Local Artists Give This Year's Redmond Lights A Boost

REDMOND, WA - Redmond Lights organizers are punctuating this year's event with work by a number of local artists.

As usual, Redmond Lights begins at City Hall Saturday at 4 p.m. with a tree lighting and other holiday festivities (a holiday market begins at noon). After the tree lighting, visitors can stroll the luminary walk between City Hall and Redmond Town Center.

The first art piece along the route is by Redmond Poet Laureate Shin Yu Pai. There will be 250 balloons available to visitors featuring her poetry.

Next, visitors will see a floating light installation in the Sammamish River by artist Suzanne Tidwell. Farther along, visitors will get to interact with twirling light boxes installed in trees along the Sammamish River Trail by artist Elise Koncsek.

Another installation along the luminary walk, by artists Kristie Smith and Vikram Madan, recalls local folklore. The artists created a Sasquatch-like creature named Sassy - but organizers described Sassy as "a friendly giant, glowing with goodwill toward all."

Finally, the Seattle Design Nerds have contributed an installation called GlowWorm, a large, color-changing inflatable sculpture that will move along the trail.

The luminary walk ends at Redmond Town Center, where visitors can enjoy a holiday carousel, ice sculpting, live entertainment, and crafts for kids. The festivities wrap up around 8 p.m.

If you're planning to attend Redmond Lights, there are a few options for easy parking. You can park at Redmond Town Center for free and take a free shuttle to City Hall. You can also park at City Hall, walk to the town center, and then take a shuttle back downtown. Shuttles run 3:30 to 8:30 p.m.

For more details, visit the Redmond Lights website.

Image via City of Redmond