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Tips & Ideas
Fun Tree Lighting Ceremonies —
San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley Wine Country... and New York
City
San Francisco Tree Lightings
Pier 39, San Francisco
Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco
555 California Street
Union Square, San Francisco
South Bay Tree Lightings
Santana Row, San Jose
Los Altos, South Bay
Cannery Row, Monterey
North Bay Tree Lightings
San Rafael, North Bay
Napa & Yountville, Napa Valley
East Bay Tree Lightings
Jack London Square, Oakland
Jelly Belly Co, Fairfield
New York City Tree Lighting
Rockefeller Center, New York City

Happy Holidays!
San Francisco
Pier 39
Sunday, Nov. 22,
2009
2pm-5:30pm
Pier 39 Tree Lighting
Ceremony
Pier
39's Tree Lighting Ceremony and Santa always draws a crowd. The festive multi-cultural
celebration showcases Christmas, Chanukah and Kawanzaa — Bay
Area groups will perform seasonal favorites from around the world.
Meet some of your favorite Disney
friends 2-4pm.
Live Holiday entertainment 2-5pm.
Pier
39's Tree Lighting Celebration takes place in the Entrance
Plaza —
its 400 ornaments, 500 multi-colored bows and 2,000 twinkling
lights
will be
illuminated at 5:30pm.
415-705-5500 Top


Ghirardelli
Square, SF
Friday, Nov. 27, 2009
5:30pm
Ghirardelli Square Tree Lighting Ceremony
Holiday festivities include
free live musical entertainment for the entire family throughout
the day. Bring your kids to see Santa Claus at the Tree Lighting
Ceremony.

Arrive early for a good
spot because it gets VERY crowded. Last year, the square was
packed with spectators. 
Ghirardelli
Square
Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place at 5:30pm in the West Plaza
of
Ghirardelli
Square. The Square's spectacular
35-ft Holiday tree will be trimmed with ribbons, ornaments and
over 2,500 sparkling lights. 415-775-5500
Top

Union
Square, SF
Friday, Nov. 27, 2009
6-6:30pm
Macy's Union Square
Tree Lighting Ceremony
Get a jump-start on your holiday shopping and
visit Union Square for its annual "day-after Thanksgiving" Macy's
Tree Lighting Ceremony from 6-6:30pm.
Free admission.
Fun all-day festivities begin at noon. Arrive
early because it gets VERY crowded. Last year, Union Square and
the surrounding areas were filled with thousands of spectators
— it was one of the largest crowds we've ever seen in San
Francisco for the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony.
415-393-3459 
See
more FUN pictures of Macy's Union Square Tree Lighting Ceremony



