By Melissa Wagoner
Silverton’s newest mural is a bit off the beaten track, but definitely worth the trip. Located at the Oregon Garden Resort, this 40-foot tribute to all things Christmas, is the latest creation of prolific muralist, Lori Rodrigues, and a focal point for the upcoming Silverton Christmas Market.
“Learning about the ideas for the market really drew me in,” Rodrigues said of the influence the event’s theme, the traditional German Christmas market, had on the mural’s design.
“I twisted the German aspect and the Silverton aspect, which transported it into the fantasy realm,” Rodrigues said, describing the freedom that allowed her to marry Silverton’s iconic Wolf Building and covered bridge with Germany’s snow-capped mountains and foreign street names.
“I thought of the Wolf Building because Adolf Wolf was Austrian,” Rodrigues said of her choice to include that structure.
It’s these details – the names of the villages whose glass ornaments will be sold in the festival’s market, the lighted tree (so similar to the one in Town Square Park) and even Bobbie the Wonder Dog prancing through the snow – that make the viewer feel simultaneously at home and transported to another land.
“It truly feels like you’re in another town,” Karalyn Demarest, the Public Relations Coordinator for Moonstone Hotels – the resort’s owners, confirmed. She added that this home-away-from-home sensation is precisely the effect organizers are aiming for throughout the entire event. “It’s a great way to hang out with your family and have a holiday time.”
Open now through Jan. 9, the Silverton Christmas Market – previously known as Christmas at the Garden before it was moved to the grounds of the resort – will feature over a million lights, live music and carolers, visits from Santa, snowless tubing, traditional German cuisine, a biergarten and a plethora of holiday gifts.
“We’ll have lots of new displays,” Demarest said, naming a light section dedicated to Krampus – the wicked helper of St. Nicholas from German folklore – among the additions. “And I love that there will be local vendors in there, too.”
Although the festival takes place on the grounds of a hotel, organizers hope people from the Silverton area will feel welcome as well.
“We will have Tubing for Schools on Tuesday nights,” Demarest said, describing a weekly event raising funds for area schools. And Silverton residents, with proof of residency, will receive a discounted entrance fee.
“If you have attended Christmas in the Garden in the past and loved it, you are going to be mesmerized by the Silverton Christmas Market,” event manager Brooke Dickenson said in a press release. “Overall, it will be a better layout and guest experience. Also, we’re really excited to show off the gorgeous Silverton Christmas Market mural!”
Silverton Christmas Market
Holiday lights, snowless tubing, Santa visits, live music, German cuisine and a biergarten on the grounds of the Oregon Garden Resort. Now through Jan. 9.
Tickets on sale at www.silvertonchristmasmarket.com
Discount for Silverton residents
Tubing for Schools on Tuesday nights
