By Christopher Gomez | Little Italy News
The holiday season calls for sweet treats, cozy sweaters, quality time with loved ones and family-friendly holiday events! This season, celebrate the holidays with the Little Italy Association of San Diego (LIA). The LIA has no shortage of events that will put attendees in the holiday spirit! Little Italy is kicking off the festivities with Small Business Saturday on Saturday, Nov. 24 and the Little Italy Tree Lighting & Christmas Village on Saturday, Dec. 1. The San Diego community is invited to jumpstart their holiday shopping early in one of city’s most popular neighborhoods.
During Small Business Saturday, shoppers can grab a Shop Local, Shop Small passport listing out all participating businesses. Little Italy’s favorite gift shops, chic boutiques, and vintage stores will extend their hours and offer great deals and discounts. Visitors can peruse the unique boutiques offering vintage furniture, home décor, handmade jewelry and clothing for your loved ones — making finding a unique Christmas gift for your loved ones a breeze while also supporting local businesses!
The seasonal celebrations continue with the 20th anniversary of the Little Italy Tree Lighting & Christmas Village on Saturday, Dec. 1, transforming the neighborhood into a winter wonderland filled with delightful décor and holiday cheer. The Little Italy streets will feature twinkling lights, 10-foot-tall nutcrackers on street corners, Christmas carolers, live entertainment, horse-drawn carriages, photo ops with Santa, arts and crafts for kids and much more, creating a magical Christmas evening for friends and families to enjoy.
The Little Italy Association will light up the season with two Christmas trees, a towering 25-foot-tall tree decorated with more than 1,100 beautiful poinsettias, located in the center of the Piazza Basilone and a permanent 20-foot-tall live tree in the Piazza della Famiglia that will be lit up at 6:30 p.m. The poinsettia tree is sourced from local farmers and the LIA invites the community to sponsor poinsettia plants to build the tree.
In addition to the spectacular decorations and beautiful displays, the Little Italy Tree Lighting & Christmas Village is yet another chance for locals and visitors to pick up the perfect holiday gifts. The community can walk through the Christmas Village and grab seasonal items like holiday treats and one-of-a-kind stocking stuffers from select Little Italy Mercato vendors and seasonal vendors.
There are also plenty of holiday activities for the kids happening throughout the Christmas Village. At “Santa’s Living Room,” the little ones can read their wish lists and snap a photo with Santa until 6 p.m. After chatting with Santa, kids head next door to participate in a variety of fun arts and craft activities!
From finding unique treasures on Small Business Saturday to walking through a winter wonderland in San Diego at the Little Italy Tree Lighting & Christmas Village, attendees can anticipate a thrilling festive season in Little Italy!
To stay connected with Little Italy, check out what’s going on in the neighborhood by following the community on Instagram and Twitter: @LittleItalySD and Facebook: LittleItalySD. To learn more things happening in the neighborhood, visit LittleItalySD.com.
—Christopher Gomez has been Little Italy’s district manager since 2000. Reach him at [email protected].