Top
555 California Street, SF
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
4:30-5:30pm
Tree
Lighting Ceremony
Children
of Blue Bear School of Music, the San Francisco Girls Chorus,
Dick Bright
Orchestra and 2 special guests will light the Holiday Tree on
the plaza in front of 555 California Street. Live music and holiday
entertainment. 4:30-5:30pm 
Top
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South
Bay
Santana Row
San Jose
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009
7:30-8pm
Light up the Row
Celebration
Santana
Row Tree Lighting Ceremony will take
place between 7:30-8pm at Park Valencia
(on Olin Avenue), near Maggiano’s
Little Italy restaurant.
Enjoy
fun Holiday festivities throughout Santana Row from 6:30-9pm — live
holiday music and performances, special appearances
by Santa Claus and the Grinch... and the lighting of the 40-ft
Christmas tree in Valencia Park.
408-551-4611
Los Altos
Friday, Dec 4,
2009
Time TBD
Los Altos Tree Lighting
Los
Altos Tree Lighting takes place
on Dec. 4, 2009 in downtown Los Altos.
Holiday
Carriage Rides
Dec 11-27, 2009
Enjoy a festive 25-minute horse-drawn
carriage ride in downtown Los Altos. Carriage hold 4 adults and
two children. 5-9pm.
650-949-5282
Steinbeck Plaza
Cannery Row
Monterey
Friday, Nov. 27, 2009
6pm
Cannery Row Holiday Tree Lighting
Cannery
Row Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place at 6pm
at Steinbeck Plaza.
Fun Holiday festivities include
live reindeer, costumed carolers, music and activities 3-6pm.
Free to the public.
Visit with Santa (after tree lighting)
until 9pm.
831-649-6690
Top
North Bay
San Rafael
Friday, Nov. 27
12 noon-6:30pm
San
Rafael Parade of Lights & Winter Wonderland
San
Rafael Parade of Lights & Winter Wonderland — Fun
event starts at 12 noon with free Snow-Sledding and kids activities,
followed by Holiday Marketplace at 2pm
and the Parade at 5:30pm. After the parade, Santa Claus,
Ms Claus, the Mayor of San Rafael and other costumed characters
arrive at City Plaza for official Tree Lighting Ceremony.
800-310-6563
Wine Country
Napa Valley
Napa
Wednesday, Nov. 25
Tree Lighting 6pm
Saturday, Nov 28
Christmas Parade 5pm
"Bright
Lights/Holiday Cheer" includes three miles of LED Christmas
lights in downtown Napa.
Tree Lighting Party takes place on Wednesday,
November 25th in Veterans
Park
(corner of Third and Main) at approximately 6pm. Live entertainment
includes dancing performances and a cappella choir leading
the crowd in
singing
Christmas carols — free
hot chocolate and cookies...
The
Napa Christmas Parade will begin at 5pm on Saturday, November
28th on First Street in Napa. Pre-Parade entertainment
at 4pm. The Parade begins on First Street at Franklin and ends
at the Oxbow Public Market. Enjoy live entertainment and a visit
with Santa — free hot chocolate and cookies...
Rain
or shine.
Both events are free and open to the public. Parking available in Downtown
Napa
707-257-0322
Yountville
Friday, Nov. 27
2-6pm
Yountville Festival of Lights
Yountville
Festival of Lights — Fun all-day festival
with food, wine and entertainment. Enjoy a visit with Santa Claus,
carolers and horse-drawn carriage
rides. Fun festivities 2-6pm. Shops
will stay open for late Holiday
shopping.
Yountville Lighting at 5:30pm.
707-944-0904
Top
East
Bay
Jack London Square
Oakland
Friday, Dec. 4, 2009
5:30-7:30pm
Jack London Square
Lights Up the Holidays
Celebrate the Holiday Season along
Oakland's waterfront — Jack
London Square Lights Up the Holidays. Fun activities
include the Oakland Children's Holiday Parade floats and costume
characters.
Holiday Lights installation switched on at 6pm. Festive holiday music performed
by the Oakland Symphony Orchestra. Note: There is no actual
Christmas
Tree
lighting.
Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009
5:30-9pm
Lighted Yacht Parade
Come and see the magical Lighted
Yacht Parade as it sails through the Oakland/Alameda estuary.
Special performance by the Oakland Symphony Orchestra
begins at 5:30pm. Top
Jelly Belly Co.
Fairfield
Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009
5:30-8pm
Tree Lighting Ceremony
Jelly
Belly Tree Lighting Ceremony usually takes place on the first
Saturday after Thanksgiving. Enjoy FUN live entertainment, Candy Factory
Tours. Character Parade, free face-painting, free cookies, cider and cocoa...
and the arrival of Santa to the Visitor Center at Jelly Belly Candy Company,
One Jelly Belly Lane, Fairfield.
Free admission.
5:30-8pm.
*Date and time subject to change.
Be sure to call ahead to confirm.
1-800-JB-BEANS
1-800-522-3267
707-428-2800
Top
New
York City
Rockefeller Center

Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009
8:55pm
Rockefeller Center
Christmas Tree Lighting, New York City
The annual Rockefeller
Center
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
signals the beginning of the Holiday Season in New York City. It's been a
NYC tradition since 1933 — back then, the tree had only
700 lights;
today
it has over 25,000.
The
Tree Lighting Ceremony is an annual star-studded
event, featuring celebrity appearances and live entertainment.
The world-famous event is broadcast live on NBC 7-9pm.
Rockefeller Center Christmas
Tree Lighting takes
place at approx. 8:55pm on Dec 2nd. Note: Tree Lighting always takes
place the Wednesday
after Thanksgiving.
Note: After Dec 2, tree will be lit daily 5:30am-11:30pm; all day on
Christmas (24 hrs) and from 5:30am-9pm on New Year's Eve. The world's most
famous tree
will
be
on display until January 7, 2010.
212-632-3975
212-332-6868
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