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In Photos: Long Beach rings in Christmas with snow, fireworks and more festive fun

byRichard H. Grant, Photo Editor
December 4, 2023
2 minute read
Two women bathed in colorful lights looks up at the fireworks that started after the lever was pulled to light the 67-foot Christmas tree at the Long Beach Tree Lighting Celebration on Nov. 28, 2023. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)
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Long Beach’s largest Christmas tree lights up the night, and the crowd’s faces.

On Tuesday, the City of Long Beach kicked off the holiday season with its ninth annual Christmas tree lighting event at the Terrace Theater Plaza. 

This year’s celebration was the first time Mayor Rex Richardson pulled the lever to set off the 67-foot-tall tree, taking the reins from former mayor and current Congressman Robert Garcia, who started the event.

An aerial view of the lights and tree outside of the Long Beach Terrance Theater during the Long Beach Tree Lighting Celebration on Nov. 28, 2023. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)
For the first time since former Mayor Robert Garcia started the tree lighting tradition, current Mayor Rex Richardson pulls up the lever with his family to lightt the 67-foot Christmas tree on Nov. 28, 2023. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)

Before the lighting of the tree, attendees to the free event were treated to music from the Southern California Brass Consortium, acapella group SoCal Vocal, and dances from The Nutcracker by the Long Beach Ballet. 

Additionally, Long Beach local singer and actor Terron Brooks took to the stage to sing a melody of Christmas songs before city leaders came to the stage to light the tree. 

Once the lever was pulled over 500,000 lights sprang to life, along with fireworks as fake snow fluttered down to attendees. 

In Photos:

A top-down view of the 67-foot tree at the Long Beach Terrace Theater during the Long Beach Tree Lighting Celebration on Nov. 28, 2023. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)
A young girl stares towards the camera while taking a bite out of her cotton candy during the Long Beach Tree Lighting Celebration on Nov. 28, 2023. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)
Dancers with the Long Beach Ballet performa dance from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker during the Long Beach Tree Lighting Celebration on Nov. 28, 2023. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)
Residents look up and or record on their phones the fireworks that started after the lever was pulled to lit the 67-foot Christmas tree at the Long Beach Tree Lighting Celebration on Nov. 28, 2023. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)
A young boy covers his ears while looking up at the fireworks that started after the lever was pulled to light the 67-foot Christmas tree at the Long Beach Tree Lighting Celebration on Nov. 28, 2023. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)
A young girl goes cross-eyed while looking at a cookie during the Long Beach Tree Lighting Celebration on Nov. 28, 2023. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)
A member of the Long Beach Ballet dances performs the Chinese Dancer segment of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker during the Long Beach Tree Lighting Celebration on Nov. 28, 2023. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)
A Christmas train takes family through LED lit walkway outside RISU as the sun sets before the Long Beach Tree Lighting Celebration on Nov. 28, 2023. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)
A young girls smiles and marvels at the lights while her father holds her during the Long Beach Tree Lighting Celebration on Nov. 28, 2023. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)
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Richard H. Grant, Photo Editor