The glowing holiday lights have become a beacon for the businesses at Harbor Light Landing in Port Clinton. The plaza has a wide variety of shops, popular restaurants and an outside jungle gym for the kids. (Photo by D’Arcy Egan)

Ottawa County’s largest shopping plaza has been shining brightly this holiday season, with Harbor Light Landing setting Christmas records with 18 stores basking in the glow of this year’s holiday lights.

Harbor Light Landing is located at 753 SE Catawba Road (Route 53 North, just north of State Route 2) in Port Clinton. The property is a charming outdoor multi-use complex capitalizing on nearby Lake Erie and Ottawa County’s tourism base. With quaint pier-style walkways accentuated by a small lagoon, the complex brings a New England flavor to the Great Lakes.

The lagoon even features a small school of lively carp, which are eager to be fed fish food made available to visitors.

Coined the “North Coast,” Ottawa County’s population base quadruples from late spring through early fall. The area is home to 120 marinas, half of Lake Erie’s total number of marinas, and a wealth of new homes and condominiums. Route 53 provides access to Catawba Island, a prime destination for seasonal visitors.

“We have a very eclectic mix of shops, and while Harbor Light Landing is very busy during the summer tourism season, it also attracts a great many holiday shoppers from around the region and Ottawa County at this time of year,” said Kristie Pooley, owner of Catawba Island Jewelers. “Conveniently located between Port Clinton and the Marblehead Peninsula, it has become a great place to shop, with 17 of the 18 tenants are open all year round.”

The gift shops popular during the holiday season are Famous Female Boutique, Catawba Island Jewelers, Harbor Light Nutrition, Professional Game Center, The Lake House: A Coastal Lifestyle Boutique, and Verizon.

Restaurants and coffee shops include the award-winning Ciao Bella Restaurant, Casa Las Palmas Mexican Restaurant, R Coffee and Brown Dog Gelato. The only seasonal retailer. Brown Dog Gelato offers Italian ice cream all summer.

Completing the Harbor Light Landing list of occupants are Bodi N Balace, Bridgett Urban Chiropractic, Island Tans at The Lake, Lake Erie Boutique Realty, Pathway Inclusion Center, Salon53, Street Sotheby’s International Realty and True First Realty.

Just across Route 53 is one of two Lake Erie Shores & Islands Visitors Centers — the other is in downtown Sandusky — which attract crowds of vacationers each year. A popular Midwest destination, the region offers year-round family fun, from the fabulous Lake Erie fishing and the party atmosphere of the Lake Erie Islands to the Cedar Point and Kalahari amusement parks.