Christmas Tree Lane debuts this Saturday evening following the annual Ceres Christmas Festival, organized by the city of Ceres Recreation Department. The festival takes place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ceres Community Center, 2701 Fourth Street. The event will include crafts, face painting, writing letters to Santa, food vendors and free pictures with Santa. Free coffee and hot chocolate will be served and deserts but vendors will be on hand selling foods.

To officially usher in Christmas Tree Lane, a 7 p.m. parade will begin at Fowler and Moffet roads, work its way down southbound Rose Avenue, westbound on Garrison Street and onto Christmas Tree Lane on Henry Avenue and Vaughn Street, reversing its path from last year. Marching bands from Ceres High School (100-150 students) and Central Valley High School will lead the way through as surrounding streets will be closed to vehicular traffic. Dance groups from local dance studios, floats, commercial entries and police vehicles will be in the parade as well.

While the city does not allow residents to sell their own food items, an approved list of vendors will set up in nearby Smyrna Park along Moffett Road.

The lane will only be closed to vehicular traffic on Saturday evening, Dec. 6 to accommodate pedestrians for that special night.

Ceres is known for its annual Christmas Tree Lane event, which kicks off its season the first Saturday in December. Since 1961, residents on Henry Avenue and Vaughn Street west of Smyrna Park selflessly spend days and sometimes weeks setting up dazzling lights, Christmas character cutouts, outdoor speakers for Christmas music and other features so that others can experience a free annual holiday tradition.