighting around the Shute Park Campus is bright, cheerful, and creates a fun, festive atmosphere," Melissa Thompson, Hillsboro Community Senior Center Manager, told the city's news release. In addition to brightening the nights, the lights play a practical role. They increase nighttime visibility, making it safer and more inviting for residents to support local businesses. Prakash Patel, a local business owner, celebrates the inclusion of his business, the Dunes Motel, in the festive lighting, stating, "Our family has owned the Dunes Motel for over 30 years and it’s nice to see how a simple decoration, such as roofline lights, can help bring the community together and help get everybody in the holiday spirit."
The City of Hillsboro has collaborated with C&D Landscape Co to install the seasonal lighting, continuing a tradition that aims to blend aesthetics, community spirit, and economic support. This local landscape company brings experience from setting up the annual Lightopia event at the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex, ensuring the Winter Lighting spectacle is professional and captivating.
