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Blog archive

March 2025

About Senior Solutions
03/28/2025

Building a Bridge With Journey House, A Home Base for Former Foster Youth
03/28/2025

Come for the Knitting, Stay for the Conversation... and the Cookies
03/28/2025

Creating Safe and Smart Spaces with Home Technology
03/28/2025

Finding Joy in My Role on The Pasadena Village Board
03/28/2025

I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!
03/28/2025

Managing Anxiety
03/28/2025

Message from Our President: Keeping Pasadena Village Strong Together
03/28/2025

My Favorite Easter Gift
03/28/2025

The Hidden History of Black Women in WWII
03/28/2025

Urinary Tract Infection – Watch Out!
03/28/2025

Volunteer Coordinator and Blade-Runner
03/28/2025

Continuing Commitment to Combating Racism
03/26/2025

Status - March 20, 2025
03/20/2025

Goodbye and Keep Cold by Robert Frost
03/13/2025

What The Living Do by Marie Howe
03/13/2025

Racism is Not Genetic
03/11/2025

Bill Gould, The First
03/07/2025

THIS IS A CHAPTER, NOT MY WHOLE STORY
03/07/2025

Dramatic Flair: Villagers Share their Digital Art
03/03/2025

Empowering Senior LGBTQ+ Caregivers
03/03/2025

A Life Never Anticipated
03/02/2025

Eaton Fire Changes Life
03/02/2025

February 2025

Commemorating Black History Month 2025
02/28/2025

Transportation at the Pasadena Village
02/28/2025

A Look at Proposition 19
02/27/2025

Behind the Scenes: Understanding the Pasadena Village Board and Its Role
02/27/2025

Beyond and Within the Village: The Power of One
02/27/2025

Celebrating Black Voices
02/27/2025

Creatively Supporting Our Village Community
02/27/2025

Decluttering: More Than The Name Implies
02/27/2025

Hidden Gems of Forest Lawn Museum
02/27/2025

LA River Walk
02/27/2025

Message from the President
02/27/2025

Phoenix Rising
02/27/2025

1619 Conversations with West African Art
02/25/2025

The Party Line
02/24/2025

Bluebird by Charles Bukowski
02/17/2025

Dreams by Langston Hughes
02/17/2025

Haiku - Four by Fritzie
02/17/2025

Haikus - Nine by Virginia
02/17/2025

Wind and Fire
02/17/2025

Partnerships Amplify Relief Efforts
02/07/2025

Another Community Giving Back
02/05/2025

Diary of Disaster Response
02/05/2025

Eaton Fire: A Community United in Loss and Recovery
02/05/2025

Healing Powers of Creative Energy
02/05/2025

Living the Mission
02/05/2025

Message from the President: Honoring Black History Month
02/05/2025

Surviving and Thriving: Elder Health Considerations After the Fires
02/05/2025

Treasure Hunting in The Ashes
02/05/2025

Villager's Stories
02/05/2025

A Beginning of Healing
02/03/2025

Hectic Evacuation From Eaton Canyon Fire
02/02/2025

Hurricanes and Fires are Different Monsters
02/02/2025

January 2025

Volunteering with Christmas Tree Lane

By LuCinda Haagenson
Posted: 11/16/2022
Tags: volunteering, lucinda haagenson

Volunteering with Christmas Tree Lane

 

In 1885 Deodar trees were planted along Santa Rosa Avenue. A group of volunteers began hanging lights on the trees in 1920 to celebrate the holiday season. It is the oldest, large scale, Christmas lighting spectacle in the United States. It is listed on the U.S. National Registry of Historic Places and is also designated as Calif Historical Landmark # 990.

 

In 2006 I was asked to join Christmas Tree Lane Association to help with the boutique by my friend Alice Landolph. I helped by making ornaments from light bulbs used on the trees, making trivets and coasters, making Swarovski crystal tree earrings, making candles, ordering tee shirts, tote bags, cards, bookmarks and toys for kids. I soon became manager of the boutique.

 

The first Winter Arts and Crafts Fair was in 2010. It was started by Linda Lane-White and Elizabeth Nelson. That year they had 14 arts vendors and added $1050.00 income to Christmas Tree Lane Association. After two years they both moved away. 

 

In 2012, I did both the boutique and the fair with the help of my friend, Mary Landau. I soon realized that I couldn’t do both and continued only with the Arts and Crafts Fair along with creating memorabilia for the boutique. 

 

In 2015, my daughter Claire helped me make a tree photo prop with cut outs for people to put their faces in. This was added to the Santa photo booth. It has become very popular. The photo booth income for that year was over $500.00.

 

In 2019, we had 30 vendors and 8 food trucks bringing in an income of over $4000.00. I have all the forms, applications, and letters in my computer. I can send out to all the vendors, with a few clicks. I have many of the same vendors each year. That same year, I added 10 wreaths with the antique light bulbs and 80 lightbulb ornaments to the boutique. 

 

I have added to the work force for the day of the fair with my two daughters doing face painting, my son helping me and the hot coco booth, and my granddaughter, Ellerose enjoys making birds and fish ornaments from the lightbulbs. She also enjoys working with adults selling memorabilia in the boutique booth. Ellerose earned her Silver Award with Girl Scouts by teaching others to make these ornaments.

 

After not having the lighting ceremony and fair for two years due to Covid, we are all, with the entire community, looking forward to our annual Christmas Tree Lane lighting ceremony and Arts and Crafts Fair. Come see me at the Santa, tree photo booth!

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