New Christmas Festival readies for shoppers

La Conner residents: Prepare to share the shopping district and the holiday season with out of town visitors. The new business advocacy organization, OPAL (Organized Patrons Advancing La Conner) has created a “Tinsel and Mistletoe Christmas Festival” for the first two weeks of December and are planning that it will become an annual event.

The business district will sprout Christmas green and red and be decorated in tinsel, while 40 utility poles will be wrapped in red and white candy cane striping, explained co-organizer Christie Eichler, owner of The Scone Lady bakery. With Kim Broadhead, own...