By Mike Chaldu
michael@santaynezvalleystar.com

Unlike last year, when major storms and resultant flooding caused cancellation of the event, crowds were able to gather this month at Mission Santa Ines in Solvang for the annual Christmas Tree Burn.

The burn, which signals the end of the city’s month-and-a-half long Julefest and the holiday season in general, went off without a hitch on Friday, Jan. 5, on the lawn across the parking lot from the mission.

“It’s great to have this back,” said Jenny McClurg, Solvang Parks and Rec director. “It was disappointing to have to cancel it last year, but the weather has cooperated and everyone seems to be having a good time.”

The Parks and Rec Department provided games to be played before the burn, and attendees were able to get some eats from the food truck belonging to Rudy’s Mexican Restaurant in Buellton.

Those arriving at dusk to the mission grounds were met with a sizable pile of discarded Christmas trees, a pile that was still being added to as the Santa Barbara County Fire Department personnel from Station 30 arrived to conduct the burn.

Joe and Sharon Filipko were awaiting the show along with their grandchildren Vienna Cervantes, 6; and her sisters Lola, 4; and Santina, 18 months. They were standing near the big pile of trees they contributed to a few minutes earlier.

“We live right across the street, so we just dragged the tree over and added it to the pile,” said Sharon Filipko. “We’re all pretty excited, the kids especially, after having to miss it last year.”

Another person who added to the pile of trees was Jesse Van Noy, who brought his all the way down from Avila Beach, coming with some friends to enjoy the fiery spectacle to come.

“We try to get down here for this as many times as we can; I think I’ve been to two or three of these so far,” he said. “I’m glad to be here; I think it’s a really good thing they put on.”

Van Noy was able to get his tree up near the top of the pile, although he needed a couple of tries for it to stick up there.

“Hey, those things are heavier than they look,” he said.

The burn also brought in attendees who were from out of town, some of whom didn’t know it was happening until hearing about when they were in town.

Amanda Meadows of Orange County came in with her husband Jake, children Autumn, 9; Silas, 7; Winnie, 5; and Sadie, 1; and Amanda’s grandparents (from Sacramento) Justin and Judy Petsas.

“We came up to visit and found out about this,” Amanda said as they waited for the sun to go down and the burn to commence. “We’ve been enjoying the area; we took the kids to the Santa Barbara Zoo, and I got to meet Monty Roberts [the Solvang horse trainer and owner/operator of Flag Is Up Farms]. I’m really into riding horses, so that was the highlight of the trip for me.”

The tree burn was a great topper to the trip, the kind of event the family never thought they’d come across.

“We don’t have anything like this where we live,” Jake Meadows said. “We just leave the tree on our curb for the trash guys to pick up and be done with it.”

While the burn was an unforeseen attraction for the Meadows and the Petsases, for the Molina family of Ventura, it was a destination.

Gabriel and Blanca Molina made the trip up to the Valley with their children Gabrielle, 17; Matthew, 7; and Adeline, 2.

“We decided to take a day trip; went to the Santa Barbara museums, and then continued it up here,” said Gabriel Blanca. “We come to Solvang quite a bit and love to visit the downtown, and we decided to check out this event for the first time.”

The program began with a ceremonial (and respectful) flag-burning conducted by the Boy Scout Troop 41, who cut up the worn flag before tossing the pieces into a small fire pit.

After that, the county firefighters gave a fire-safety demonstration, explaining the dangers a dry Christmas tree can pose and then lighting up three trees set up apart from the big pile to show just how fast a tree fire can ignite and spread.

After that, it was time for the main event.

The firefighters went slowly around the pile of trees lighting strategic spots along the bottom of the heap, and in no time at all the flames started shooting up into the sky amid the “oohs” and “aahs” of the crowd. The onlookers also gradually backed away from the pile as the heat got progressively more intense.

As the fire settled to a steady burn, Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Andrew Wedel, who’s been with the department for 17 years — seven of them with Station 30 — could be pleased with another successful burn.

“Very pleased with how this turned out, and pleased with the crowd,” Wedel said. “We do this partly to show how careful you have to be with the trees and fire, but it’s also a time for the community to get together and have a good time, and we’ve had that tonight.”

Wedel estimated that the fire would burn out by “about 8:30 or 9 p.m.,” which would have meant two and a half or three hours since the fire was started just before 6 p.m.

As far as the aim of educating people about fire dangers, Wedel felt that part of the event has been a success.

“We haven’t had to answer a call about a tree catching on fire this year, and we haven’t had much at all over the past few years,” Wedel said. “So, I guess the people are listening.”

