Santa and Mrs. Claus will greet children at the Ho!Ho!Ho celebration in Simon Meadow.
Kids and adults are looking forward to Sunday, December 15, when Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive by firetruck in Pacific Palisades, kicking off this year’s annual holiday Ho!Ho!Ho! free outdoor community party.
Like last year’s successful event, volunteers are working hard planning this year’s non-commercial festivities. Ho!Ho!Ho! will be held at Simon Meadow, site of the Palisades-Malibu YMCA’s Christmas Tree Lot at the northeast corner of Sunset Boulevard and Temescal Canyon Road from noon to 4 p.m.
While the centerpiece is free Do-It-Yourself photos with Santa, the Ho!Ho!Ho! includes numerous exciting things to do and experience, such as face painting, cookie decorating, art stations, photo booth, bake sale, snacks and hot chocolate.
A balloon man will make fun creations for kids. Young dancers from Fancy Feet studio will perform, as will a kids chorus. Youngsters from Gerry Blanck’s Martial Arts Center will put on a demonstration.
Do you already have holiday gifts that need wrapping? Bring them to the event and local Girl Scouts will wrap them for you.
A Chanukah menorah lighting at the Ho!Ho!Ho! will be presided over by Rabbi Steven Carr Reuben.
Several nonprofits are involved in this year’s Ho!Ho!Ho! They are The Painted Turtle camp for kids with special needs, the Palisades-Malibu YMCA and Happy Trails for Kids, which supports children and teens in foster care.
Though Ho!Ho!Ho! is free, donations can be made to both the event and The Painted Turtle through the Ho!Ho!Ho! website (visit: PaliTown.com).
Unwrapped toys and gifts for preteens and teens ages 10-16 can be brought to the Ho!Ho!Ho! to be distributed by Happy Trails for Kids. And since the Ho!Ho!Ho! is being held this year on the grounds of the YMCA’s Christmas Tree Lot, buying a tree from the nonprofit is one way to thank them for their generosity as hosts.
Holiday Ho!Ho!Ho! is a Pacific Palisades tradition going back more than 60 years. Last year, when the Chamber of Commerce announced it would no longer hold the event, volunteers from the community quickly went into action and successfully put it together.
One of the key organizers, Lisa Glantz, will be honored with a Golden Sparkplug award for those efforts from the Pacific Palisades Community Council on December 12 at the Woman’s Club.