Christmas Tree Lane, the traditional decoration of the street and homes along the 1700 and 1800 blocks of Fulton Street in Palo Alto, will begin its 84th year this Saturday (Dec. 14) and continues through Dec. 31.
The lights will go on at 5 p.m. each night, and people drive or walk down these streets to enjoy the spectacle.
The Christmas Tree Lane tradition started over a 1940 bridge game at the Fulton Street home of Judge Edward Hardy, according to the history of the event found at https://www.ChristmasTreeLane.org/.
Each year since 1940 (except for one year during World War II) the neighbors along these two blocks of Fulton Street have decorated their houses with holiday themed decor, some of which has been passed down from one homeowner to the next.
The residents also adorn the street with 72 small Douglas Firs and string them with multi-colored lights. The city of Palo Alto changes the street lamp covers from white to red, and the street is magically transformed into Christmas Tree Lane for two to three weeks.
“Decorating the street every year gives neighbors a chance to collaborate and create a special holiday treat for the entire community,” said a statement from this year’s co-chairs, Susan McDonnell and Tinwin Wang.
Every year, the street’s residents have gathered on the Saturday morning of opening day to kick-off the festivities with a coffee and brunch. Everyone shares stories and pictures before preparing for the thousands of visitors who have made going down Christmas Tree Lane one of their holiday traditions.