The post Solvang Christmas Tree Burn spells end to Julefest appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

By Janene Scully, Noozhawk North County Editor 

Forced to take last year off, the Solvang Christmas tree burn returned the evening of January 8 for its 31st edition.

The event served as the fiery end to the Danish-themed city’s annual Julefest celebration that spanned more than a month.

Since Christmas, valley residents have offered up their trees, creating a big pile in a field near the Mission Santa Ines.

The 2021 tree burn did not take place because of COVID-19 concerns and public health guidelines in place at the time.

The City of Solvang and the Santa Barbara County Fire Department join forces to host the event, which also serves as a demonstration about the fire danger posed by dry Christmas trees.

It’s considered to be one of the largest fire safety demonstrations on the Central Coast.

The event also included music, a retirement of American flags led by Boy Scout Troops 007 and 41, and refreshments for sale before the grand finale of igniting the gathered trees.

Through the years, some residents have questioned the event’s effects on air quality and concerns about fire danger, not as much of a worry this year after significant rain fell in December.

— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com.

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The City of Solvang and the Santa Barbara County Fire Department will hold the annual Solvang Christmas Tree Burn on Friday, January 7, from 5 – 7 p.m., in the empty field adjacent to Old Mission Santa Inés (1760 Mission Drive, Solvang). The January 7 Tree Burn will be the 31st annual for the City of Solvang, which did not host a Tree Burn in January 2021 due to COVID concerns and the associated Santa Barbara County guidelines at that time.

The Solvang Christmas Tree Burn is usually held in early January as a wrap-up of the month-long Solvang Julefest celebration, and is considered to be one of the largest fire safety demonstrations along the California Central Coast. The tree burn will include music, a retirement of American Flags led by Boy Scout Troops 007 and 41, a fire safety demonstration, and refreshments for sale, with the grand finale of igniting the gathered trees.

Christmas trees may be dropped off at any time up until 4 p.m. on January 7. All City of Solvang residents may also leave their Christmas trees curbside the week of January 3, and Waste Management will pick them up on respective service days. The City of Solvang asks that residents and businesses please do not drop off or leave curbside flocked trees, or trees with ornaments, tinsel, or other decorations.

For further information and updates about the January 7 Tree Burn and fire safety demonstration, please visit www.SolvangJulefest.org/treeburn or contact Solvang City Hall at (805) 688-5575. Fire-related inquiries may be directed to Santa Barbara County Fire Department at www.SBCFire.com/inquire.

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publisher@santaynezvalleystar.com

The holidays usually end in the Santa Ynez Valley and Julefest in Solvang, with the annual Christmas Tree Burn hosted by the City of Solvang and the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

Not this year, as the tree burn usually attracts hundreds of valley locals and area residents to watch the flames, and the City said in accordance with public health orders they couldn’t manage a way to do it.

“We considered all options which might have allowed us to hold the Tree Burn this year, in spite of COVID-19. However, due to the possibility of the Tree Burn creating an unintended gathering, and all of the necessary logistical considerations, the City will not be holding the Tree Burn this holiday season,” explained Solvang City Manager, Xenia Bradford.

In lieu of the early January event, which allows Solvang residents and businesses to safely discard their Christmas trees, the City of Solvang will offer curbside pick-up service through Waste Management, during the week of January 4, 2021. Information about tree pick-up will be posted under the “Recent News” section of the home page on the City of Solvang’s website: www.CityofSolvang.com.

The tree burn billed as one of the largest fire safety demonstrations and community holiday gatherings on the Central Coast, as the firefighters show just how quickly a fire can spread.

It has also become an annual tradition for many valley locals who return every year with their families to enjoy the evening, which includes refreshments and free entertainment.

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Julefest officially came to a close on Jan. 4 when a Friday night crowd got a little toasty standing near the pile of Christmas trees that were set ablaze by members of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

“My favorite part is the community all coming together for a communal bonfire. The music, the food, and seeing all your friends is a fun away to wrap up the holiday season,” said valley resident Mikki Robinson.

The event is coordinated by the Solvang Parks and Recreation Department and supervised by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. It is billed as one of the largest fire safety demonstrations and community holiday gatherings on the Central Coast.

“Most importantly it is a really good fire safety demonstration for kids and adults. It is a great way for the community to connect with the fire department and to be able to thank them for their service this year,” Robinson added.

The past year has been busy for the various county and city fire departments as they worked tirelessly during many disasters that included the Thomas Fire and Montecito debris flows in January 2018 to the Woolsey, Hill and Camp fires that ended the year.

The bonfire event included free entertainment and refreshments for purchase.

