With the holiday season fast approaching, what better way to celebrate than with Lights! That’s right, Boothbay Lights is right around the corner and although there have been many changes to the season, we are still looking forward to being able to celebrate a safe and healthy, socially distanced holiday while still rejoicing in the holiday spirit. The Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce has been working diligently with the Boothbay Lights in our new collaborative partnership, looking to bring the best the region has to offer during the holiday season.

As mentioned, the schedule of events has been through a lot of changes and we anticipate there could be more as the season progresses, so we ask everyone for patience and understanding during this holiday season. Our number one priority during Boothbay Lights will be that everyone stay healthy and safe, and because of that we may have to make some adjustments to our schedule of events along the way. Please always check websites or call for updated information.

Gardens Aglow kicks off Boothbay Lights with Community Night on Friday, Nov. 20 and the first night of Gardens Aglow for the general public is on Saturday, Nov. 21 and runs until Jan. 2. With a unique experience for the first time this year, the drive through light show will sure to be entertaining for all senses. Crank up the holiday tunes in your car as you enjoy the lights. For more information, please visit www.mainegardens.org and while we kick off Gardens Aglow, remember to head downtown to shop the sales during Early Bird on Nov. 21.

Saturday, Nov. 21 is the East Side Waterfront Park Holiday Ornament Decorating Contest: drive-thru to pick up ornament and wave to Santa! 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Drop off ornaments drive -thru on Saturday, Dec, 5, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at East Side Waterfront Park with elves for the holiday ornament contest.

Nov 28 - Shop Local Small Business Saturday - All day!

A new event! On Saturday, Nov. 28 at 4 p.m., we will have the first Fire Truck Parade and Contest! With local departments extending the challenge to other companies in the Midcoast region, we are looking forward to a healthy competition between firehouses! The parade starts from the Boothbay Common at 4 p.m. and will loop down through town before returning back to the Common. Be sure to catch a glimpse of the parade, cast your vote for your favorite, and keep an eye out for Santa! While your waiting for the decorated trucks to parade through town, many merchants will be participating in Small Business Saturday, get out and support our local merchants.

During the whole month of December, Boothbay Region Land Trust will hold a Storywalk. Walk through a wintry story along a 1/2 mile stretch at Oak Point Farm. 60 Samoset Rd, Boothbay Harbor.

The Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library will help bring Santa’s visit to the harbor on Saturday, Dec. 5. His jolly elves, Olaf and the Christmas Lobster will help welcome Santa to town for our social distanced drive-thru experience in the Whale Park from 1-3 p.m. Santa will also have his mailbox with him for letters that still need to make it to the North Pole, so don’t forget to bring your letter and drop it off with the big guy himself! (Hint: remember to include your return address on the envelope). He has mentioned how happy he is to still have the opportunity to see some children this holiday season and he and Mrs. Claus look forward to seeing everyone safely from their vehicles.

The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor will be sharing the delightful gingerbread creations of those crafty builders at the Gingerbread Spectacular beginning Wednesday, Dec. 2 through Saturday, Dec. 5. Due to current COVID-19 precautions, there will be a limit to the number of guests in the exhibit, and face masks are required while inside the Opera House. We look forward to seeing this exhibit every year, as there are some master amateur architects and builders in the region, showing off their skills and we thank the Opera House at Boothbay Harbor for extending this exhibit for an extra day to accommodate visitors.

The Lighted Boat Parade and Sparkle Fireworks are scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 12 with the Boat Parade beginning at 6:45 p.m. and the Fireworks at 7:30, all in the inner harbor. The boat parade will enter the harbor from the west, travel clockwise around the inner harbor and over to the east side where the fleet will be blessed by our local clergy. Turn to the sky at 7:30 as the Sparkle Fireworks will light up the sky! Make sure you find a great viewing place to take it all in! The Lighted Boat parade judges will award three cash prizes: 1st place $300, 2nd place $200, and 3rd place $100, not to mention that each participating vessel will receive $50 in cash for participation! If you’re interested in registering for the parade, please contact the Chamber of Commerce at 633-2353. We anticipate a chilly night in December and will remind viewers (along with additional signage) that we ask people to adhere to social distancing guidelines while in the Whale Park or on the Footbridge viewing such activities.

Businesses of the region, don’t forget to light up your window displays for the Annual Window Decorating Contest hosted by the Chamber of Commerce. This year we will be asking the public to cast their votes for the chance to win 1st place $200, 2nd place $100, and 3rd place $50. Be sure to register by Nov. 25 by calling the Chamber at 633-2353. And if you have visitors in the region asking for information during Gardens Aglow, you can always direct them to the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce’s building, where they will be offering extended hours during this Boothbay Lights season. Stay tuned for an updated schedule of extended hours coming soon.

Photo opportunities are at the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce, Whale Park, Boothbay Common and Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library.

Even during these challenging times, we are all excited to bring to you the 2020 season of Boothbay Lights. This would not be possible without the support of the members in our community, which includes individuals and our sponsors. This year, we are excited to have First National Bank as our Lead Community Sponsor for 2020. The First continues to be a strong supporter of the Boothbay region and we thank them for their sponsorship this season. We also would like to thank Tindal and Callahan Real Estate and Knickerbocker Group as additional sponsors to Boothbay Lights, supporters since the very beginning! And a very special thank you to Paul Coulombe for his generous donation for the 2020 season of Boothbay Lights.

In other exciting news related to Boothbay Lights, the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce applied for an Enterprise Tourism Marketing Grant and was rewarded with the prize from the Maine Office of Tourism. It has always been the mission of Boothbay Lights to help promote and marketing the region during the holiday season, and this award will help us by updating our social media and website platforms, especially as we blend the Boothbay Lights back into the Chamber of Commerce. We also will utilize the grant to update our photography collection for future marketing purposes as we look toward the future of Boothbay Lights and continue to build the experience for our visitors. We thank the Maine Office of Tourism for this opportunity to grow the most magical time of year.

This article has been updated since its original posting date.