Kick off the holiday season at the 22n Annual Nutcracker Christmas Tree Lighting and Holiday Shopping Village on Saturday, December 3 in CTR City from 10:00am to 7:00pm. This FREE event features holiday craft activities, a real snow play area, a children’s train ride, free photos with Santa and holiday musical performances by local schools and community groups throughout the day.

Purchase unique gifts from the Holiday Shopping Village, as well as mom and pop Downtown Anaheim shops, and enjoy a wide variety of culinary treasures from the International Food Fair. The day is capped off with a procession down Center Street Promenade at 5:45pm. Attendees gather around the living 50-foot Christmas tree, magically lit by a surprise guest and a holiday musical performance featuring the Anaheim Ballet and Combined Choirs of the AUHSD. For more information, please visit: www.downtownanaheim.com/tree-lighting or call (714) 956-3586.

The event spans the entire length of Center Street Promenade, with the giant redwood Christmas tree anchoring the traffic circle at the west end. The beautiful Christmas tree was a gift from the Disney Resorts and has grown about a foot each year since it was planted 20 years ago.