California\u2019s oldest Christmas light display lives on in Fresno.<\/p>\n
FRESNO, Calif. \u2014 Before the Big Day in December, Santa can be found hanging out in what may be California\u2019s most festive neighborhood.<\/p>\n
Welcome to Christmas Tree Lane in Fresno.<\/p>\n
Christmas Tree Lane embodies Christmas. People come down this lane and give so that this lane can stay lit. It is the most marvelous thing in the world. I have to come here,” said Santa.<\/p>\n
For about three weeks in December, cars line up \u2014 sometimes backed up for hours \u2014 waiting their turn to roll through one of the oldest community-run lighting displays in the nation.<\/p>\n
Dan Gallagher, a resident and the Christmas Tree Lane coordinator, says the neighborhood\u2019s reputation stretches well beyond Fresno. \u201cOur claim to fame is that we are the longest running and the longest in length Christmas tree lane in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
TAKE A TRIP ON BARTELL’S BACKROADS: Christmas Tree Lane runs along a roughly 2-mile stretch of Van Ness Blvd., where about 140 homeowners work together to hang an uncountable number of twinkling lights. The lights stretch from treetops down to the blacktop, spanning just over 2 miles.<\/p>\n The work can be risky, Gallagher joked. \u201cI tell my wife that this is the way I will die: falling off a ladder on Christmas Tree Lane. That will be my end.\u201d<\/p>\n The neighborhood\u2019s dedication to lighting the street dates back more than 100 years, though Gallagher said the tradition did not begin as a holiday celebration.<\/p>\n \u201cIt started with the death of a child back in 1920, and the family decorated their Deodar cedar tree, which was maybe four feet tall at the time,\u201d Gallagher said. “Every year following, each of their neighbors, just kind of, to show their solidarity in memoriam, they each decorated their Deodar cedar or Christmas tree.\u201d<\/p>\n Deodar cedars were planted along Van Ness Blvd. when the community was established. In the 1920s, the trees were small enough for homeowners to decorate on their own. Today, about 300 trees require professional setup, with lights plugged into overhead powerlines.<\/p>\n When asked about the cost, Gallagher said the power bill adds up. \u201cYou know, 3 to $4000 for a month of running the lights.\u201d<\/p>\n Over the years, Christmas Tree Lane has gained national attention after being featured in magazines and television shows. Today, more than 100,000 people visit each year. Despite the crowds, the community does not charge admission.<\/p>\n Many visitors assume the display is run by the city or county, Gallagher said, but that\u2019s not the case.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSo many people just assume that something like this must be put on by the county, by the city, and it just isn\u2019t,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s, you know, four or five folks who are dedicated and, you know, working.\u201d<\/p>\n Gallagher said he remembers riding through Christmas Tree Lane as a child with his parents. Now, as a resident, he understands why the tradition has lasted for more than a century.<\/p>\n For him, the payoff comes from the sounds drifting through the neighborhood each night. \u201cFor me, I can hear the people, especially the kids, screaming from their car, \u2018look,\u2019\u201d Gallagher said. \u201cThey see something that they love. They\u2019re laughing, the Christmas music playing. That just warms your heart. And you\u2019ve done all this work hoping to make something that people enjoy. And when you see it and hear it, it\u2019s a payoff.\u201d<\/p>\n Visitors who come through the lane and feel generous are encouraged to leave a donation to help keep the lights on.<\/p>\n
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