On Saturday, Dec. 2, the city of Laguna Niguel held its annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony from 5 to 8 p.m. at its city hall. In addition to the ceremonial lighting of the tree, the event had a variety of family-friendly activities that brought the community together.
The event began at 5 p.m. and attendants quickly arrived, filling the wide layout of the event that occupied the front of the building, inside, and even the back courtyard. The team from Laguna Niguel was expecting up to 1500 residents to attend, but the event received a higher turnout than predicted with attendance leaning closer to 1800 to 1900 people.
Event Coordinator for Laguna Niguel, Nicole Lindsay, shares that during the planning process of community events like the tree lighting, the team thinks about “how to involve other community organizations because the more organizations that are involved, the more people that will come. We want it to represent who is in our community.”
The theme of this year’s tree lighting was “Candyland Christmas” and it was brought to life through the decorations that were scattered throughout the city hall. Gingerbread men, candy canes, and other sweet treats in the form of blow-ups and cardboard cut-outs were placed all around the grounds.
The ceremonial tree lighting took place at 5:30 p.m. in the very front of the building with enough room for all to watch. The show-stopping tree itself was mainly decorated and put together by a large group of volunteers who were dedicated to the execution of the event.
In the front of the building, there was a wide range of activities and shows for the attendants to participate in throughout the night. Next to the tree was a stage and seating area for the choir performances. The choir was dressed in stunning red matching costumes and sang a variety of holiday songs, encouraging the crowd to sing along with them. The group’s regal look and dedication to the role helped them perfectly fit into the Candyland atmosphere.
In addition to the choir, the event also had beloved characters circulating the event that appealed to adults and children alike. Among those at the event were Elsa and Anna from “Frozen,” Cinderella and her fairy godmother, as well as Buddy and Jovie from “Elf.”
Pam Buck, a longtime volunteer at the tree lighting from Home Depot, shares that she continues to volunteer year after year because she loves “seeing all the people dressed up in their costumes and how they embody their characters no matter what.”
In addition to the performers, there were carnival-style games designed by the city planning team and volunteers, a food truck, and different community groups with their booths set up.
Inside of the group area through the main doors were activities for the kids set up by The Home Depot and the YMCA. The Home Depot had several different kids’ workshop kits available for the kids to build including Christmas ornaments, a dreidel game, sailboats, and planter boxes. Additionally, the YMCA had a cookie decorating station for the kids to decorate and enjoy.
Outside, families could take their children to take a picture with Santa and Mrs. Clause or in the jingle ball sitting area designed for a photo opportunity.
