Tomorrow's Hospitality Night (Santa's Coming!)
+ My Big Silent Auction fun!
Last night, I was having dinner with my foodie friends, Greg and Terri, at our new fave place, Evan’s Gourmet. A guy sitting by us hadn’t heard of our annual "Laguna’s Hospitality Night,” which happens this Friday. Dec. 6th.
I said, “It’s when Santa arrives on a firetruck and all the locals are there with all the restaurants and stores open. It’s super festive.”
Greg said, “It’s lots of great live music and running into mobs of really happy people.”
Terri said, “It’s this awesome party in the streets.”
That pretty much sums it up. For those of you who need more information …
Annual Hospitality Night Overview
Fri, Dec. 6th, approx 5 p.m. to 9ish p.m.
Laguna’s Downtown
Santa’s Coming! Santa’s Coming! Our annual hospitality night is a great, family-like gathering of Laguna locals streaming into the downtown streets. Along with Santa’s arrival, we applaud the lighting of the City’s holiday tree, dance to plenty of live music and chorale stages, and watch tons of kids line up for their first official Santa chat with the Jolly Elf in Red! Every shop and restaurant is open with lots of holiday cheer (and gift pricing).
Street Closures
Downtown streets begin to close at 3 p.m. This includes portions of Forest, Ocean, Beach Street and Glenneyre. Take the free trolleys in if you can - they’re running till 11 p.m.
Cool Silent Auction + Dance Party with KXFM Radio, too!
Don’t miss the KXFM Radio booth in front of Tuvalu (right next to Santa’s Beach House, of course) with live play-by-play and a significant silent auction that’s raising funds for our only Laguna Beach-based non-profit radio station.
Actually, you can bid TOMORROW A.M. on the “Best of Laguna” Package!
To support our mighty, mighty Community radio, KXFM 104.7, I've handpicked 5 of my favorite “local love” restaurants and have bundled a "Best of Laguna" experience to give you the most memorable foodie experience around!
Your winning bid gets you
Evan’s Gourmet ($150)
GG’s Cafe Bistro ($75)
Oliver’s Osteria ($150)
Wine Gallery ($75)
Miki Sushi ($75)
+ Choose to have me come along with you to one of your newly won spots! (Don’t worry. I’ll pay my own way.)
Your ability to bid on this package goes live tomorrow at the KXFMRadio.org website, or just stroll down to enter your auction price during Hospitality Night.
On Hospitality Night, try for Restaurant Reservations, Otherwise … Crowd into the Happy Bars
Be sure to visit restaurants in that downtown quadrant (every place will be poppin’ between Miki Sushi on the north through The Cliff Restaurant at Legion). I know Restaurateur Cary Redfearn at Lumberyard is readying the troops for the annual cheeky chaos - this is typically his biggest day of the year … when you go there, you’ll see why.
Check in on special sales and goodies at stores lining the downtown corridor, too.
Want to escape the post-hospitality night crowds? Every restaurant in town to the north and south is open, so feel free to spread the Hospitality Night love. (No one should be left out in the cold.)
Schedule for Friday’s Hospitality Night
Much of the planned festive activity takes place in the Peppertree Lot #2, which is the parking lot that runs between Upper Forest and Ocean Avenues. It’s almost directly across from the church at Forest and Glenneyre, and stretches to Ocean where you’ll see Zinc’s side patio seating. Here’s what’s scheduled there:
Plenty of Art Markets and craft activities for kids all evening long
Thurston Middle School Band - 5:00 pm
Ukulele Band - 5:30 pm
No Square Theater performance - 6:00 pm
Tree lighting with Santa - 6:10 pm
Laguna Community Concert & Jazz Band - 6:15 pm
Santa heads down to his beach house at the corner of Forest and Glenneyre - 6:30 p.m.
(If you have a kid who needs to speak desperately to Santa, I suggest you get in line long before the jolly old elf shows up)
Once Santa’s moved to the top of the Promenade, the music moves with him to the stage on Forest there:
Anneliese School performs - 6:30 pm
Band 133 (rockin favorites!) - 7 pm - 9 pm
Stay tuned for MORE Holiday Events in my email tomorrow!
Get out there and celebrate your wonderful lives, my dear readers! (Because it really is a wonderful life.) I’ll see you at Hospitality Night tomorrow!