Christmas in the Park (San Jose)

Exhibit of Christmas trees

A display with downtown buildings in background

Christmas in the Park is a Winter event that takes place each year in downtown San Jose, California, roughly from the last week of November to January 1. During this time, more than a hundred Christmas trees decorated by local schools and other groups are displayed in Plaza de César Chávez Park. There are also more than 70 Christmas-related musical and animated exhibits, a 60-foot high Community Giving Tree, and many souvenir and treats shops.

The event is attended by more than 450,000 visitors each year, and has been taking place in Plaza de César Chávez for more than 30 years. It is described as "San Jose's biggest production." The event brings an estimated $13 million in visitor spending to the city. It is free to the public, although donations to help offset its costs are suggested.

Next to the park there are about half a dozen rides for children during this time, which in some years have included a Ferris wheel, a pirate ship, etc.

History

The Christmas in the Park event traces its origin to the Nativity display built by Don Lima in the 1950s in front of his Lima Family Mortuary in Willow Glen. The exhibit attracted attention and he began adding more displays, and as they grew, there were more and more visitors.

In the 1970s, after the exhibits grew quite big he donated them to the City of San José. For a while they were set up on the lawn of where San José's original City Hall used to be, at the intersection of First and Mission Streets.

The event was moved to Plaza de César Chávez in the early 1980s.

The 2012 turnout was down more than 35%, in part due to heavy December rain.

Gallery

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  Community Giving Tree

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  Miniature train on display in the park

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  Ferris wheel ride

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  A view of the event

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  Santa exhibit

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  An exhibit of a historical costume shop