Castle Rock Festival of Lights
Tree Lighting and Parade
December each year
Free pictures with Santa start at 3:30.
Hometown Parade will start at 5:30, with tree lighting ceremony to follow.
Santa will hang around for pictures until about 7:30pm!
When:  Saturday, December 2019

Castle Rock Festival of lights is an amazing family friendly event each December.
Claim a spot of sidewalk along Cowlitz St. or Front Ave. for the hometown parade, starting at 5:30pm. A very well decked-out Castle Rock Fire Department, several local businesses. Following the parade, the official tree lighting ceremony will begin near the Post Office at 126 W Cowlitz St. Santa will lead the countdown and we’ll flip the switch, illuminating the charming downtown with thousands of glittering lights. Following the lighting ceremony, the Castle Rock High School band and the Castle Rock Men’s Ensemble will lead the crowd in classic Christmas Carols. Businesses will be decked out, each trying to win the coveted Best Decorated Storefront award. The committee also encourages attendees to come early and stay late to enjoy restaurant and shopping specials throughout town, on both exit 48 and 49. Festival goers can also enter to win fantastic raffle prizes being drawn the night of the celebration.
And of course, Santa will be making his annual stop for free pictures with all the good little boys and girls, inside the Visitors Center located at 147 Front Ave.
Whether this is your first year, or your 8th year, you are sure to have yourself a merry little Festival of Lights. There’s a lot to do in this little town! For complete details and a schedule of events, please visit the Castle Rock Festival of Lights Facebook page.

Castle Rock MX, promoting Northwest, family friendly racing at Riverdale Raceway. First race of the year, July 18, the 2nd annual Summer Classic

Mt St Helens Visitor Center is a world-class facility located on the western shore of Silver Lake. With its high ceilings and massive windows, the outdoors becomes a part of the architecture. Your senses will come alive as you enjoy the interactive exhibits, a step-in model of the volcano and theater programs that are offered twice an hour. Outside, a mile-long trail takes you into marshy plains surrounding Silver Lake where you can see waterfowl and a picture-perfect view of the mountain.

Make sure to take in one of the comprehensive presentations on the historical and cultural significance of the area. View exhibits showing the chronology of events leading up to the eruption and see the working seismograph. On your trip to Mount St. Helens, Silver Lake Visitor Center is the closest to I-5.

The Mount St. Helens Visitor Center opened its doors to the public a few years after the monumental eruption of Mount St. Helens. Functioning as a gateway to the mountain, over 30 miles away, our goal is to educate visitors on the historical significance of the landscape before and during the eruption. We also focus on the resulting impact on nearby ecosystems. Our vantage point offers a view of the Western slope of the mountain, visible from both our center and walking trail.

This unique building features expansive windows providing a glimpse of towering second-growth forest all around. A high archway and elaborately carved wooden columns contribute to the feeling of magnificence. Inside, visitors can enjoy a variety of interpretive displays that include comprehensive information on local history, geology, and re-growth and recovery of the land in the years immediately after the eruption.

Displays include:

Large, step-in model of the volcano
functioning seismograph and live feed of current Mount St. Helens volcano seismicity
Chronological timeline of events leading up to the volcanic blast on May 18, 1980
Theater program offered twice an hour; at :05 and :35 after.

Outdoors, visitors can explore Silver Lake along the 0.6 mile-long trail, including boardwalks over the wetland where a variety of aquatic plants and migratory waterfowl can be viewed at different times of the year.

Visitor Center Hours:
March 1 - May 15, open daily 9:00 - 4:00
May 16 - September 15, open daily 9:00 - 5:00
September 16 - October 31, open daily 9:00 - 4:00
November 1 - February 28, open Thursday through Monday 9:00 - 4:00