George Groebner/The Mossy Log
When I boarded TriMet 35 bus heading downtown to see the Portland Winter Light Festival on the night of Feb. 7, I expected something similar to what I had seen from other installations in my hometown of Seattle: garlands hanging from trees, gated archways, and/or some sort of interactive kids’ exhibit involving a supersized musical instrument. Maybe, if organizers were feeling ambitious, a big triptych atop a rotating pedestal, showing silhouettes of idyllic winter scenes like sledding, ice-skating and scarf-wearing.
Here is what I got instead: a giant, three-headed metal dragon belching plumes of fire into the night sky.
The Winter Light Festival, an annual event produced by the Willamette Light Brigade to provide free access to art and bolster Portlanders’ spirits in the waning months of winter, is a presentation that, once it has you, is loath to let you go. In Pioneer Court House Square, I saw not only the aforementioned dragon, but also a flaming cauldron in the square’s center, a nine-foot-tall glowing geode sculpture and a man in a clown nose talking in rapid-fire patter to audience members about the Ministry of Stupid Ideas. True to my expectations, there were kid-centered activities — imagine a post-industrial, cubist blanket fort — but the children present were hardly confined to that area, and the children’s parents did not seem bored.
Wandering along the nearby streets, I saw colorful kaleidoscopic projections of light dancing along everything from parking garages to city hall buildings. Unfortunately, due to the high concentration of streetlights around, they did not show up particularly well on camera. Trust me though, the in-person effect was mesmerizing.
At the World Trade Center Portland near the waterfront, the energy hit a level even more jubilant than in Pioneer Court House Square. There were glowing portals of streamer curtains, giant dandelion-shaped fixtures with beams of light running along their spoke-like petals and even a small assortment of tasteful luminescent daisies. However, the focal point of the scene was a performance from Portland’s own Samba Bloco Alegria percussion ensemble, with an expressive, metronomic conductor and whirling dancers in light-up skirts. Most drummers appeared to be millennials, but one baritone-drumming lady was the spitting image of my grandmother. Halfway through, the whole crew pivoted 180 degrees to face the other half of the considerable crowd, who was watching them from all sides.
Later than I should have, I realized that the skyway — lit up a dazzling pink — was available for pedestrians such as myself to enter. Inside, it was full of interactive, galactic exhibits of glowing crystals and spinning gadgetry, plus an enormous curlicued snake, with people everywhere angling for photos. It was like being an ant inside a tunnel of Magna-Tiles. Better still, it gave me a view of the spectacle right by the riverside, which I resolved to check out just as soon as I got off the escalator surrounded by giant metal disco raindrops.
Down by the water, there were illuminated archways and supersized roses showcasing pride for the City of Roses, but the star of the show was an art installation called “Cosmic Cuddle,” described by its Instagram account as an “8-ft-tall, 15-ft-long illuminated, interactive, shimmering cuttlefish!” Strangely, most people seemed to be missing the memo, as they milled around, beholding it without interacting, and certainly not cuddling. I missed both halves of the double entendre in the moment and mistook it for an octopus. Even so, the psychedelic waves and spirals on the Cuddle’s eyes, shell, arms and tentacles were spellbinding. Unlike other Winter Light Festival exhibits that close Feb. 14, the Cuddle is in town and available for cuddling all the way through March 16.
On the ride back to campus, I reflected on my experience at the Portland Winter Light Festival. It had been a lovely, wacky, spirited experience, and my pride in my adopted city had grown. I was certainly glad to have brought my camera with me. The Electric Dandelions and Cosmic Cuddle will be up through March 16. I highly recommend paying a visit to these spots if you have a free night!
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