The post Tree burn closes holiday season in the valley appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

The annual Christmas Tree Burn in Solvang will close the 2018 Julefest celebration and open the new year from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 4, in the field at Mission Santa Ines.

The event, coordinated by the Solvang Parks and Recreation Department and supervised by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, is billed as one of the largest fire safety demonstrations and community holiday gatherings on the Central Coast.

There will be free, live entertainment as well as refreshments for purchase.

Solvang officials have promised to announce as quickly as possible if rain is expected to delay or cancel this year’s event. In 2016, the event was canceled because of rain, so the trees were chipped up for mulch.

All area residents are invited to bring their tree (with stands and ornaments removed) to the big burn pile until 5 p.m. Jan. 4.

For more details, call Solvang Parks & Rec at 805-688-PLAY or visit www.solvangusa.com/events/annual-christmas-tree-burn/. Mission Santa Ines is at 1760 Mission Drive in Solvang.

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With “A Danish Tradition” as the celebration’s theme, Solvang sparkled once again during the 2017 Julefest.

Amelia Lahr enjoys one of the candelight tours during Solvang’s Julefest, one of many new additions to the annual celebration.

“Solvang is all about traditions. We don’t look like modern Denmark. We carry on the traditions handed down … . It is that charm of Solvang’s old traditions that make this place so special, and when you throw Christmas into the mix, the results are truly magical,” said Special Programs Manager Daniel Lahr of the Solvang Conference and Visitors Bureau, which organizes the celebration.

The event held true in celebrating traditions with the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, Julefest Parade and nearly 2,000 visits with Santa during his trips from the North Pole.

Added this year was the Nisse Adventure, a scavenger hunt that took people around town and had them search for mischievous elf-like Danish figures hidden in 12 different locations around Solvang. Approximately 1,250 families participated, and 750 prizes were collected from the Visitors Center.

In addition, costumed tour guides took more than 500 people on five candlelight tours around town throughout Julefest.

“Seeing everyone walking around with candles added greatly to the atmosphere and magic,” Lahr added.

More than 300 people attended the modified wine and beer walk, now known as the Skål Stroll, on Dec. 9-10. The new gløgg contest allowed participants to vote for their favorite version of gløgg, a mulled wine.  Sort This Out Wine Cellars won the inaugural event.

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The 2017 Julefest concluded Jan. 5 with the annual Christmas Tree Burn at Mission Santa Ines.

The event, coordinated by the Solvang Parks and Recreation Department and supervised by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, is billed as one of the largest fire safety demonstrations and community holiday gatherings on California’s Central Coast.

The post Julefest combines new events, old traditions appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

The annual Christmas Tree Burn in Solvang will close the 2017 Julefest celebration and open the new year from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5, in the field at Mission Santa Ines.

The event, coordinated by the Solvang Parks and Recreation Department and supervised by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, is billed as one of the largest fire safety demonstrations and community holiday gatherings on California’s Central Coast.

There will be free, live entertainment as well as refreshments for purchase.

Solvang officials have promised to announce as quickly as possible if rain is expected to delay or cancel this year’s event. In 2016, the event was canceled because of rain, so the trees were chipped up for mulch.

All area residents are invited to bring their tree (with stands and ornaments removed) to the big burn pile until 5 p.m. on Jan. 5.

Photo by Mikki Robinson

For more details, call Solvang Parks & Rec at 805-688-PLAY or visit www.solvangusa.com/events/annual-christmas-tree-burn/. Mission Santa Ines is at 1760 Mission Drive in Solvang.

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2

Youth Swim Lessons and Seal Swim Team begin – Stuart C. Gildred Family YMCA, 900 N. Refugio Road, Santa Ynez. Visit www.ciymca.org/stuartgildred.

Overview: The Ariel Photography of Bill Dewey – Now through March 12; 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, 1511 Mission Drive, Solvang; www.wildlingmuseum.org.

5

Community Tree Burn – 5-7 p.m. Mission Santa Ines, 1760 Mission Drive, Solvang; 688-7529.

6

Youth basketball begins – Stuart C. Gildred Family YMCA, 900 N. Refugio Road, Santa Ynez; www.ciymca.org/stuartgildred.

Make Your Own Cutting Board – 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 100 Industrial Way, Unit G, Buellton. No experience necessary; shaunboydmadethis@gmail.com or 694-8095.

The Boar’s Head Festival – 4 p.m., St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church, 2901 Nojoqui Ave., Los Olivos. Celebrate The Feast of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) with a pageant, bagpipers and drummers, and a meal. Free.

