Willow Lights in Nipomo providing families a fun-filled Christmas festival
NIPOMO, Calif. -- A unique Christmas market festival in Nipomo is once again offering Central Coast families a fun-filled holiday experience.
Now in its fourth year, Willow Lights is now entering its last weekend during the Christmas season.
"Willow Lights is a small town community Christmas event," said event director Desi Ortiz. "Somebody explained it to us like a set out of Hallmark movie. There is definitely a sense of a community here."
The marketplace is located along Willow Road, near the intersection of Hetrick Ave., just west of Highway 101 at the Willow Road exit.
"You are going to see a lot of Christmas lights," said vendor Christopher Wilson. "If you're not in the Christmas spirit. It will put you in the Christmas spirit. It's a magical experience."
It features a number of family-oriented attractions, including light displays, a train ride, frequent snowstorms, food, drinks and shopping.
"We transform the barn into shopping area with very unique gifts that people won't find anywhere else," said Ortiz. "The outside courtyard, several local restaurants are represented, and probably our most popular attraction is our train ride where families load up and take a tour of the property to see the lights."
Willow Lights is held each year by Power of God Christian Center in Santa Maria, and was created to honor its Founder, Pastor, and Patriarch Pastor Salvador Ortiz, Jr., who died in 2014.
"This is a memorial for my dad," said Ortiz. "We were doing to do this together back in 2014, and sadly that year, he passed away. The idea stuck in my head since then and finally in 2018, we got a couple of friends together and decided to try it and see what happens."
The first event turned out to be such a rousing success, it's not only been held each year since, it continues to grow bigger and bigger.
"We love having people and hosting them and having that sense of community," said Ortiz.
The festival has been held each Friday-Sunday all month long, but will conclude for the year this coming Sunday, Dec. 19.
Hours of operation are 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Willow Lights is free to attend, but organizers are happy to accept a donation when visitors enter the park.
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