Palisades-Malibu YMCA Tree Lot to Open for Holiday Season

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

As the holiday season trickles into Pacific Palisades, so does a variety of fresh trees at the Palisades-Malibu YMCA annual Tree Lot at Simon Meadow, which opens December 1 at 3 p.m.—a tradition that dates back decades.

“Generations of kids, parents, neighbors and friends have come to buy a tree and celebrate the season,” according to a previous poster.

The sale of trees—just like the YMCA’s Pumpkin Patch each October—acts as a major fundraising event for YMCA, helping provide programs and financial assistance to families in need, and beyond.

The 2023 selection includes a variety of trees, like nobles, Nordmann and Silvertips, ranging from table-top size to 14 feet tall. Special decorative items will also be available for sale, including wreaths, wooden reindeer and garland by the foot.

The lot will be open Monday through Friday from 3 to 7 p.m., as well as Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

A beloved community tradition for over 70 years, this year’s holiday HoHoHo! will return to the Tree Lot on Saturday, December 9, from 1 to 4 p.m.

Santa Claus and his team have visited Pacific Palisades each holiday season during HoHoHo! since December 1949. Organized by the YMCA FUN Committee, this year’s event will kick off with Santa riding down the streets of town aboard Los Angeles Fire Department Station 69’s fire truck, followed by a lineup of entertainment and performances, activities, local food offerings, and more.

“After decades, [HoHoHo!] remains one of the most heartwarming Palisades traditions—a free holiday family festival built for the community by the community,” Palisadian Lou Kamer said to the Palisadian-Post. “It exists to watch kids jump up and down when Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive on the Station 69 fire truck, or when proud parents watch their kids dance and sing on an outdoor stage amidst a Christmas tree forest.”

One Palisadian family will also have the opportunity to ride atop LAFD Station 69’s fire truck with Santa Claus and local firefighters during this year’s event. Event organizers invited the community to enter a raffle for the chance to win.

Raffle tickets, which are $40, can be purchased in person at Palisades Branch Library or the YMCA Tree Lot at Simon Meadow. They are on sale now through Thursday, December 7. All proceeds will directly benefit the YMCA Food Distribution Program.