Staff Report
Los Olivos will welcome the holidays with its annual Olde Fashioned Christmas on Saturday, Dec. 7. One of the largest of Los Olivos’ annual events, Olde Fashioned Christmas offers locals and visitors a small-town, Victorian-era holiday celebration with season-appropriate, family-friendly activities and experiences for all ages.
The day-long holiday happening begins at noon with the opening of this year’s Artisan Holiday Market, an open-air holiday shopping opportunity showcasing gift-able goods by nearly two dozen artists and vendors.
Christmas carolers will stroll the village’s main streets, while open houses at businesses throughout town – such as Los Olivos’ generous array of wine tasting rooms, wine and beer bars, plus restaurants and boutiques – will treat guests to special deals, live music, mulled wine and other holiday nibbles and tipples through extended evening hours, with doors open until at least 7 p.m.
St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church, a Los Olivos landmark, transforms into a Christmas fantasy with its Gingerbread Wonderland (4 to 8 p.m.) as well as visits and photos with Santa Claus (4 p.m.-end).
The Gingerbread Wonderland features a hall full of the famous edible architecture, with all houses decorated by local artisans and school children.
The Summerset Farm & Dale’s “Train” will transport kids, and their parents, through the twinkling town (2 to 7 p.m.). The official lighting of the Los Olivos Christmas Tree, at the flagpole in the center of all of the action, is set for 6 p.m., with accompanying Christmas music in the adjacent park.
Food trucks and gourmet snack vendors will be stationed throughout downtown, with a concentrated food court near Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.’s Los Olivos taproom, where street food favorites like The Doggy Door hotdogs, California Tacos, and Arne’s Aebleskiver will join holiday-time, foodie memory-makers such as roasted walnuts and kettle corn.
“Olde Fashioned Christmas is a locals-favorite event, year after year, but it also provides visitors with a family-friendly day of celebration in a town most known for wine tasting activities. It’s a snapshot of what life – and holiday festivities – might have been like around the time of the town’s founding. Simpler times.
“Los Olivos’ Victorian architecture gets dolled up for the holidays, and our pedestrian-friendly country roads make for an atmospheric Christmas scene brimming with unique shopping opportunities, lots of food, cheer, and family fun,” said Sandee Sanger, President of the Los Olivos Chamber of Commerce.
Olde Fashioned Christmas is produced by the Los Olivos Chamber of Commerce, a volunteer organization which funds town services such as maintenance for the village’s central flagpole, public restroom facilities and trash removal.
“Olde Fashioned Christmas” sponsors will be announced as the event nears and will be listed on the event’s web page or on the Facebook event page.
For more information, see www.losolivosca.com/los-olivos-olde-fashioned-christmas.
