Celebrate the Season at the 19th Annual Little Italy Tree Lighting and Christmas Village

The Little Italy Association welcomes you to enjoy the 19th Annual Little Italy Tree Lighting and Christmas Village on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The streets of Little Italy will be transformed into a winter wonderland and filled with the magic of the holiday season for guests of all ages to enjoy.

The purpose of the holidays is to bring family, friends and communities together to celebrate the joy of the season and spread love and cheer. For nearly two decades, the Little Italy Association has brought families, friends, visitors and community members together to celebrate the magic of Christmas and make memories that will last a lifetime.

On this special evening, the streets of Little Italy will be filled with sparkling lights and festive holiday décor, seasonal vendors, live music and entertainment, horse carriage rides, holiday treats, an extravagant tree lighting and even a visit from Santa Claus.

Photo by: Olive Creative Strategies, Inc

As guests enter the heart of Little Italy, they will be greeted by Little Italy’s 25-foot tower of over 1,100 beautiful, ruby red poinsettias that are glistening with twinkling lights in the center of Piazza Basilone. The magnificent poinsettia display will be lit-up the entire evening and guests are encouraged to stop by the Piazza Basilone for a brief photo opp as they continue to explore the heart of San Diego’s historic neighborhood.

After Santa has made the long trek from the North Pole to San Diego, little ones are invited to stop by “Santa’s Living Room” on India Street for a visit. From 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Santa will open the doors of his living room to chat and take photos with all of the children and listen to their Christmas wishes.

Once Santa has had the chance to visit with all of the children in Little Italy, he will head back to the North Pole for Christmas preparations! Although Santa will be headed out of town for the remainder of the evening, kids will be able to participate in arts and crafts right next to “Santa’s Living Room” with Washington Elementary STEAM Magnet School and ArtReach.

Photo by: Olive Creative Strategies, Inc

Family and friends are encouraged to browse the seasonal holiday vendors and select Little Italy Mercato vendors selling festive holiday stocking stuffers and holiday goodies along India Street between W. Cedar and W. Grape Streets. Whether you are looking for a specific holiday gift or simply want to enjoy browsing local San Diego community vendors, there is plenty to see along India Street.

Starting promptly at 6:30 p.m., the Little Italy Association invites all guests to gather around a 20’ live Christmas tree at the Piazza della Famiglia on W. Date and India Streets for the 2017 Christmas Tree Lighting.

In addition, we’re excited to announce that the much anticipated new Little Italy ice cream shop, Salt & Straw – the iconic Portland-based, family-run ice cream purveyor– will be participating in this weekend’s event! In anticipation of its soon-to-come Little Italy scoop shop, Salt & Straw will be vending throughout the duration of the event from 4pm-8pm, serving scoops of their Chocolate Gooey Brownie, Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons, Honey Lavender, and Roasted Strawberry Coconut flavors.

Whether you’re a San Diego native or just visiting for the holidays, stopping by Little Italy for the 19^th Annual Tree Lighting and Christmas Village is an absolute must to kick off the holiday season.

For more information about Little Italy’s Tree Lighting and Christmas Village, visit www.littleitalysd.com.