A genuine hometown evening — a 24-foot tree, snow flurries, carnival games, food trucks, Santa meet-and-greets, and the official lighting program outside The Centre at Sycamore Plaza on the Lakewood Civic Center grounds.
Each December, the City of Lakewood runs its annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on the Civic Center plaza along Clark Avenue, outside The Centre at Sycamore Plaza. The event has been running for more than a decade and has the unfussy small-city character that defines Lakewood’s broader community feel: an evening built around residents and kids, the calendar pivot that signals the season is on.
The centerpiece is a 24-foot tree in the Civic Center plaza, with dramatic lighting and “snow flurries” added for atmosphere. Carnival games, food trucks, holiday music, and Santa meet-and-greets fill out the program before and after. Lakewood neighbors Long Beach and the event has the feel of a hometown gathering — neighbors from Carson Park, Mayfair, and Lakewood Village all show up at once.
House of Kringle is proud to be part of Lakewood’s annual holiday tree lighting, where Santa Claus himself joins one of the city’s most cherished seasonal traditions — the same warmth he brings to Lakewood families with a private live Santa visit.
On the Lakewood Civic Center plaza along Clark Avenue, outside The Centre at Sycamore Plaza, 5050 Clark Avenue. Park in The Centre’s lot or the surrounding city lots.
The official tree lighting program starts at 6:30 PM. Festivities begin earlier at 4:30 PM with carnival games, food trucks, and Santa meet-and-greets, and the evening wraps by 8:00 PM.
Twenty-four feet, with a dramatic lighting moment and “snow flurries” added for atmosphere. It’s the centerpiece of the Civic Center plaza for the evening.
Yes. Santa makes appearances throughout the early evening with meet-and-greets, photo ops, and a chance for kids to share their wish lists. The line moves faster earlier in the window than right at the tree lighting.
Yes. The carnival games, food trucks, and the broader Civic Center walkability make it work for older kids and teens who’d find a 30-minute lighting ceremony alone too short. Many bring a hangout group rather than just the family unit.
The Lakewood Civic Center anchors the heart of Lakewood — a mid-century master-planned city that pioneered postwar suburban design in Southern California. The Centre at Sycamore Plaza, with its open gathering lawn and arcades along Clark Avenue, was built as the city’s civic gathering space and still serves that role year-round. The wider Civic Center campus surrounds it — City Hall, the library, and the Sheriff’s station — laid out as a connected pedestrian plaza in the original 1950s plan.
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.
