Chamber Looks to Start New Holiday Tradition

By CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA | Reporter

With holiday season in full swing, the Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce will host its first-ever “Christmas Stroll” on Friday, Nov. 30.

Community members are invited to take a walk through what the Chamber is calling “downtown” Palisades, where participating stores will each have a Christmas tree on display and serve light refreshments to shoppers.

The stroll will focus on stores throughout The Village area, with participation from stores in Palisades Village as well.

Stores confirmed for the inaugural stroll include BOCA, Gift Garden, Elyse Walker and towne by elysewalker, and Pharmaca. Participating Palisades Village shops include Hank’s, Blue Ribbon Sushi and mini mioche.

Hoping to inspire a friendly competition, store shoppers will vote on the best tree, awarding the winner with prizes that will soon be announced by the Chamber.

Not to be left out of the giveaways, Palisadians will be given a holiday scratcher for a chance to win $1 million.

All participants will be given a map to be stamped by each store and guided by “elves” made possible by the Palisades Charter High School Student Ambassadors. Singers and Dickens characters are also expected to fill the town.

The shoppers with the most stamps will have a chance to win up to $500 in prizes.

But the announcement of the new event raised questions on the departure of an old one: “Ho!Ho!Ho!,” a beloved tradition in the neighborhood, will not return.

With a large holiday presence from Rick Caruso’s Palisades Village project, complete with a 50-foot tree and a fully immersed Santa Claus method actor, the Chamber was not looking to compete with Caruso, but rather include the rest of the community, according to Bob Benton, president of the Chamber of Commerce.

Caruso, along with Mini of Santa Monica and Councilmember Mike Bonin’s Office, are listed as sponsors for the event.

Benton said he hopes to merge the Palisadian roots that surround the Chamber of Commerce with the new neighbors across Sunset Boulevard.

He said the idea for the “Christmas Stroll” came from a holiday discussion among the Chamber of Commerce board members, as they compared and contrasted what has and has not worked in the past.

“We’re here for everyone,” Benton said. “But this is a merchant-minded event that we hope to grow and grow.”