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Livermore Downtown Inc. is kicking off the holiday season this week with its two-day event series that transforms the downtown area into a winter wonderland.
The Holiday Village at Carnegie Park will be bustling with local vendors and crafters offering unique holiday shopping and food fair this Friday (Dec. 1) from 4-8 p.m.
While strolling through the holiday village, attendees can enjoy live music by local musicians, holiday characters, free photos with Santa, local beer, wine and a pop-up holiday champagne bar, organizers said in a statement announcing the event.
There will also be an opportunity to support Bay Area nonprofit Rooms of Hope, which provides dream room makeovers for children with life-threatening illnesses.
LDI and Team Martial Arts are partnering with Rooms of Hope to raise funds for the organization. This year, Rooms of Hope is supporting Ary – a 6-year-old boy who is battling Leukemia. The Team Martial Arts booth at Holiday Village at Carnegie Park will be giving out free hot cocoa and staff members will be helping people make donations to Rooms of Hope and will have the official QR code available to scan upon arrival.
Carnegie Park is located at 2155 Third St.
The following day, Santa will return to downtown Livermore for the Holiday Sights and Sounds Parade and community tree lighting.
This year's parade grand marshal will be Las Positas College President Dyrell Foster. "We’re honored to have Dr. Dyrell Foster as our Grand Marshal and thrilled to host the Carolers of the Las Positas College Jazz Choir at this year’s Holiday Village at Carnegie Park," LDI officials said. "We are proud of our local students and inspired by Las Positas College’s commitment to academic excellence," they added.
The procession will feature floats and performances by local businesses, bands, schools and clubs, among other organizations. Using an interactive parade program, attendees will be able to follow along in real time while at the parade and vote for their favorite participants by clicking smiley faces next to each entry.
Immediately following the parade, Saint Nick will be joined at Lizzie Fountain by Livermore Mayor John Marchand and the Granada High School choir who will lead the community in a sing-a-long as the tree is being lit.
The Holiday Sights & Sounds Parade and Tree Lighting is set for 6 p.m. this Saturday (Dec. 2) and takes place in the heart of downtown Livermore on First Street.
Ahead of the festivities, the Livermore Police Department shared a post on social media to notify the public of planned street closures due to the celebrations.
For the parade, the following street closures will be in effect on Saturday starting at 3 p.m.
- South Livermore Avenue from First Street to Third Street
- First Street will be closed from Maple Street to South N Street
- Second Street will be closed from Maple Street to N Street
- All of the cross streets between First Street and Third Street will be closed to traffic within the parade route (McLeod Street, J Street, K Street, L Street, M Street)
- The north side of Third Street from S. Livermore Avenue to L Street will also be no parking zones
There will be designated handicap parking in the parking lot located on North Livermore Avenue adjacent to the Bankhead Theater. All of the streets within the parade area will be marked "NO PARKING." Cars parked within the parade enclosures will be towed, LPD said in its post.
LPD also said that chairs placed in parking stalls before the street closures will be removed. Chairs and blankets need to be behind the pink crowd tape and must not block sidewalks or damage landscaping. Sidewalks must remain open for ADA access.
In the interest of public safety, crossing the street will be prohibited once the parade begins.The estimated time to reopen streets is approximately 9 p.m. but they will not reopen until it is deemed safe for pedestrians to do so.
"We encourage spectators and pedestrians to wear high-visibility clothing when walking home. Please use extreme caution when leaving the area. Drive slowly as there will be many families with children walking home," LPD officials said.
More information about the parade, street closures and route map can be found at https://www.livermoredowntown.com/events/sights-and-sounds-parade.
Additional details about Friday's Holiday Village at Carnegie Park is available at https://www.livermoredowntown.com/events/holiday-village-at-carnegie-park.
