Little Italy Tree Lighting & Christmas Village

Families, friends and neighbors are invited to kick-off the holiday season with festive fun in San Diego’s Little Italy at the 21st Annual Little Italy Tree Lighting and Christmas Village on Saturday, December 7th from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

This year, the Little Italy neighborhood will make exciting enhancements to the event with the reveal of a new custom Christmas tree, located in the center of Piazza Basilone. Guests will experience a magical evening filled with festive decor, seasonal vendors, a tree lighting ceremony in the Piazza della Famiglia with a live Christmas tree over 25-feet tall, live music and entertainment, horse-drawn carriage rides, holiday treats, a surprise visit from Santa and more.

Santa will make an appearance to chat and take photos with children starting at 4 p.m. In “Santa’s Living Room” little ones can share their Christmas wishes until 6 p.m. and get their picture taken with the man from the North Pole. Kids can also participate in arts and crafts activities next to “Santa’s Living Room” with ArtReach, a nonprofit aimed at increasing equity in visual arts education. Attendees can look forward to the Christmas Village, which will feature holiday goodies and perfect stocking stuffers from seasonal vendors and select Little Italy Mercato vendors on India Street, between W. Cedar and W. Fir Streets.

All of India Street will be decked out in sparkling white lights—making Little Italy a true winter wonderland. There will also be Christmas carolers, 10-foot tall nutcrackers on street corners and more seasonal surprises throughout the neighborhood! The brand new 25-foot tall Christmas tree designed by California artist, Joshua Hubert, will be located in the Piazza Basilone. The tree will dazzle like a disco ball with all different colors shining bright throughout the entire evening. As guests walk around the tree and see it from different angles in the neighborhood, they will see the colors change based on their perspective and view. The second Christmas tree that the Little Italy neighborhood will come together to light on this special evening is an over 25-foot permanent tree located in the heart of the Little Italy neighborhood, the Piazza della Famiglia. Guests are encouraged to head to the Piazza della Famiglia for the tree lighting countdown at 6:30 p.m.

Category: Entertainment, Events, Local News