Santas, light shows, and skating, oh my! There may not be snow on the ground, but – look around – the holidays are here! At De Young Properties, it is our favorite time of the year! We know you will be busy with shopping, parties and school pageants, but be sure to carve out time for making memories with your loved ones and participating in some of the Valley’s seasonal traditions:
Did you know there is such a thing as The Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas? Well, there is, and this Santa is one of them! De Young Properties is proud to be sponsoring the River Park Santa House, Fresno’s only Hi-Def Santa Photo Studio, where families can have a private experience with Santa, enjoy free hot chocolate, snow flurries every hour and a gaggle of Christmas Elves. The fun begins on Friday, November 28th at 10am when Santa is expected to land by helicopter!
The longest-running holiday event in the nation (seriously!), for 92 years families have enjoyed the twinkling lights of Christmas Tree Lane. Today, more than 140 homes and 300 trees are decorated in the nearly two-mile span between Shields and Shaw. Christmas Tree Lane is open from Tuesday, December 2 – Thursday, December 25. Lights will be on Sunday through Thursday from 6-10pm and on Friday and Saturdays from 6-11pm. Van Ness will be closed to vehicle traffic on December 2 and December 10 for “walk nights.” Visit Tree Fresno to learn more about their shuttle rides on these nights.
The Clovis version of Fresno’s Christmas Tree Lane is one Clovis’ best kept secrets (until now, at least.) Come enjoy all the lights and decorations of the season in the neighborhood of Alluvial and Peach. Find your way through the neighborhood on your own path, there is roughly 10 blocks of houses to see. Drive through with windows and sunroofs open, walk or ride your bike, whatever you do, share the road with fellow spectators.
Join the entire community for an old school celebration complete with floats, dancers, mascots, marching bands and more! This year’s theme is Candy Canes and Christmas Carols and the fun begins Dec. 13 at 11am on the Downtown Fresno Fulton Mall.
Right in the middle of the Fulton Mall (at Mariposa Plaza, in front of the Pacific Southwest Building , to be exact), is an ice rink – giving California kids all over the Valley a winter experience like none other! With paid admission, you receive skate rental, parking and unlimited skating. Open now until January 19, visit them online for more details.
Nothing says Christmas quite like the combination of zoo animals and Griswold-style lights. Enjoy the zoo in a whole new light (see what we did there?), complete with Santa photos, live entertainment and complimentary hot chocolate. Visit them online for dates and times.
Be sure to visit the Tower District the first three weekends in December for a Santa sighting (spoiler: he will be greeting patrons in front of the Tower Theatre), incredible carolers from Sunnyside
High School and Roosevelt School of the Arts, and tours of the Tower District on a Pedicab.
Usher in the holiday season with the Clovis Children’s Electric Parade. Highlights include thousands of locals bursting with holiday spirit, live animals, floats and a blizzard of sparkly lights. Mark your calendars for December 6 at 6:30pm.
You won’t want to miss Santa, who arrives by trolley, and who has been known to join the Mayor for the lighting of the giant Christmas tree in Old Town. The Clovis High School and Clark Intermediate School choirs will provide the holiday soundtrack and refreshments will be served.If you only come to Old Town once all year – this is the night: Clovis City Hall, December 8, at 6:30pm.
For many, the holidays are not the holidays without The Nutcracker. This year, the Valley Performing Arts Center, together with the Sacramento Ballet and the Fresno Ballet Theatre will present The Nutcracker, featuring more than 100 local dancers. There are just two shows – Saturday, November 29 and Sunday, November 30 at 1pm – so buy your tickets now.
AUTHOR: Ashley De Young, Vice President
{Image Source: Santa’s Village at River Park, Christmas Tree Lane, Downtown Fresno, Fresno Grand Opera}
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