Every year Ipswich, MA does what it calls Ipswich Illuminated. They set up anchored barges along the River with small bonfires on top tended by kayakers. They decorate public streets & parks with lights, have activities for kids, have cool artistic light-related installations, and food carts spread out… it’s very cool! I’ve enjoyed seeing the River fires since I moved here 6 years ago. Apparently I’ve never posted any pics on my blog before. This one’s from 2013:
These are from last year [they didn’t do the bonfires on the River last year due to the crazy drought]:
This year they got even more creative and strung LED color-changing lights along the top of the waterfall and along the underside of the Riverwalk Bridge – it was so awesome! A week before the festival they tested the lights along the waterfall – Bonkers & Darwin happened to be sitting in the living room windows when they plugged the lights in and were quite startled:
Here’s what it looked like the night of the festival [that’s our house on the left]:
And the Bridge was equally as awesome [with the waterfall lights in the background]:
And the tree outside our house [which is part of the Ipswich Riverwalk] is always spectacular [photo on the right from last year – you can see what a difference the drought made]:
It was cool to wander through town around our house [we’re on the edge of downtown] and see all the cool things set up, like the Choate Bridge and chandeliers hanging from trees:
Everywhere you looked there were lights of some sort:
Even our house was illuminated by spotlights [our poor neighbors who live in the 2 condos at the front of the house!!!] because we’re right next to the crosswalk that leads from the Common to the Riverwalk Bridge:
Wow, your pictures are cool. I’m adding some to my house collection. Wish I could be there in person to see it. D
you should come next year! you guys can sleep in our guest room. the cats would be THRILLED!
We’re on it!
Lights are my favorite part of the holidays. You have the BEST view!! The waterfall lights and the bridge are magical! How fun it must be to wander through the town. Love it!
it’s magical! i wish they’d leave it up for more than one weekend. especially the waterfall and bridge lights. but alas, they are long gone.
Your town is so spectacular during the holidays. Love all those lights, love the decorated waterfall, bridges, and trees, And your house, seen in the background of many of the pictures, looks spectacular with the holidays lights strung along your upper deck. What a fun town!
the best part of the deck is being able to decorate it. i wish it was covered so we could use it more. too many mosquitos and way too f’ing hot in the afternoon/evening during the warmer months.
Screen in the area under your deck – definitely not an impossible job!