Christmas at the Center continues to get bigger and better.
This annual holiday event in Manteca was once again highlighted Thursday by the lighting of the large Christmas tree in front of City Hall.
Recreation & Community Services Manager Brandy Clark called this “the start of an awesome and wonderful holiday season.”
Included at this year’s Christmas at the Center was more food trucks and vendors along with the return of Brethren Brewing Company’s beer garden, and selfie stations featuring the likes of Mickey & Minnie, The Grinch, Candy Land, Charlie Brown Christmas, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Frozen.
The Recreation Courtyard featured Christmas Tree Lane, Winter Wonderland (inflatable displays), and “snow” play.
Clark said the latter featuring flakes of light snow that attracted more youngsters than ever this year given the comfortable cool conditions of the evening.
Inside the comforts of the Senior Center consisted of free photos with Santa, cookies & hot cocoa, letter-writing to Santa or Military personnel, and a live reading of “Twas’ the Night Before Christmas,” just to name a few.
Back to the tree lighting, where families joined in and hung their personal ornaments on the tree.
Prior to Mayor Gary Singh and Manteca Youth Focus leading the way in flipping the ‘on’ switch, Christmas at the Center featured the dazzling baton-twirling of the Generations team.
Performances also included GK Music and, inside the Senior Center, JC Music’s One Man Band.
There were also several vehicles in the parking lot adorned in strands of Christmas lights. Included was the 1958 Volkswagen Bug belonging to Gregori High senior Leland Popejoy.
“It’s fun, but it’s also a lot of work putting the lights on (the car),” he said.
Popejoy noted that it took 10 hours to decorate the car for the holidays, and will take another two hours to take down the decoration of lights.
He added it was well worth it.
Popejoy will be displaying his VW Bug in Saturday’s Christmas Parade.
The 52nd annual event through downtown – the longest running holiday tradition in Manteca – will begin at 5 p.m.
