How to play the game
Can you “spy” the lane’s five most iconic landmarks?
For many of us, it’s hard to embrace the season’s “tidings of comfort and joy” amid the tumult and unrest we see all around us. With conflicts abroad and struggles like inflation and housing costs close to home, it can be difficult to set worries aside as we embrace the good.
With the holidays fast approaching, what is a person to do?
In Fresnoland, fortunately, we have a remedy of sorts – one that reflects the spirit of giving (even in tough times) and the joy of the holidays: Christmas Tree Lane.
Arguably Fresno’s most popular holiday landmark, Christmas Tree Lane began during another turbulent time, as the world recovered both from the First World War and a global pandemic. It was 1920 and, in a tragic accident, a young man was killed at his home on Van Ness Boulevard. To honor him, a cedar tree outside the family’s home was embellished with holiday lights.
From that act of kindness displayed on a single tree, a spirit of giving spread along the boulevard over the years. Today, visitors can enjoy the spectacle of more than 140 homes decorated with intricate light displays and festive ornaments.
Anyone who moves into a home on the 2-mile stretch recognizes they will become a part of the century-old tradition of decorating as a way to give others joy.
Lexie Brownrigg, 30, grew up on Christmas Tree Lane in what is now known as the “grand finale” house. Later, she and her young family moved into their own home on Van Ness, just south of her parents.
“When we first moved to the lane, my dad loaned us Christmas decorations to use out front. This year, we’re making our own and we’ll add a little more every year,” Brownrigg said the day after Thanksgiving as she and her toddler were outside painting large handmade houses to use as new decorations.
Each year, some 100,000 people visit Christmas Tree Lane to witness the magical transformation of home displays and the multicolored lights decorating the boulevard’s towering deodar cedar trees, which create a stunning canopy for passers-by. The shared sense of community is bolstered on the lane’s “walk only” nights.
The lane is free and open to the public, and completely volunteer-driven. It is a way residents have found they can give to the community – in good times and difficult times.
“Giving, whether through acts of kindness, charitable donations, or volunteering, can have positive effects on mental health, reducing stress and shifting your attention away from your own stressors,” said Stephanie Zimmerman, LMFT and clinical director of the local Zimmerman Therapy Group. “It can act as a coping mechanism during challenging times, creating a sense of control and purpose, but giving can also develop social connection by fostering a sense of belonging and community.”
As residents decorated their homes and strung lights ahead of Christmas Tree Lane’s opening night, many who spoke with Fresnoland said the best part is seeing childrens’ faces light up when they drive by.
“Christmas Tree Lane is historic. It’s part of my childhood memories. No matter what, it’s always there,” said Fresnan Courtney MacDougall, 41, whose family owns a popular Christmas tree lot, Willow Tree Farm, in north Fresno.
This holiday season, when many locals turn on the news and witness the turbulence in this land and beyond, remember that you, too, can do something for someone else to make the season bright. Even if it means just driving down Christmas Tree Lane with someone you love.
“It is important to also embrace the generosity of others,” continued Zimmerman. “If you receive graciously, it can inspire you to pay it forward with your own acts of kindness.”
“I Spy” (Christmas Tree Lane’s version)
Add some extra joy to your walk or drive down Fresno’s Christmas Tree Lane, and see if you can “spy” the lane’s five most iconic landmarks:
- “Christmas Tree Lane” lit sign. At the beginning and end of the lane, a 20-foot “Christmas Tree Lane” sign sparkles between the deodar cedars. This iconic sign also serves as the lane’s official logo.
- “First Tree” house. On Van Ness Boulevard and Pontiac Way, visitors of Christmas Tree Lane can find the home that started it all. In 1920, the tree in front of the corner home was the first to be decorated in honor of William “Billy” Hobart Winning, who was 14 when he died after falling into machinery operating in a pump house (now the shed) behind the home. Billy’s father, Dr. W.P. Winning was a local dentist, according to records. Today, the “first tree” still stands, despite recent signs of dying branches due to heat and wind. Current homeowners Greg and Dana Pratt have invested in genetically duplicating the “first tree,” after hiring AgroNatural Sciences, a company specializing in plant growth. This year, about 100 juvenile deodar cedars from the original tree are being monitored and cared for at Belmont Nursery in Fresno.
- Meet Santa spot. About halfway down the lane off Rialto Avenue, north of Ashlan Avenue, expect to see Santa Claus greeting passers-by. Kids of all ages can greet Santa and drop monetary donations into the baskets collected by volunteers.
- Santa’s nine reindeer. Sprinkled throughout the lane are the legendary nine reindeer who pull Santa’s sleigh. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph all make an appearance somewhere on the lane. Each reindeer is handmade and painted white for easy spotting.
- “Grand Finale” house. In 2014, ABC’s hit show, “The Great Christmas Light Fight” featured the Alexander family’s home on Christmas Tree Lane, which won the Fresno family $50,000 in prize money, later donated to keep Christmas Tree Lane shimmering. The home is located at the end of the lane, north of Fairmont Avenue and Van Ness Boulevard.
If you go
- Christmas Tree Lane runes from Dec. 2-25, 2023
- Sunday – Thursday, 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
- Friday and Saturday, 6 p.m. – 11 p.m.
- Tuesday, Dec. 12 is a “walk-only night” on the boulevard, rain or shine
- Driving or walking the lane is free, but donations are appreciated via Venmo @FresnoChristmasTreeLane
- Getting there: North Van Ness Boulevard flows northbound only during lane hours. The lane entrance is at Shields Avenue and ends at the intersection of North Palm Avenue and West Shaw Avenue. Visitors using Highway 41 are encouraged to take the Ashlan exit, drive west on Ashlan, turn south on Blackstone Avenue and then go west on Shields Avenue.
