No city pays the electric bill for the nearly mile-long stretch of lit deodar cedars on Santa Rosa Avenue. The Christmas Tree Lane Association says it gets no city funding. Donations, sponsorships and volunteer labor cover the Lane's utilities, insurance, supplies and maintenance. The 106th lighting is set for Saturday, December 5, at East Mariposa Street and Santa Rosa Avenue. Like every lighting since the 1950s, it depends on Altadena residents doing the work themselves.
That arrangement goes back to a single vote, and it shapes the Lane in every season. The ceremony is one evening. The weeks before it are where neighbors come in.
The 1956 vote that put the Lane in Altadena's hands
The trees came first. According to the association's history of the Lane, John P. Woodbury admired deodars in Italy, his brother ordered seeds, and the young trees were planted in 1885 along what became Santa Rosa Avenue. The lights came 35 years later. The association credits the first lighting in 1920 to Frederick C. Nash, an Altadena resident and Pasadena businessman, with support from the Pasadena Kiwanis Club and the City of Pasadena. The Daily News describes Nash as a department store owner who organized the lighting to bring in shoppers.
Pasadena helped run the Lane for more than three decades. That ended in 1956, when Altadena voters rejected annexation into Pasadena and the city pulled back from the tradition. The Christmas Tree Lane Association formed that year to take it over. Its formal status came later. The Lane is California State Landmark No. 990 and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1990. Neither designation brings in a crew or pays a utility bill. The association calls itself all-volunteer, and its homepage says it handles stringing the lights, caring for the trees, paying the utilities and organizing the events.
The trees made it through January 2025. LAist reported in December 2025 that the Eaton Fire killed none of the cedars, though wind broke branches and damaged lights and homes at the north end of the Lane were scorched. The Daily News repeated that account this October, reporting that the trees took some wind damage but were spared by the flames. With the trees standing, getting ready for December comes down to labor and money.
What happens on Santa Rosa Avenue before December
In September 2025, LAist described how the stringing works. It follows a set order:
- Crews untangle the light strings and put them together on the ground.
- Each bundle is tagged for a particular tree, and volunteers match bundles to trees.
- The strings are wrapped around the deodar they were assigned to.
The same report said the association expected the work to take 10 weeks across more than 150 trees. Last season's volunteer shifts were Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to noon, running through December 6, 2025. The association hasn't posted a 2026 work calendar. Its volunteer page is where weekend shifts are organized.
That page lists four kinds of work:
- Light installation and removal on weekends, which can mean lifting, climbing ladders and sorting supplies
- Lighting Ceremony support, including setup, coordination and cleanup
- Planning and organization, such as administrative tasks, communications and community outreach
- Guest safety, helping make the evening safe and enjoyable for visitors
Volunteers must be 13 or older, and anyone under 18 needs permission from a parent or guardian. Ladder and lifting jobs go to people who are physically able to do them and comfortable with the work. The association also lists year-round tasks: maintaining the electrical infrastructure, clearing brush, caring for the trees and raising money for bills, insurance and supplies.
Where the money comes from
Since no city budget pays for the Lane, the bills fall to neighbors and local businesses. The association's membership page lists these levels:
| Membership level | Amount |
|---|---|
| Senior/Student | $20 |
| Individual | $40 |
| Household | $75 |
| Seed Patron | $100 |
| Sprout Patron | $250 |
| Sapling Patron | $500 |
| Tree Patron | $1,000 |
Local businesses can sponsor at four tiers for 2026: Bronze at $250, Silver at $500, Gold at $1,000 and Platinum at $1,500. The sponsor page gave November 1 as the deadline for print-ready artwork, so businesses joining now should contact the association before assuming their logo can still be printed. The vendor page is taking Winterfest applications for handmade, original or holiday-themed goods and lists no closing date.
The association doesn't publish a total budget or a breakdown of what electricity, bulbs and tree care cost each year. It does say those costs exist and that donations, sponsorships and volunteer hours cover them. A $75 household membership pays a small share of that, and with no city money in the budget, every share counts.
December 5 at Mariposa
The labor and fundraising lead up to one Saturday. Both events are free and open to the public at the corner of Santa Rosa Avenue and Mariposa Street.
- 3:00 p.m. Winterfest opens with artisan and craft vendors, food trucks, live music, roaming performers, kids' activities, photos with Santa, and booths for local nonprofits.
- 6:00 p.m. The Lighting Ceremony begins, with local choirs, marching bands, musicians, special guests and community speakers.
- Just after dark The countdown ends and more than 20,000 lights come on along nearly a mile of deodars. The association's events page tells visitors not to miss that moment.
- 9:00 p.m. Winterfest closes.
Once the Lane is lit, the Holiday Decorating Contest starts too. Residents along the street decorate their homes, and the public votes on favorites while driving or walking the Lane.
Visiting a street that has no sidewalks
Neighbors have to manage the visitors along with the lights. The association's visitor page notes that the Lane is a residential street with no sidewalks, designed mainly for viewing by car. Its guidance follows from that:
- Driving: Enter at Woodbury Avenue and head north. Drive slowly with hazard lights on, and don't stop or park on the Lane.
- Walking: Walk single file along the shoulder in reflective clothing, keep children and pets close, and watch for dark drainage ditches.
- Parking: Spaces nearby are limited, so don't block driveways.
- Courtesy: The houses are private homes. Keep noise down, don't litter, and don't point flash photography at houses.
The lights come on in early December and stay lit through roughly the first week of January, according to the association. No closing date for 2026 has been posted, so check the association's site before planning a late-season visit with guests.
The second shift, after the rain
The volunteer season keeps going after the lights switch off in January. LAist reported in September 2025 that the strings usually come down in February, after the rainy season, when climbing the trees is safer. Fire recovery pushed that year's removal to mid-spring. Removal takes the same ladders and crews as installation, a few months later.
Christmas Tree Lane is one of the reasons Altadena feels like home, and when Tony Dowdy works with Altadena homeowners, he pays as much attention to traditions like this as to the houses. If you're thinking about the year ahead and want to know where your home stands, start with a free home valuation, then go see the deodars light up on December 5.
