Making Sprits Bright 2023
Check back in the fall for more details about this year’s event!
Making Spirits Bright festivities begin on the first weekend in December!
Join us for the annual holiday parade, and WOU tree lighting, light decorating competition, Main Street Park holiday light displays and our first annual Monmouth Merry Market!
Or check out the activities that are happening all season long, including our annual light display competition!



Check out last year’s Schedule of Events
Friday December 2nd
Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting!
6pm: Holiday Light Parade and WOU’s Annual Tree Lighting
Celebrate the beginning of the holiday season on WOU’s campus with their 55th annual tree lighting and light parade! Enjoy Cocoa and Cider sponsored by Alumni relations next to the Sequoia tree while listening to guest speakers, celebrating essay contest winners, and watching the magnificent Tree lighting.
7:30 – 9pm: Holiday Activities in the Werner University Center
Come see Santa in the Werner University Center! And while you’re there hang out and enjoy more holiday activities including holiday cookie decorating!
Saturday, December 3rd
Monmouth’s Merry Market
8:30-10:30am: Friends of the Senior Center Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser
10am-3pm: Creative Kid’s Maker Market at the Monmouth Senior Community Center
Come support the youngest entrepreneurs in our community! Kids will be selling hand-crafted art, crafts, and more!
10am-4pm: Monmouth Merry Market
With 16 participating locations, you will be very merry that you joined us at our first
annual Monmouth’s Merry Market! Your favorite businesses will be hosting exclusive
vendors or specials during the market. The first customers to Monmouth’s Merry Market will get exclusive Making Spirits Bright giveaway. A special appearance from WOU’s acapella group, The West of Us, will be caroling around town to participating Monmouth’s Merry Market businesses!
Kids Craft with Ash Creek Arts Association
Come create a craft with your family! Prisms Art Gallery will be hosting a free kid’s craft during Monmouth’s Merry Market!
11:30am-1pm: Polk County Fire District #1 Chili & Cornbread Cook-Off
4:40pm: Santa’s Village and Light Displays at Main Street Park
7:30pm: Typhoon
Support the Smith Fine Arts series at WOU’s Rice Auditorium by coming to see a spectacular performance by Typhoon (Indie Rock Soundscapes).
Holiday Fun All Season Long
Make Monmouth Bright
Grab some hot cocoa and enjoy holiday light displays in Main Street Park nightly throughout the season. You can see more holiday light decorations throughout town as part of the Make Monmouth Bright Light Decorating Competition.
HOLIDAY GREENS SALE RETURNS!
The Monmouth Garden Club’s Holiday Greens Sale will be held Wednesday, November 30 at the Christ’s Church located at 412 Clay Street on the corner of Clay and Whitman.
Sale hours:
- Wednesday, Nov. 30 from 10 am – 6 pm
- Thursday, Dec. 1 from 10 am – 6 pm
- Friday, Dec. 2 from 10 am – noon
Fresh holiday wreaths, yule logs, table arrangements and holiday decor will be available to purchase. Proceeds go to community beautification projects!
Special orders can be placed at the Green Sale on Tuesday, Nov. 29th, or Wednesday, Nov. 30th from 10 am – 4 pm.
The Red Poppy Holidiay Maker’s Faire
November 25-December 23rd | 111 Warren St
Stop by the Red Poppy and check out amazing wood work, knitting, felting, prints, cards, paintings, and more!
THANK YOU
to our Making Spirits Bright! 2022 sponsors:
- City of Monmouth
- Western Oregon University
- Monmouth Business Association
- Monmouth Independence Chamber of Commerce
plus MaMere’s Guest House ∙ The Sippery ∙ Prism Gallery ∙ Lively Co ∙ Monmouth Senior and Community Center ∙ MANA Salon ∙ Main street ice cream parlor ∙ Farmers Insurance- Nathan Moore Agency ∙ Haugen’s Galleri Portrait Studio ∙ The Thoughts & Gifts Project ∙ The Red Poppy Studio and Gallery ∙ Maui Melts ∙ FireHouse Crossfit ∙ MINET ∙ Partnerships in Community Living, Inc ∙ Fee Mail Depot ∙ A New Leaf Tattoo Studio ∙ Community Life Church ∙ The Find ∙ Crush ∙ Bugles ∙ Mungo ∙ Dry Town ∙ Petals and Vines ∙ Monmouth Public Works ∙ Polk County Fire ∙ Sparklet Designs