South Pasadena’s tree and menorah lighting opens the season on the Mission Street Farmers’ Market block — student musicians and dancers, a community menorah, and a tree lit by the Mayor in the heart of the city’s walkable downtown.
Each early December, the South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce hosts the city’s Festive Tree & Menorah Lighting Ceremony at the Thursday Farmers’ Market. The ceremony rolls together a community tree lit by the Mayor and a community menorah lit at sundown, with student musicians and dancers performing through the late-afternoon hours leading into the lightings.
Past lineups have included the South Pasadena High School marching band, the choral group from the South Pasadena Arts & Music Academy, a local dance studio, and adult and youth choirs from local congregations — a typical small-town all-hands night where the kids on stage are also the kids in the audience. The menorah lighting has typically been led by a local rabbi, with the tree lighting following shortly after.
After the ceremony, families Stroll the Streets of South Pasadena — Mission Street businesses tend to stay open later, with extended hours and seasonal specials in the half-mile stretch east of Meridian. The walk from the lit tree to Mission Street’s historic facades is a few blocks at most; the whole event is built around the city’s walkability.
Yes — admission is free. The Farmers’ Market vendors keep their normal stalls open through the ceremony, so you can grab dinner from a Market vendor while you wait.
The student performances begin in the late afternoon, with the menorah lighting at sundown and the tree lighting led by the Mayor shortly after.
On Meridian Avenue between Mission Street and El Centro Street, on the Thursday Farmers’ Market block — 920 Meridian Avenue is the anchor address. It’s a few steps from the South Pasadena Metro A Line station at Mission.
Yes — the Metro A Line (the rail line formerly known as the Gold Line) stops at South Pasadena Station on Mission Street at Meridian, a half-block walk from the Farmers’ Market block. The station’s covered walkway brings you out at the corner of the event.
Mission Street’s commercial stretch east of Meridian — historic facades, family restaurants, and small shops that stay open later for the Stroll the Streets portion of the evening. A walk along Mission with a hot chocolate is the local rhythm.
The South Pasadena Farmers’ Market sets up every Thursday on Meridian Avenue between Mission and El Centro Streets — the heart of the city’s Mission Street district and a short walk from the South Pasadena Metro A Line (formerly Gold Line) station. The block sits at the crossing of two of the city’s defining corridors: Mission Street, the historic main commercial street, and the Metro line that connects South Pasadena to Pasadena and downtown LA. Run by the South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce since 2004, the Market is the city’s regular weekly gathering point and turns naturally into the seasonal anchor each December.
Old Pasadena’s historic Colorado Boulevard glitters for the holidays — a towering tree at One Colorado, sparkling district lights, snowflake projections on historic buildings, and decorated storefronts, all free to walk. Confirm this season’s tree-lighting date at oldpasadena.org.
Brian J. Cook
A multi-decade San Marino tradition — towering Italian stone pines along St. Albans Road wrapped in white lights, lit nightly through December, free to walk or drive.
Brian J. Cook
Pasadena’s Mayor lights the city’s official Christmas tree at the historic City Hall plaza on a Friday in early December — a free family evening of live performance, kids’ crafts, and Santa.
Brian J. Cook
San Marino’s civic tree lighting at the Huntington Drive / San Marino Avenue corner — a small Mayor’s Reception evening with photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, hot chocolate, holiday cookies, and a kid’s craft table.
Brian J. Cook
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