LONG BEACH PENINSULA — The winter holiday season officially kicked off over the weekend, and Santa led the way with a tree-lighting ceremony on Saturday in downtown Long Beach.

Santa — who allegedly made the more than 1,500-mile trip south from the North Pole for the occasion — greeted eager children and posed for pictures before climbing into the basket of the Long Beach Volunteer Fire Department’s ladder truck and rising high above the crowd, many of whom were dressed in festive sweaters and a few wearing twinkling Christmas lights.

After a 10-second countdown, Santa cast the tree alight with the flick of a special wand before returning to the dozens of spectators gathered below at the corner of Third Street and Pacific Avenue.

Ocean Park also launched holiday observances when a Christmas tree arrived in Sheldon Park along with a number of volunteers to place it in the ground.

“This the tree is being ‘groomed’ — kind of like a haircut — to remove the wild limbs, and lights are being placed,” Joe Natoli of the Beach Baron Car Club reported. Throughout the week it will be decorated by various members of the community. Contact the Ocean Park Area Chamber of Commerce if you wish to volunteer.

Upcoming ceremonies

More Pacific County communities will host tree-lighting events later this week. These include:

Ocean Park will hold their community tree lighting with Santa on Friday, Dec. 1, starting at 4:30 p.m. at Sheldon Field, 25701 Pacific Way, followed by a Santa’s Workshop at the Fire Hall, 26110 Ridge Ave., at 5:45 p.m.

Ilwaco will host the Crab Pot Christmas Tree Lighting, near Safe Coast Seafoods at 117 Howerton Ave., on Saturday, Dec. 2.

On Dec. 3 in Naselle, there will be a Christmas tree lighting and sing-along in the Naselle Community Center parking lot starting at 5 p.m. The Naselle Band members will also be there. Hot chocolate and cookies will be available inside.

Additional event details can be found on page A7.