City Christmas Tree Lighting, Festivities Set for Tonight

City employee Allen Yun and others were busy Thursday installing lights on the oak tree on Town Center Drive.

City employees and volunteers are busy setting up for Menifee's biggest ever Christmas celebration -- a tree lighting and holiday festival tonight on the new Town Center Drive.

Festive lights have been placed on a 30-foot oak tree recently planted at the roundabout that eventually will be the focal point of a 172-acre commercial and residential development near Newport Road and Haun Road. Tonight's event runs from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Shortly after dark, the tree will be lit up to signal the start of the holiday season.

Many other events are planned for tonight as well.

Bands from Paloma Valley High School and Heritage High School will perform. Other musical performers, including the Wonderellas Holiday Revue, St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church Choir, and performers from Arts Council Menifee will perform on a stage set up for the event. There will be a snow play area and elves' workshop for the kids, plus many food and craft vendors. And of course Santa will arrive and will pose for photos with the children.

In addition, the holiday movies "Polar Express" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" will be shown on a giant screen. Guests are urged to bring lawn chairs for seating to watch the movies.

The Western Riverside Council of Governments, through its Western Riverside Energy Leader Partnership, will be hosting a booth at the event where residents can trade old inefficient holiday lights for free energy efficient light bulbs. Customers are allowed to trade in up to two strands, consisting of 50 lights or more and in working order, while supplies last. Those interested in participating must bring a recent Southern California Edison bill and a picture ID for the person whose name is on the bill.

A lighted parking lot has been set up near the oak tree, to the left of Town Center Drive as guests arrive. Town Center Drive, which has been closed to traffic during construction, will be open at is intersection with Newport Road, just west of Haun Road. The road will remain open during December for residents to visit the Christmas tree and take photos.

Town Center Drive will eventually be the main street through the Menifee Town Center and will be an access road from Newport Road south to La Piedra Road and Santa Rosa Academy. Access to Town Center Drive south of the roundabout will not be available tonight or later this month, however. All visitors must enter and exit from Newport Road and Town Center Drive.

Announcement of the Holiday House Decorating Contest, which has been extended to Dec. 15, will now take place later this month.

Admission is free and the parking lot opens at 4 p.m. Be sure to dress warmly and arrive on time for this festive event, sponsored by the City of Menifee. Guests are urged to bring canned food for the Menifee Community Cupboard and unwrapped new toys for the Spark of Love toy drive.