Tree-lighting event slated Friday
Los Altos’ annual holiday tree-lighting ceremony is scheduled 6-8 p.m. Friday at Veterans Community Plaza, corner of Main and State Streets in downtown Los Altos.
In addition to the lighting of the official city tree, the event will feature musical selections by local school choral groups. Santa will arrive at approximately 6:30 p.m. and will be available to visit with children and pose for photos.
The event is hosted by the Los Altos Village Association.
For more information, visit downtownlosaltos.org.
First Friday features music, shopping
December’s First Friday festivities are scheduled 6-8 p.m. Friday in downtown Los Altos.
First Fridays are monthly community-building events aimed at attracting people to the downtown area to eat, shop, browse art galleries and listen to a number of local bands and solo performers play live music at various storefronts.
Among the more than 15 bands set to perform are Crossing Dana at the plaza at 230 First St., Tebo’s Experience at BK Collections at 342 State St. and The Song Gardeners at Linden Tree Books at 265 State St.
Los Altos Forward, a volunteer group dedicated to promoting vibrancy downtown, organizes First Fridays. Los Altos Forward is a program of Los Altos Mountain View Community Foundation.
For more information, email [email protected] or visit losaltosfirstfriday.org.
Volunteer service luncheon set for Dec. 8
The 40th annual Los Altos-Los Altos Hills Joint Community Volunteer Service Awards luncheon is scheduled 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 4290 El Camino Real, Palo Alto.
Founded in 1983, the awards ceremony recognizes residents from both communities who have devoted much of their time to volunteering for local causes. Awardees are selected by a 12-member committee appointed by the cities’ respective city councils.
The event will feature remarks from 2021 awardee Jan McDaniel, chairperson of the Bold Service and Social Justice Committee at Los Altos United Methodist Church.
This year’s honorees are Jack Higgins (Rotary AIDS Project), Maddy McBirney (Arts Los Altos), Jennifer Pence (MVLA Scholars), Kei Shao (Community Services Agency’s Young Professionals) and Karen Zucker (Arts Los Altos). This year’s organizational honoree is the nonprofit Mentor Tutor Connection.
For more information, visit jointvolunteerawards.com.
Wreaths Across America honors vets
Wreaths Across America remembers and honors veterans who died and keeps their names and memories alive by speaking their names while placing wreaths on their graves.
The group is scheduled to lay wreaths at the graves of veterans at more than 3,700 cemeteries Dec. 16, including Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery in Los Altos, and will speak the names of veterans buried there.
The Los Altos Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution will participate in the ceremony and offers two ways local residents can help:
• Residents can sponsor a wreath to be placed on a veteran’s grave. They may designate it to be placed on a grave at any participating cemetery, including Gate of Heaven in Los Altos. For more information, visit wreathsacrossamerica.org/CA0653P.
• Residents can attend the wreath-laying service 9 a.m. Dec. 16 at Gate of Heaven, 22555 Cristo Rey Drive. For more information, email
For more information on Wreaths Across America, visit wreathsacrossamerica.org.
For more information on the Los Altos DAR, visit losaltos.californiadar.org.
Museum explores El Camino’s evolution
El Camino Real, which connects the 21 California missions, is the focus of the Los Altos History Museum’s latest exhibition, “El Camino Real: Changing California,” on display through Feb. 25 at 51 S. San Antonio Road.
The exhibition offers an exploration of the sometimes controversial history surrounding El Camino Real.
For more information on the exhibition, visit losaltoshistory.org/ECR.
