How lovely indeed are the branches of the Ocean Beach Christmas tree? So special it is, that its arrival to Ocean Beach merits a police escort. On Nov. 29, Claudia Jack, chair of the OB Tree Project, went in the early morning with a crew of 15 people from a landscape company to a private property in Ocean Beach where the 45-foot tree was located.
At 11 a.m., the tree was finally loaded onto a huge truck. San Diego police escorted the truck carrying the tree through the OB?community to the foot of Newport Avenue.
A sleeve, or manhole in the sand, had been uncovered and cleaned out for the tree. Once the tree was settled and placed into the sleeve, it was time to put the electrical wiring in place and add the lights, topping it with a star.
That first day on Newport Avenue, the tree was left alone. First thing the next day, the beach ball decorations were all blown up and hung on the tree.
On Thursday, Dec. 1, the children from local schools will make a visit to see Santa from 9 a.m. to noon and bring hand-made ornaments to hang on the tree.
The tree’s big day is Saturday, Dec. 3, when Santa comes around from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for people to visit with him and take pictures. The tree’s shining moment comes at 5:05 p.m. that same day, when the parade starts. “Where else can you have a picture taken with a Christmas tree in the sand, with a pier and waves in the back ground? We put it up early enough so take pictures to send to all your friends back east,” Jack said. The OB Christmas tree on the beach draws visitors, who come to Ocean Beach to gaze at the tree and then go shopping and dining in the town. “I don’t believe there is another beach town that puts a Christmas tree on the beach,” said Jack, who has volunteered for 23 years on the OB Holiday Committee and Ocean Beach Town Council. Nate Bazydlo, vice president of the Ocean Beach Town Council, explained that the tree came from a resident who was already going to have the tree removed from their property.
“Instead of putting it straight into the chipper, the tree has a wonderful farewell as the iconic OB Christmas tree. Also, local artists and residents re-purpose wood from the tree when it is brought down on the beach in January,” Bazydlo said.
The OB Christmas tree has been donated at least the past 12 years by homeowners, and once from the San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park. Usually, the homeowner has to remove the tree because it has caused damage to the house and surrounding property. “It is very expensive to remove a tree of this size, but we remove the tree at no cost to the homeowner. We have removed trees from many areas of San Diego,” Jack said.
The OB Christmas tree is one of the town’s iconic images and many stories and memories surround it. Jack recalls a couple of funny incidents regarding the transport of the tree. She said that years ago, the tree was being hauled to Ocean Beach and fell off the truck.
“So a few us went to Mount Laguna, and we picked out a tree and got it cut and when it landed it split in two, so we had to select another tree.
“Another time a tree was being cut in a neighborhood near Cowles Mountain, and on the way to Ocean Beach, some of the branches scraped a bridge, Jack said. The best story-telling about the tree, of course, is the time spent around it, gazing at it and making memories with family and friends.
“My favorite part of all the tree and parade activities is seeing the kids’ faces when they get to talk to Santa,” Jack said.
