(Photo courtesy of Drew Altizer, and used with permission.)
“Ooooh.” “Ahhhhh”. “Wow”. And various other sounds of wonder!
Whether you tend to be vocal in your admiration or just gaze in awe, it is definitely time to give you some times and dates for California Christmas 2014 tree lightings. Now, these are by no means ALL of them, but here are some to keep in mind, up and down the state. These will pretty much be in date order. And yes, they are starting–well, one of them happens tomorrow!
SAN DIEGO:
Christmas tree at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre, 2012. (Photo courtesy of J. Katarzyna Woronowicz, and used with permission.)
November 16, 2014 – Old Globe Annual Christmas Tree Lighting, 6:00 pm, The Old Globe’s Copley Plaza. This is a Christmas tradition in San Diego, featuring Dr. Seuss’ “Grinch”! Every year, the Old Globe offers a community “Christmas card”, featuring our favorite reformed Christmas curmudgeon. (Besides Scrooge, of course!) 2014 marks their seventeenth annual production of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
(Photo by J. Katarzyna Woronowicz, and used with permission.)
While opening night of this special Christmas play doesn’t actually happen till Thursday, November 20th, there will be previews on both Saturday, November 15th and Sunday, November 16th. Sunday’s performance, at 4:30 pm, is free, and is capped off, at 6:00 pm, with the Grinch lighting the tree. As you might imagine, though, space is limited, and reservations are required. You can reserve tickets by calling the Old Globe’s box office, at (619) 23-GLOBE. And so that you don’t wind up feeling “Grinch-ish”, please allow at least an hour to find parking, before the show. This is a real Christmastime favorite in the San Diego area.
SAN FRANCISCO:
Photograph courtesy of PIER 39
November 22 and 23, 2014 – Pier 39 tree lighting, 6:00 pm–both days! What’s better than one tree lighting by the Bay? Two of them, of course! Both days, Pier 39’s festivities start at noon, with musical performances throughout the day. This year’s performers include the San Francisco Sound Wave Chorus and Merrie Olde Christmas Carolers on Saturday and the Oakland Jazz Choir and Loose Interpretations A Capella Group on Sunday.
Once again, the U.S. Postal Service’s “Letters to Santa” will offer attendees a chance to make Christmas magical for a needy child. From noon to 5 pm, if you like, you can be a “Secret Santa” with this special program, which the U.S. Postal Service started in 1912!
According to Pier 39’s website, at 6 pm, both Saturday and Sunday, “Disneyland® friends” do the honors and light the 60-foot tree.
NAPA:
November 26, 2014 – Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, 6:00 pm, Veterans Park. This year’s celebration is themed “Vintage Christmas”, and happens on the night before Thanksgiving. They’ll have free hot chocolate and cookies, courtesy of area businesses, along with carols and dance performances by local youth groups. Then, at the conclusion of the program, Napa mayor Jill Techel will light the 29-foot tree.
SACRAMENTO:
November 26, 2014 – Old Sacramento Tree Lighting, 6:00 pm.
The official lighting of the 58-foot Christmas tree, at Front and K Streets, kicks off a Sacramento Christmastime tradition: “Theatre of Lights”, now in its sixth year. According to the Old Sacramento website, this is a live-action retelling of Clement Clarke Moore’s 1823 Christmas poem, “A Visit From St. Nicholas”, featuring some of California’s top light and sound talents–and a certain Mr. Mark Twain, on hand to explain Sacramento’s Christmastime past. The inaugural “Theatre of Lights” performance immediately follows the official tree lighting. While the tree lighting itself is a one-time event, “Theatre of Lights” performances continue through New Year’s Eve. You can check out their schedule here.
SAN FRANCISCO:
November 28, 2014 – Ghirardelli Square Tree Lighting Ceremony,. 5:30 pm. 2014 is a landmark year for tree lightings in San Francisco–in fact, this date could be considered “gold and silver”, as far as anniversaries are concerned.
When the lights go on, on the Ghirardelli Square Christmas tree this year, the City will be celebrating Ghirardelli Square’s 50th annual tree lighting! Festivities actually start at 4 pm, with live music and entertainment, and Santa will be stopping by for a visit. Entertainers will be announced as the date gets closer, and the tree gets lighted at 5:30, with festivities continuing till 9 that evening.
(Photo courtesy of Drew Altizer, and used with permission.)
November 28, 2014 – Union Square tree lighting, 6:00 pm. And Happy Silver Anniversary to Union Square, as Christmas 2014 marks Macy’s 25th Annual Tree Lighting! The ceremony starts at 6:00 with entertainment–and they have a Christmas star-studded program! 12-year-old Quintavious Johnson will be there; you probably remember him, as “The Little Man with a Strong Voice”, from Season 9 of America’s Got Talent. You’ll also get to see the Grammy Award-winning San Francisco Boys Chorus, as well as
Steve Silver’s Beach Blanket Babylon, Tap Dancing Christmas Trees from Alameda and the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir.
Then, at 6:40 pm, prepare to get a few goosebumps–and not just from the Bay Area evening weather–as the 83-foot tree comes to life with more than 33,000 twinkling LED lights.
As might be expected, this event at the heart of the City is a popular Christmas tradition; like the other tree lightings listed here, it’s free, but you’ll want to arrive early to get a good spot for viewing (and very possibly to watch the skaters at the ice-skating rink, or even take a few spins yourself!).
(Photo courtesy of Christmas in the Park, and used with permission.)
SAN JOSE:
November 28, 2014 – “Christmas in the Park”, 5:30 pm
San Jose is also celebrating an anniversary: Christmas season, 2014, marks the 35th year of the nonprofit “Christmas in the Park”! Friday, November 28th is the opening night of their beloved free festival, which runs through January 1, 2015. And they’re celebrating in style–with the official arrival of Santa Claus, a live performance by the Santa Clara Big Band and special appearance by Cirque Du Soleil’s Cirque Dreams Holidaze, prior to the lighting of their giant sixty-foot Christmas tree.
(Graphic courtesy of Christmas in the Park.)
(Let’s hope that tree doesn’t feel too upstaged. According to Christmas in the Park’s new YouTube video, their month-long celebration that follows the tree lighting features more than thirty lighted Christmas displays–and more than five hundred Christmas trees, decorated by local groups!)
(Photo courtesy of Cannery Row Company, and used with permission.)
MONTEREY:
November 28, 2014 – Cannery Row tree lighting, 4:30 – 9:00 pm, Steinbeck Plaza.
This year’s celebration starts at 4:30 pm, with Christmas carolers and Santa on-hand (complete with reindeer!). At 6 pm, Santa is set to flip the switch on the 25-foot Christmas tree. in the past, their celebration has included real reindeer, carolers and Santa Claus, flipping the switch on their 25-foot Christmas tree at 6 pm. Then, after Old Saint Nick has carried out that Christmastime chore, children get to meet him! Parents can bring little ones (and a camera) for visits and photo opps from 6:00 to 9:00 that evening, and the entertainment continues till 8:30 pm.
Like all the other tree lightings listed here, this one is a free event. 2014 is also an anniversary Christmas season for Cannery Row–this is their twentieth annual tree lighting!
Now–wait just a Christmastime second. Looks like we’ve forgotten something here?
Well, actually–no. Who could forget the festive celebrations in Southern and Central California? Most of the tree-lighting ceremonies in these areas are scheduled for December, so we’ll be covering those in one of our next posts!