Save the dates for campus Christmas programs, Dec. 11 & 12

The holiday season is upon us, which means there will be numerous activities to check off your to-do list. And what’s better than a good Christmas light display to help get people into the holiday spirit? Here are some great ways to enjoy Christmas lights and music this holiday season.

Fresno’s Christmas Tree Lane

Fresno’s historic Christmas Tree Lane, located on Van Ness Blvd., has been delighting the city residents since 1920, displaying about two miles of spectacular light displays. The Lane opens on Wednesday, Dec. 2, and remains open until Dec. 25.

Over 300 lit trees overhanging Van Ness and 100 homes are decorated and lit up from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 6 p.m. to 11 p.m Friday and Saturday. As you drive down the lane, you can tune into the local radio station to listen to music that corresponds to different displays. Also be sure to look for the nine reindeer placed around the two-mile lane.

You can enjoy a special night of walking the lane (no vehicles) on Wed., Dec. 2 and Tues., Dec. 8. Donations are accepted.

Cindy Lane

You can enjoy walking or driving Cindy Lane, starting Dec. 1 through Dec. 25. In 1993, the Wawona Ranch Estates began decorating their homes for Christmas and the participation has grown to over 100 homes stringing thousands of lights around the neighborhood.

It is located near Peach/Alluvial in Clovis, CA. Enter either on Athens Ave. just north of Alluvial or on Cindy Lane/Alluvial. Cindy Lane will have lights from Sunday-Thursday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Some of the houses display lights with a theme; one such house is deemed the “snowflake house.” Take the time to count them. You may be surprised at the number and variety of them. The wait to see the houses can take over an hour, so it is preferable to park on Alluvial and/or Peach and walk the neighborhood.

In the video below, juniors and Feather staffers Kamryn Schultz and Alex Rurik chat about upcoming local holiday and Christmas events.

Santa Claus Lane 

A new Christmas light display is located in the Ladera Ranch neighborhood on the 3100 block of Indianapolis Ave. in Clovis, CA. Santa Claus Lane, founded in 2015, features 34 houses with over 200,000 lights linked together to create a computer animated, synchronized light show.

Like Christmas Tree Lane, you can hear music as you drive the block through the FM radio. The display begins on Nov. 27 and runs through Dec. 31. The lights displays starting each night at 5:30 p.m, Sunday through Thursday, and Friday and Saturday are walking days only.

Zoo Lights at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo

This holiday season, enjoy a beautiful display of lights at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo. For this special annual event, the entire zoo is transformed into a winter wonderland, fully decorated and strung with miles of holiday lights. Live entertainment, festive treats, and free photos with Santa are available at the zoo until Dec. 23.

Fresno Chaffee Zoo will be open Dec. 1-3, 8-10, 15-23, and 26-30 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. to enjoy a magical evening with the animals. Tickets are $9 for adults, $7 for ages 2-11. If you are a zoo member, adults are $7 and children 2-11 are $5.

Clovis Children’s Electric Christmas Parade, Dec. 2

The annual Clovis Children’s Electric Christmas Parade is Dec. 2 in Old Town Clovis, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. The FCS marching band, percussion and flag teams are all participating in the parade. Consider supporting the campus teams in Old Town Clovis. The admission is free.

During the parade, residents look forward to the spectacular display of holiday cheer. The parade features thousands of local children, adults, animals, and floats, all blanketed in snow. In addition to the floats adorned with holiday lights, spectators can see other local marching bands, decorated cars, equestrians, and more.

Downtown Fresno Christmas Parade, Dec. 2

Downtown Fresno will host its 88th annual Christmas Parade, Dec.2, returning to its original location on the newly (re)opened Fulton Street, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This year’s theme is A Funky Fulton Christmas.

The parade’s theme this year is based on music and dancing, dating back to the mid-60s which brought us soul, jazz and R&B. It also relates back to Fulton Street, which became Fulton Mall in the mid-1960s.

FCS Christmas choral “Lessons & Carols” concert, Dec. 11 

Last but not least, the Fresno Christian choral department celebrates the season with their Lessons & Carols Christmas concert, Dec. 11, in the Peoples Church Auditorium from 7-9 p.m. Come celebrate with director Susan Ainley as the junior high choir, high school choir ‘Cantiamo’ and the girl’s ensemble, ‘Bellezza’ will perform.

Lessons are nine readings from the Bible that tell the Christmas story, with carols sung in between. Director Susan Ainley’s and accompanist Ben Certain’s former college choral professor, Dr. Roy L. Klassen of Fresno Pacific University, will read the Bible lessons.

Fresno Christian choirs will perform both traditional Christmas carols and composed music of the season. The congregation will be invited to sing along with the Christmas hymns. The evening will also feature several solos and special groupings. The girl’s ensemble will perform “People Look East”, and will join the JH choir for a Christmas spiritual, “Children, Go Where I Send Thee”. The high school men will sing an original piece composed by Certain, an arrangement of “What Child is This”.

All choirs will combine for a finale, “Hope for Resolution”. This song is a combination of the hymn “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” and the South African freedom song, “Thula Sizwe-Nation, do not cry”.

FCS Christmas “Tidings” instrumental concert, Dec. 12

Finally, on Dec. 12, the Fresno Christian instrumental groups present Tidings in the G.L. Johnson chapel. Performing are the campus band, percussion ensemble, jazz combo, and soloists from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Look for a student favorite: Sleigh Ride includes solos by junior high students, Elise Bessey and Selah Draper. Additionally, look for a piano solo by Joseph Igot. Instrumental director Leslie Bannister says the song, I Saw Three Kings, is extremely difficult and believes “it is sure to bring the house down!” However, most in the band have solos at some point, so come and celebrate the season with them.