Islanders celebrate holidays at Lime Kiln

By Heather Spaulding • December 12, 2017 7:00 am

Santa, with a bag of toys at his side, greeted families who came out to celebrate the holidays Dec. 10 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.at Lime Kiln State Park, and its nearly 100-year-old lighthouse, decorated with wreaths for the season.

“FOLKS (Friends of Lime Kiln State Park) has carried on the holiday open house tradition for about five years,” said Erin Corra, founder and executive director of FOLKS.

Hundreds of people came to enjoy the sun and beauty of the park for the festivities, enjoying cookies and hot cocoa, tours of the lighthouse, as well as participate in the raffle and silent auction held in the interpretive center. Funds raised will go toward general upkeep of the lighthouse, as well as for the upcoming birthday celebration June 30, 2019, Corra said, encouraging everyone to mark their calendars. FOLKS board members have put their money where their mouth is, graciously offered to match $200 on everyone’s donations, up to $2,000 through Christmas, she added.

Those attendees hoping to get in some whale watching while they were at the park were not entirely let down, as the hydrophone installed at the lighthouse did pick up orca vocalizations during the event.

“The park attracts such diverse visitors, over 350 thousand people annually from 40 different countries. Its amazing platform for education, stewardship, adventure, and discovery,” Corra said, looking around at the variety of people milling in and out of the lighthouse, and standing on the rocks taking in the incredible view of the Salish Sea.