Sip and Scents – 7-9 p.m. The Parlor Co., 446 Alisal Road, Solvang. Create your own perfume, explore 50 different scents and sip complimentary champagne while listening to 1920s jazz; $40, space limited; theparlorcomercantile@gmail.com or 686-1852.

11

Lego Robotics begin – Stuart C. Gildred Family YMCA, 900 N. Refugio Road, Santa Ynez; building a team robot; www.ciymca.org/stuartgildred.

YMCA Open House – 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Stuart C. Gildred Family YMCA, 900 N. Refugio Road, Santa Ynez. Join during the event and the entire month is complimentary; www.ciymca.org/stuartgildred.

12

“Queen Nation” performance – 8 p.m., Chumash Casino Resort, 3400 E. Highway 246, Santa Ynez; 21 and older; $15; www.chumashcasino.com.

13

Battle of the Vessels –  11 a.m.-1 p.m., Zaca Mesa Winery, 6905 Foxen Canyon Road, Solvang. Exclusive tasting of wines from oak barrels, concrete tanks and clay amphorae; $60/club member, $75 for others; Kelsey@zacamesa.com or 688-9339.

“Fight the Fire” fundraiser – 3-7 p.m., Flying Flags RV Resort, 180 Avenue of Flags, Buellton; benefitting the Thomas Fire Fund via the United Way. Live performances, food vendors, beer, wine, raffles, silent auction.

Every Monday

Weight Room – 6-8 a.m. and 1:30-8 p.m., Buellton Rec Center, 301 2nd St., Buellton, $3; 688-1086.

Senior T’ai Chi, 9:15 a.m.; Arthritis Class, 10:15 a.m.; Creative Coloring, 1 p.m. every other Monday; Senior Issues, 1 p.m. every other Monday; Solvang Senior Center, 1745 Mission Drive; 688-1086.

Every Tuesday

Knitting, 9 a.m.; computer class, 9:30 a.m.; bridge and poker, 1 p.m.; Solvang Senior Center, 1745 Mission Drive; 688-1086.

Every Wednesday

Yoga, 9:15 a.m.; Bingo, 1 p.m.: Solvang Senior Center, 1745 Mission Drive; 688-1086.

Knit and Crochet – 1 p.m., Buellton Senior Center, West Highway 246, Buellton; 688-4571.

After School Wednesdays – 2-5 p.m., Creation Station Fabric and Quilt Shop, 252 E. Highway 246, Unit A, Buellton. Pre-registration and fee required; 693-0714.

Solvang Farmers Market – 2:30-6:30 p.m., First Street between Mission Drive and Copenhagen Drive, Solvang.

Trivia Night – 7-9 p.m., Naughty Oak Tap Room, 3569 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez; www.naughtyoak.com.

Every Thursday

Chair Exercises – 10 a.m., Buellton Senior Center, West Highway 246, Buellton; 688-4571.

Arthritis Class, 10:15 a.m.; poker, 1 p.m., Solvang Senior Center, 1745 Mission Drive; 688-1086.

Brain Injury Survivors of Santa Ynez Valley – 12-2 p.m., Bethania Lutheran Church, 603 Atterdag Road, Solvang. Jodi House Brain Injury Support Center offers a support group for brain injury survivors and caregivers; www.jodihouse.org.

Every Friday

Pilates – 10 a.m., Solvang Senior Center, 1745 Mission Drive; 688-1086.

Bingo – 1 p.m., Buellton Senior Center, West Highway 246, Buellton; 688-4571.

Home School PE, 2:45-3:45 p.m., and Itty Bitty Sports, 4-4:45 p.m., Stuart C. Gildred Family YMCA, 900 N. Refugio Road, Santa Ynez; 686-2037.

Karaoke – Eleven Wine Lounge, 3640 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez; free; 805-691-9134.

Friday Night Jazz – 6-9 p.m. through Dec. 29, The Bear and Star, 2860 Grand Ave., Los Olivos. Food and drink available for purchase; no cover charge; www.bearandstar.com.

Every Saturday

Junior Golf Clinics – Zaca Creek Golf Course, 223 Shadow Mountain Drive, Buellton; free; 698-6224 or bob@oldeschoolgolfschool.com.

Cachuma Lake Nature Walk – 10-11:30 a.m.; 688-4515 or www.sbparks.org.

KidKraft – 2-2:45 p.m., 2nd Saturday of each month, Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, 1511 Mission Drive, Solvang; monthly art class for kids of all ages; $5/child, adult admission included.

Coming Up

Log onto www.cityofsolvang.com or www.buelltonrec.com to see a full schedule of programs and events that range from adult and youth sports to teen dances, field trips, excursions and more.

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