San Juan Capistrano Tree Lighting Celebration Returns

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA — If you're a Christmas aficionado in San Juan Capistrano, you may have been lugging in your tree just as soon as the Thanksgiving leftovers were stored in the fridge. The City of San Juan Capistrano is making its own preparations to celebrate the advent, and the entire community is invited to join in.

That's right — the City of San Juan Capistrano is holding its annual Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration on Saturday, and Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus will be in attendance.

Festivities begin promptly at 4 p.m., and guests who attend will enjoy pre-show entertainment followed by a musical holiday production, City Manager Benjamin Siegel wrote in his weekly update. The actual tree lighting takes place at 5:45 p.m., followed by holiday activities throughout the downtown area of San Juan Capistrano.

Guests can enjoy taking a photo with Santa, a train ride through Los Rios Park, story time with Mrs. Claus, a live reindeer petting pen and more. Along with the holiday festivities, many local businesses and downtown merchants will offer extended shopping hours for the event.

Since parking is limited, residents are encouraged to take advantage of the special event trolley services provided by the city. The city's trolley services are scheduled to stop along the normal summer route with two added stops at Heritage BBQ and Yorba Street. The trolley runs from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., and residents who choose to take the trolley should only expect to wait a maximum of 20 minutes for a pickup.

Residents seeking additional information are encouraged to contact the city's Community Services Department at 949-493-5911. San Juan Capistrano's annual Tree Lighting Celebration returns to the Historic Town Center Park located at 31852 El CaminoReal on Saturday.