keeping the (Christmas) lights on.

If you live in Shelton you know that Christmas is pretty important to the locals. Shelton is typically branded as a logging community. The Paul Bunyan tale goes that children were born in caulk boots and graduated to a peevee and pike pole when they were tall enough. Consequently, Railroad Avenue was built wide to accommodate logging trucks going down to the mill, but trees weren’t just cut to make into boards or pulp, Shelton was also known as “Christmastown, USA – the Christmas Tree Capital of America.”

Kristmas Town volunteers help PUD3 staff hang across street garland on Railroad Avenue.

The volunteers in the Kristmas Town Kiwanis Club take this title pretty seriously, too. Apart from being their namesake, Christmas is all about kids and kids are what Kiwanis is all about.

During the holiday season, this group dons their elf hats and get serious about bringing as much Holiday Magic as possible. The lights are a BIG part of that. Partnering with Mason PUD 3, the City of Shelton, and Mason County, the Kristmas Town Kiwanis has raised funds in recent years to replace downtown holiday lighting with sparkling and efficient LED bulbs.

In 2019 Kristmas Town Kiwanis, with the support of PUD3 and Mason County staff, added a second GIANT holiday decorated tree to the downtown core — the big Redwood in front of the Courthouse!

In 2020 the Club partnered with PUD3 and Hiwatha Greenery to add live garland wires and cafe lights across the main intersections downtown and covered the caboose and Tolly with glittering red and green lights!

You can bet a lot of families (and kids) enjoyed the added lights this COVID Christmas!