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 at 6:00 PM on a weekday evening in early December. Pre-ceremony entertainment may start around 5:30 PM.
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.
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.
