Don't Miss The 38th Annual Rotary Holiday Tree Lighting!

One of Carlsbad’s most popular annual traditions returns to the heart of the coastal town’s downtown “village” on Sunday, December 3, 2023.

The Rotary Club of Carlsbad’s 38th annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place from 2:15pm - 4:45pm in the south parking lot of the Carlsbad Village Faire shopping center at 300 Carlsbad Village Drive.

The afternoon will begin at 2:15 p.m. with the arrival of Santa Claus in an antique fire engine, accompanied by Mrs. Claus and his trusty elf, followed by Mayor Keith Blackburn. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be handing out free candy canes to children. As the children line up for free visits and photos with Santa, the entertainment starts with the Renaissance Institute of Music Orchestra, followed by the Carlsbad High School Jazz Band and the Carlsbad High School Lancer Dancers and XCalibur dance teams. Between sets, we will have holiday sing-alongs and a free magic show for the kids. Free cookies, coffee, and cider will be served, and kids will be able to enjoy story-telling and crafts, courtesy of the Carlsbad Library’s Learning Center. Then, at 4:30 p.m., Carlsbad Mayor Keith Blackburn will officially light the tree, which for the next three weeks will be one of the city’s most-photographed landmarks.

Event organizer, Thomas K. Arnold, said the event was established to give all children in Carlsbad and their families the chance to enjoy a free, old-fashioned holiday festival. “Each year the crowd gets bigger,” Arnold said. “The entertainment is truly first-class, and seeing the look of joy on the children’s faces when they see Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive is simply priceless.”

Cory Orcutt, general property manager for the Carlsbad Village Faire, said the center has hosted the tree-lighting ceremony since 2006. “It’s a fantastic family event,” he says.

The Rotary Club of Carlsbad was chartered in 1939 and is part of Rotary International, a worldwide organization of more than 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders. Members of Rotary clubs, known as Rotarians, provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. There are more than 32,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Clubs are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds.  The Rotary Club of Carlsbad meets each Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn on Palomar Airport Road.