On the first Friday night of December, the heart of Coronado transforms into a colorfully festive tableau, with Rotary Plaza’s towering pine at its center.
This year, the Coronado Christmas Tree Lighting and Holiday Parade on Dec. 6 will mark the city’s 49th annual celebration. Behind the sparking lights lies an orchestration led by the Coronado Chamber of Commerce, the City of Coronado and Discover Coronado, the local tourism enterprise.
The tree lighting, scheduled immediately after the evening parade, is a culmination of months-long planning and community effort.
“We absolutely love our natural tree at Rotary Plaza,” said Rena Clancy, executive director of the Coronado Chamber of Commerce. “It is perfect in every way, and is a symbol of gathering with family, friends and neighbors for the holidays.”
Planted in 1936 by the Rotary Club of Coronado along Orange Avenue, the tree – now 85 feet tall – has stood through generations of holiday celebrations.
The chamber takes the lead in organizing the parade, an event that draws over 17,000 attendees annually and will feature around 50 local entrants this year. To support these efforts, the city gave the chamber a $15,000 grant.
“It’s a great event to get people into town,” Clancy said. “A lot of attendees stay, shop, and eat in our restaurants, making it a fantastic opportunity to showcase Coronado’s best.”
The city complements the chamber’s efforts by managing logistics, from installing holiday banners to lighting the median trees along Orange Avenue.
A part of the city’s role includes closing Orange Avenue to vehicular traffic for several hours during the event, creating a pedestrian-friendly space where attendees can stroll freely.
“Our Police Department reroutes traffic and buses, and Caltrans grants us the permit to close the avenue for the night,” said Kelly Purvis, Coronado’s senior management analyst.
The parade route runs down Orange Avenue to the Hotel del Coronado before looping at RH Dana and Adella streets.
The tree itself is decorated with 18,175 lights on two miles of wiring. Purvis said the city and Discover Coronado share the cost.
“The lighting process is quite the production,” Purvis said. “We hire an outside company, and they work overnight with three boom lifts to ensure the tree is ready for the big night.”
The result, Purvis said, is a spectacle admired by locals and visitors.
“Our tree is one of the most beautiful in San Diego County,” she added.
