Come enjoy the decorated boats in the harbor, the lighting of the tree in front of Port Orchard City Hall, hay rides, choirs, the Pooch n’ Purr Pet Parade, free Christmas movie at the Dragonfly Cinema, the arrival of Santa on a vintage fire engine, a Dance Recital, the SKHS Marching Band, crafts at the Library, photos with Santa, lots of treats, and much more!

As the Festival of Chimes and Lights eases comfortably into our 17th year, there is little comparison to the original. The year was 1998; community leaders held a holiday celebration to show off our new clock tower chimes and invited the citizens downtown for Christmas carols and seasonal merriment. The festival, which is still centered on City Hall, Bay Street, and most of downtown Port Orchard, each year announces the arrival of Santa in some unique way. This year the Jolly Old Man arrives on a vintage fire truck with lights and sirens blazing. Although the festival and town have grown over the years, the event’s small town flavor remains.

In 2011 we added the very popular Jingle Bell Run/Walk (JBRW) for arthritis. Now in 2015, the fifth annual run, already a local favorite, is bigger and better than ever. Port Orchard is only the 5th community in the state to be awarded a JBRW event, putting us in some pretty select company, including Seattle and Spokane.

If you haven’t attended Chimes and Lights and enjoyed the spectacular display of Christmas lights throughout the downtown, maybe this is your year! Bay Street becomes a wonderland for families with activities for kids of all ages. The key is to dress warm, and then come experience a holiday celebration so charming; you’ll feel like you’re in a movie! Really, you’ll love it!