The Cambria Christmas Market welcomes around 80,000 visitors each year, but before the gates open, countless displays are constructed and decorated with more than 2 million lights, according to Market Coordinator Mike Arnold.
Every year employees begin to transform the Cambria Pines Lodge into a winter wonderland over the summer. In early August, Arnold said he brings in a team to trim and shape the trees and bushes. Later in the month, more employees come to build displays and begin hanging lights.
“Right at the beginning of October, we bring in about 20 more people and they just go to town hanging all the lights on everything,” Arnold said.
Fourteen people work on the market year-round, but around 80 employees work each night of the event.
“Once we get to opening night, everything always runs a lot smoother than we expect. We kind of over prepare,” Arnold said. “Watching those first guests when they come in and get to see it for the first time is always really rewarding.”
The market opens Nov. 29 and tickets range from $10 to $25, according to the website.