It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere you go, if you’re in downtown McMinnville.

“There will be a few new surprises this year,” said Hank Patton, the city’s landscape manager. “Most of the new lights will be along the breezeway to the Farmers Market.” 

Downtown has been a spectacle of lights for the last few years under Patton’s leadership. He and his assistants place between 80,000 and 90,000 lights each year. 

A crew was placing garland on decorative poles Monday, as well as red bows on the tops. They have been working since the end of October.

“This take a lot of time and effort,” said Patton. “We have to start early in order to get everything in place for the downtown events. This year, we have to get everything in place by Dec. 1.” 

Slated for that Tuesday, from 6 to 8 p.m., is Junior Auxiliary of McMinnville’s annual Christmas in the Park. That holiday tradition started 34 years ago in 1986.

McMinnville’s Christmas Parade will be held Dec. 12 at 2:30 p.m. The theme for the parade is the 1940s classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

The centerpiece of Christmas festivities – the tree – was added Thursday morning. Check the Standard's Facebook page to see video.