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Published on 11/24/1999 All articles from this issue

Tree lighting ceremony leads host of downtown holiday events

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Town Crier Staff Report

In addtion to to the Festival of Lights Parade, downtown Los Altos is offering other special events.

The downtown Los Altos tree lighting ceremony will usher in the holiday season at 6 p.m., Friday in the Community Plaza at Main and State streets.

The Los Altos Village Association will host the city's tree lighting ceremony with music, ornament making, children's activities, prize giveaways, and cider and cookies at many downtown stores.

Event director Michael Morris will direct performances by the Community School of Music and Arts Choir, Almond Elementary Extracurricular Choir, Cupertino Junior High Choir, and the Archbishop Mitty High School Choir.

Once the tree is lit, the combined choirs will lead the audience in singing our favorite Christmas carols.

The ceremony will also feature free train rides on a children's locomotive sponsored by the American Legion.

Volunteers spent a year and more than 4,000 hours converting an old, surplus 19-foot-long school bus into a 31-foot-long mock locomotive, complete with an antique bell, whistle and hydraulic cowcatcher.

After a short performance of familiar secular holiday songs, LAVA representative Cindie Eberhard of Los Altos Card and Party will welcome visitors, and at 6:50 p.m., Los Altos Mayor John Moss will begin the tree lighting countdown.

Other events include a Hanukkah celebration, 5:30 p.m., Dec. 7, in the Community Plaza, and a "Breakfast With Santa" for kids, set for Dec. 11.

Tickets are now on sale for half-hour carriage rides around downtown Los Altos beginning Dec. 3 and ending Dec. 19.

The turn-of-the-century carriages comfortably seat four to six adult passengers, and meet modern safety requirements.

Rides cost $50. Rides will be offered from 5-9 p.m., Thursdays through Saturdays, and from noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.

Call the Village Association at 949-5282 for reservations and more information on the above events.