New LEDs decorate downtown, with more holiday harbor lights to come next month

Peace Portal Drive in downtown Blaine is already looking festive with new holiday lights, and more lighting is on the way. The lights are funded through a fundraising campaign orchestrated by the city of Blaine, the Blaine Chamber of Commerce, Wildbird Charity and The Northern Light.

Bellingham-based Northern Lights Holiday and Event Lighting installed the first round of lights, LEDs with the ability to change colors, on smaller trees along four blocks of Peace Portal Drive last week. Those lights were initially purple, but the color will likely change about once a week, said Alex Wenger, city of Blaine economic development and tourism coordinator.

WECU aided the first round of donations with a $6,500 donation, according to a press release from the city.

As of November 17, the Holiday Harbor Lights fundraiser had raised about $12,000 and was about halfway to funding a second round of lights, which will be enough to wrap every tree in the four-block section of Peace Portal Drive.

Also, larger pole-mounted nautical themed light decorations in the spirit of “Blaine by the Sea” will go up early next month, along with the city’s snowflake lights and Christmas tree.

“It’s been a lot of fun and it’s great to bring some cheer in to downtown Blaine,” Wenger said. “We received a lot of compliments on it and that’s always nice to hear.”

To donate, visit wildbirdcharity.org. Since Wildbird Charity is a nonprofit, donations are tax-deductible. Wildbird Charity will donate the lights to the city so that they can go up year after year, according to the city’s press release.