It was a Sunday night at the start of the holiday season last year, and Jeremy Buck and Kevin Sousa were looking out at thousands of people. The two, long-time South Bay musicians were on stage erected on Pier Plaza for the annual Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony. And in a brief moment of quiet before the illumination of the tree at the foot of the Hermosa Beach Pier, they realized that they had finally gotten it right.
“They lit the tree, and we looked at each other and said, ‘This is what we wanted,’” Buck recalled this week.
This year’s version of the tree lighting takes place Sunday, Dec. 3, and organizers say that the event has hit its stride. Expected to draw thousands of people to downtown Hermosa Beach, the ceremony serves to kick off the holiday season in the city and collects funds and toys for the annual Beach Cities Toy Drive
More than 10 years ago, Buck began putting on his “Rock for Tots” show each holiday season inside the Lighthouse. A dozen bands would play a set and collect toys to donate to Toys for Tots. But starting three years ago, the event got too crowded for the confines of a single establishment, and Buck decided to partner with the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Bureau. He also decided to align the event with the locally based Beach Cities Toy Drive, noting that part of the event’s appeal comes from providing toys that you will later see wrapped.
Pete Tucker, a former mayor and longtime toy drive organizer, said that tree lighting was a natural partner. He noted that many of the businesses in the area donate toys to the event. Hermosa Cyclery, just off The Strand, has donated about 600 bikes over the years, Tucker said.
Past Pier Plaza ceremonies took place on Thursdays, but the event shifted to Sunday last year. The change, Sousa said, not only grew the event but encouraged a wider cross-section of residents to attend, with 20-somethings mingling next to parents with kids on their shoulders.
Sousa said the event filled a yuletide void in the Beach Cities.
“Manhattan has the Open House and fireworks, and Redondo has the boat parade. Hermosa needed something, and this is a natural fit,” Sousa said.
The event also helps Hermosa retailers. The Chamber produces the tree lighting, and stores in downtown will host an open house during the day on Sunday, and then stay open late following the tree lighting.
“The beginning of the day will be a community open house for some of the businesses down there. Several of them are doing fun events, and we are pushing for it to be a really good day for the retailers,” said Mandy Fontaine, office manager for the Chamber.
A rotating cast of musical groups will take the stage through the night, culminating with the Holiday All-Star Band, a collection of more than a dozen of the South Bay’s best musicians. The group usually has only two days to rehearse before performing a setlist filled with seasonal favorites, like a Bruce Springsteen-style rendition of “Santa Claus is coming to town.
Sousa said the musicians often see each other play at various venues, but rarely have the opportunity to perform together. He compared the experience to a “Dean Martin-style variety show.”
“I was watching some video from last year: you’ve got someone at center stage, and then the next guy comes up. We’re just capitalizing on all of this talent,” Sousa said.
Buck said he is looking forward to Sunday, but also added that the event’s growing profile has left him with a sense of responsibility.
“It’s an emotional night. It’s not like a regular concert you go to. The energy there, it felt like we were all coming together as a community,” he said. “As a performer, you want to provide entertainment. But this is an opportunity to bring people together.”
