Burbank’s official municipal holiday kickoff on the front steps of Burbank City Hall — the Mayor opens the ceremony, the City Council hosts, Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive (often on a Burbank Fire Department truck strung with lights), local performing groups bring music, and the City Hall holiday tree shines to life. Free, family-friendly, and held in the downtown Burbank civic core.
The Mayor’s Tree Lighting is Burbank’s official municipal holiday kickoff — the ceremony the city’s mayor and the Burbank City Council host on the front steps of Burbank City Hall at 275 East Olive Avenue in downtown Burbank’s civic core. It draws a crowd well over a thousand each year.
The ceremony opens with welcome remarks from the Mayor, followed by live performances from local school, dance, and music groups; Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive — often on a Burbank Fire Department truck strung with holiday lights; and the City Hall holiday tree sparkles to life as the anchor moment of the evening.
For families across Burbank — the Magnolia Park blocks, the Rancho district, the foothill neighborhoods — and the broader east San Fernando Valley, this is the season’s official civic gathering. Distinct from the community Holiday in the Park at Magnolia Park (the longer free street festival along Magnolia Boulevard) and the ticketed Holiday Magic Shines at Warner Bros. Studio Tour; the Mayor’s Tree Lighting is the City Hall steps ceremony.
275 East Olive Avenue in downtown Burbank, between the 5 Freeway and the Magnolia Park neighborhood. The Art Deco-era City Hall (built 1943) sits at the center of the civic block, with the front steps facing East Olive Avenue.
The Mayor’s Tree Lighting traditionally begins in the evening on a weekday in early December, with pre-ceremony entertainment beforehand.
Yes — the ceremony itself is free to attend on the front steps of City Hall. Food and beverages from downtown restaurants are paid separately.
Free street parking is available along East Olive Avenue and the surrounding civic-center blocks. The Burbank City Hall lot is the closest; nearby downtown Burbank parking structures fill closer to start time.
No — they’re separate events. The Mayor’s Tree Lighting is the City Hall steps ceremony in early December; Holiday in the Park is the multi-hour community street festival along Magnolia Boulevard in late November. Many Burbank families attend both.
Burbank City Hall at 275 East Olive Avenue is one of Southern California’s defining Streamline Moderne (Art Deco-era) civic buildings — designed by architect William Allen Jr. and dedicated in 1943. The four-story building’s front steps face East Olive Avenue and have anchored the city’s civic ceremonies for more than 80 years. The City Hall sits at the heart of downtown Burbank’s civic core, with the Burbank Central Library, the Police Department, and the downtown commercial corridor along San Fernando Boulevard clustered nearby.
The City of Burbank’s official outdoor holiday decorating contest — residents enter their decorated homes, the city publishes an annual OurBurbank Holiday Destination Guide with about 30 routed addresses, and families drive a curated route from one side of Burbank to the other to see the entries. Free, self-paced, and runs the full holiday season.
Brian J. Cook
The annual Burbank Town Center tree-lighting evening on the mall’s dining terrace — the holiday tree sparks to life, costumed characters greet families, hot festive beverages and ornament-decorating stations spread across the terrace, and the indoor mall transforms into a winter wonderland with photo ops throughout. Free, family-friendly, indoor-friendly weather backup.
Brian J. Cook
Burbank’s 30-plus-year community Holiday in the Park festival along Magnolia Boulevard — tree lighting, holiday music, carnival games, bounce houses, food trucks, and the Magnolia Park business community’s street takeover.
Brian J. Cook
Giant glowing animal lanterns light up the Los Angeles Zoo — elephants, butterflies, peacocks, and dragons — across an after-hours holiday walk-through that runs from November through early January.
Brian J. Cook
Southern California’s holiday lights and festive outings are pure magic — but nothing compares to Santa Claus himself stepping through your own front door. House of Kringle brings a real-bearded, professionally trained Santa to homes and gatherings across SoCal for an intimate live visit your family will treasure for years.
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Have a date in mind? Tell us when and where, and we’ll let you know whether Santa is open. House of Kringle brings a real-bearded Santa Claus to Live Visits and Group Experiences across Southern California, and December fills quickly, so the sooner you check, the better your odds of locking in your first choice.
This is a quick availability check, not a booking. Nothing is reserved and nothing is owed until we’ve confirmed your date and you’ve placed your retainer.
