Mayor Blackburn, Santa to Appear at Rotary Club of Carlsbad’s Tree Lighting Ceremony

The Rotary Club of Carlsbad‘s 38th annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony will return to downtown Carlsbad Village Sunday from 2:15-4:45 p.m.

The popular holiday event will begin in the south parking lot of the Carlsbad Village Faire shopping center at 300 Carlsbad Village Drive 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 Carlsbad Mayor Keith Blackburn. Santa and Mrs. Claus will hand out free candy canes to children.

As children line up for visits and photos with Santa, entertainment will start 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,” a statement from the Rotary club said.

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.

“Each year the crowd gets bigger,” said Thomas K. Arnold, event organizer. “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.”

At 4:30 p.m., Blackburn will officially light the tree, which for the next three weeks will be one of the city’s most-photographed landmarks.

City News Service contributed to this article.