Santa Lights Tree at Queen

The Christmas season officially began in north Napa Thursday evening with the traditional lighting of the living Christmas tree at .

The festivities began with a retelling of the Christmas tale with words and music, followed by the sunset arrival of Santa Claus aboard the fire department's pink truck, which is dedicated to breast cancer patients and survivors.

In our video, Claus leads the eager crowd in a countdown to lighting the tree.

The jolly old elf then took up his station and spent more than an hour listening to the Christmas appeals of small children and posing for photographs.

The Santa line may have seemed long to those who were in it, but Patch reader Carolyn Conkell said last year her family had waited more than three hours for their moment with the man in red.

"The line went all the way down the steps and around the corner," Conkell recalled. "This year only about half the people are here, I don't know why."

The tree lighting ceremony, complete with cookies and milk, a nativity scene and lively seasonal music, is a tradition Conkell cherishes.

"We're real lucky to have the Queen of the Valley do this for us," she said.

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