A visit to the usually quiet street has been a tradition since the 1920s. That's when the residents of this 4-block stretch of southeast Portland started their practice of decorating for Christmas in a big way. Almost all the 22 houses on Peacock Lane are Tudor-style, which lends them the charm of an old-fashioned English village.
Over the years the displays have become more elaborate as neighbors go all out for the season. Their homes are adorned and oulined not only with hundreds of colorful, sparkling lights, but with nativity scenes, rotating Christmas trees, life-like replicas of Santa Claus and Frosty the Snowman, forests of candy canes, and more.
Most of the houses on Peacock Lane were built in 1925 and sold for prices ranging from $6500 to $8750. Although they have tall, peaked gables and quaint leaded glass windows, no two houses are exactly alike. They have stucco or shingle exteriors, some have little gate entrance alleyways, and every garage is different from the rest.
Holiday Visitors Love the Lights and Charm of Peacock Lane
Peacock Lane is one block east of SE 39th Street, between SE Stark Street and SE Belmont Street. The annual show begins December 15 and ends at midnight, New Year's Eve. Out-of-town visitors have a wide choice of ldogings, with downtown hotels less than 2 miles from Peacock Lane. Hotel Monaco, The Nines, the Marriott Downtown Waterfront, and Hotel Vintage Plaza are a few of the best choices.
In an attempt to ease congestion, Peacock Lane is closed to vehicles on Sunday evening until 10 p.m. during the holiday display. As many as 10,000 people show up on any given night during the season. It's easy to avoid the search for parking by taking the Tri-Met city bus; from mid-downtown it is only a 15-minute ride.
Even bicyclists are asked to leave their bikes and walk. Volunteers, working with BikeRacker and other bicycle advocates, arrange to supply parking spaces for hundreds of cyclists. Many riders decorate their bikes with bells, holly, and lights, adding to the atmosphere of color and sound.
Horse-and-Carriage Rides Join Strolling Crowds in a Winter Wonderland
Sometimes horse-and-carriage rides are offered, allowing visitors to experience the feel of a Christmas of long ago. Whatever the travel mode, there's no more festive scene than Peacock Lane on a December evening. All the strollers are out to enjoy themselves, and occasionally, if there's been a snowfall, they get to walk in a winter wonderland.
As Elise Bush's song about the neighborhood display goes, "Festive lights on rooftop peaks/cocoa brightens little cheeks/Don't mind cold or wind or rain/Come to see the lights on Peacock Lane."
HOL101
Marilyn McFarlane - Marilyn McFarlane is long-time freelance writer and editor with a focus on travel. She wrote a newspaper column for 9 years and has ...
