Aberdeen Rain Glow Festival, seen as a “dazzling wonderland of light, art, and music,” will celebrate its fifth year on Saturday night, and people can’t wait for it.
Bobbi McCracken, who helps organize other events throughout the city such as Summerfest and Winterfest, called Aberdeen Rain Glow “distinctive” since it is at night. In fact, it’s the only outdoor night event throughout the summer.
The event is all family friendly and it’s for anyone who wants to have fun.
Since 2019, Doug Orr, both Aberdeen Mayor and president of Harbor Art Guild — the nonprofit that runs the festival, has worked to “try and bring some community pride to Aberdeen and the downtown area.”
“I could see that our young folks needed something unique that they could brag about, something that was just from Aberdeen,” Orr said about the festival that runs for four hours — from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Admission is $12, but if you wear illuminated costumes, it’s $10. Orr suggested people run to the Dollar Store.
Aberdeen Rain Glow has nine “glow worlds.” The entrance to the event grounds is on South K Street, just north of West Wishkah Street. There are three other entrances. The second one is on South Broadway Street, just north of West Wishkah Street. The third entrance is on South Broadway Street, just south of West Wishkah Street. The fourth entrance is near the corner of South K Street and West Wishkah Street.
There are 18 vendors strewn throughout K Street, the alley between K Street and Broadway Street and on Broadway Street, just north of Wishkah Street. There are seven food vendors on South K Street, just north of West Heron Street. There is also a beer garden near the alley next to the Morck Hotel, according to the provided Aberdeen Rain Glow map. The funds from the beer garden — put on by a separate group — go to help pay for school supplies, according to Orr.
Wil Russoul, director of the Downtown Aberdeen Association, said the “night-time spectacle,” known as Aberdeen Rain Glow has “become a vibrant, one-night event transforming downtown into a dazzling wonderland of light, art and music.”
The festival, which for Saturday night’s iteration the planning started in August 2023, is about “proving the world wrong,” according to Orr.
“Aberdeen is a unique place that offers unique experiences that you can’t get anywhere else,” Orr said. “It’s about providing an opportunity for locals to express themselves and their talents through creating illuminated worlds, free from politics, religion and judgment.”
At midnight, Orr said there will be a costume contest on the main stage “where we will also award a trophy for last year’s winning glow world and this year’s winning illuminated vendor tent.”
Deb Blecha is another fan of the event, which always happens on the fourth Saturday in July.
“Rain Glow is something the community has come to love,” Blecha said. “It is as summer as blackberry pie and ice cream.”
Aberdeen Rain Glow is an event where “participants of all ages put together and all ages attend, even if it goes a little after (the children’s’ bed time)” according to Blecha.
Favorite part
“My favorite thing is to see local folks fill the streets in their illuminated costumes and their big smiles,” Orr said. “Creating all those smiles knocks it out of the park for me.”
This year, there are about 104 volunteers working on Rain Glow, including 11 organizations.
Aberdeen Rain Glow features multiple distinct worlds that are created by different teams, according to Russoul.
“Attendees immerse themselves in a captivating atmosphere filled with illuminated installations, live performances, and a lively vendor marketplace,” Russoul said. “From fantastical fairies to mind-boggling creations, the festival offers a unique and unforgettable experience for all ages.”
Chuck Meskimen, who’s part of History 98520 — also known as The Friends of the Aberdeen Museum — said the nonprofit looks forward to Aberdeen Rain Glow and it participates every year.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to bring a little bit of our community’s fascinating history to life in a fun and entertaining way,” Meskimen said. “By blending education and entertainment ‘edutainment’ if you will, we hope to spark a greater interest in our unique history here on the Harbor. What’s up for this year? You’ll have to visit World No. 3 to experience our ‘undertaking.’”
Ruth Hamilton, also of Friends of the Aberdeen Museum, said the group has created and staffed installations in every Rain Glow event, with visitors topping 600 more than once.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Harbor Art Guild yet again,” Hamilton said. “People come from all over to see the heartbeat of Aberdeen. Last year, there were no available hotel rooms. This is an event you don’t want to miss.”
It takes a while to plan
“I start working on the event in August,” Orr said. “(I create) an idea and then a budget so that I am ready to apply for grants as they become available.”
The funds the event raises are required to help fund the lights and to help cover the necessary costs of materials to create the props for each world, and to provide cash prizes for contests, according to Orr.
The contests include “Best illuminated costume,” and “best creative world.”
The funds also are required to secure festival areas with safety barriers.
“Any contributions from local organizations and businesses are being sought to make up for the lack of city funding this year,” Orr said.
Back in January, the Aberdeen City Council voted to not award Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) funding to Harbor Art Guild, which is the nonprofit that runs Aberdeen Rain Glow. The city council was reportedly protecting Orr, but some people believe the funds were denied for personal reasons.
The council stopped the LTAC funds because “they see Orr’s status as both mayor and president of Harbor Art Guild as a ‘conflict of interest,’” The Daily World reported in early March. The lack of LTAC funds made it so Orr had to raise the funds himself.
Fortunately for Orr, and the community members who enjoy the festival, he was able to raise the funds. The target then was $10,000, according to the fundraiser Orr set up. He raised more than 20% of that in six days.
Aberdeen Rain Glow will also have several sponsors: LeMay Grays Harbor, Emmert International, Aberdeen Rotary Club, Honey Bucket Portable Toilets, the City of Aberdeen, and the Aberdeen Art Center, according to Orr.
Is it worth it?
“Since its inception in 2019, the annual Rain Glow Festival has drawn thousands of people into the streets of downtown Aberdeen to take part in the night-time event filled with the energetic music, and nine imaginative, illuminated art installations called Glow Worlds,” Orr said. “Over 1,600 tickets were sold on the night of the first ever event in 2019, with 2,100 people attending, which includes online and pre-sale.”
According to Orr, “any funds raised from past events have gone back into the community projects.”
“(That includes) the small pocket park in front of the Aberdeen Senior Center, along with the mosaic art pieces on the park, free monthly art classes and other member activities,” Orr said.
Expectations for Saturday night
According to Orr, this year’s event “promises to be just as fun and energetic.”
The event will include a fire dancer and a “Kids’ World” that features activities and young musicians.
“Among some of the illuminated ‘World’ installations will be ‘Celestial Passage,’ ‘Sacred Forest,’ ‘Words of History’ by History 98520,’ ‘Of Lioness,’ ‘Midnight Circus’ by Plank Island Theater Company, a laser show, country band and a Mexican band, all provided by Emerald City Productions,” Orr said.
The event will also include “The Watchers,” which Aberdeen Art Center created.
The event will also include four bands and at least three DJs and a variety of food and other vendors.
Orr was working on lights for the event on Wednesday afternoon.
“Right now, it’s more dread than excitement,” Orr said. “As soon as the event is set and running, I’ll be excited. When I can sit down in the beer garden and take a breather and watch the event unfold to our guests, when I see the great costumes that folks have been planning for all year, when I see families downtown enjoying our city, that’s when I’m excited and thrilled.”
McCracken said “the streets and alleys come alive with locals and tourists alike.” It sounds like she’s a fan of the event.
“It is so fun to see not only the creative worlds but the public attending in costume and lights,” McCracken said.
Contact Reporter Matthew N. Wells at matthew.wells@thedailyworld.com.
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