Visitors take a look at one of the many houses decorated on Christmas Tree Lane of its first walk night on Tuesday. The lane will run through Christmas Day.
Christmas Tree Lane has lit up Fresno for the past 92 years and is one of the longest-running events nationwide. The 2014 celebration kicked off the holiday season on Tuesday night for the first walk night (no vehicles allowed). Christmas Tree Lane will run through Dec. 25.
Tree Fresno, a nonprofit partner, will provide transportation from the north section of Fig Garden Village for the two walk nights at a rate of $7. For those who can’t make it to the first walk night, there will be a second held on Dec. 10.
Christmas Tree Lane is a nonprofit event with more than 100,000 visitors from all over the world each year. Christmas Tree Lane began in 1920 and is sponsored by the Fig Garden Homeowners Association.
Community donations help maintain the lane’s refurbishments and 60,000 feet of colorful lighting that includes 140 homes with more than 300 trees decorated.
Local resident Chelsea Holeman said she goes every year and it’s been a Fresno tradition for her and her family for years.
“I can’t wait to see Raggedy Ann and Andy. That’s my favorite part,” Holeman said.
With over a million lights in use, one major improvement has helped Christmas Tree Lane to be more energy efficient with its change in lighting.
“We’ve gotten away from incandescent lights and have gone with LED’s along all the lanes and all the trees,” lane coordinator Dean Alexander said.
“So, we are being conscious and basically cutting the power lights by 80 percent, so we’re only using 20 percent of the power we were using before.”
You can also expect to see on the two-mile strip art works by students from Fresno Unified high schools and Memorial High School displayed on the homes that chose not to decorate.
“I think more people are putting up lights and displays,” Alexander said. “ I drove down the lane earlier and it is very beautiful, something definitely magical.”
Alexander’s home is the grand finale on the lane and one of the most anticipated. It will now be shared nationally on TV. This year, Alexander’s house will be aired Dec. 15 on ABC, when it will compete with four other houses for the greatest Christmas display on the TV series “The Great Christmas Light Fight.”
“You have a great event in your own backyard,” Alexander said. “It’s something that is world renowned. I recommend everybody come down and see it.”