Center for Individual Development Carolers Steal Spotlight as San Bernardino Lights 40-Foot Tree Downtown
4 min read
Photos by Manny Sandoval: Marianne Rose, second from left, and Susan Avila, second from right, gather with their children, members of the city’s Center for Individual Development program, and San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran, far right.
A 40-foot Christmas tree now towers in front of San Bernardino’s shuttered City Hall, drawing families to 290 N. D Street after the city’s annual tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 4.
The relocation of the tree from Court Street Square to the main downtown corridor was intentional, city leaders said, meant to bring more visibility to holiday activities and nearby businesses as Miracle on Court Street gets underway.
“This new tree placement is absolutely visible to the traffic and the main corridor,” Mayor Helen Tran said. “And it’ll help draw more attention to our Miracle on Court Street, a 10 day event that kicks off on December 10th.”
The tree lighting featured carolers, music, a countdown led by city officials and free photos with Santa in front of the decorated tree as families filled N. D Street.
For Councilman Mario Flores, the move to City Hall made this year’s ceremony stand out.
“Oh man, it’s an incredible feeling,” Flores said. “I think back on the previous years we’ve done this, and we’ve always outdone ourselves. This year is my favorite tree lighting because it’s in front of City Hall.”
Flores credited Parks and Recreation Director Vanessa Calder for pushing the event into the civic core. “She had the vision and for her it was expanding from where Court Street Square is and slowly growing our footprint here,” he said.
Ahead of the tree lighting, a group of performers took the stage.
“Oh, they sang Jingle Bell Rock and they did quite a rocking dance to it,” said Marianne Rose, whose child is part of the city’s Center for Individual Development (CID), a Parks, Recreation and Community Services program for people with developmental disabilities. As a parent, she added, “Very proud. My heart just bursts every time I see these guys.”
Rose praised CID, saying the program has opened doors for families like hers. “They bring us into society, they give us chances to do all kinds of things,” she said. “These guys get to go to Disneyland, they get to go camping. And as a parent of a disabled child, the thing you want most is for them to be happy and for them to have a place where they can be themselves.”
Nearby, Susan Avila stood with her sons Eric and Angel, explaining why they also came out for the performance and lighting. “We are here supporting CID,” she said. “They help individuals with developmental delays. And we’re supporting them because they’re doing a lot of activities in the community, volunteering and more.”
Avila said programs like these “gives parents hope.” “Your child may have a condition or a disability, but they are capable of having normal lives,” she said. “They can do what everyone else can do, helping society to understand that they can have a normal life. This is not a bad thing. This is a blessing.”
Community advocate Miriam Nieto said nights like this challenge outside perceptions of San Bernardino.
“I would say a lot of people would say what is there to do in San Bernardino?” she said. “And I guess as somebody who lives, works and plays in San Bernardino, there’s a lot to do. I always feel like there’s so much to do.”
For her family, that includes a downtown holiday ritual. “Every year we bring the kids to the Miracle on Court Street,” Nieto said. “It’s intimate, it’s local and I think that says a lot about San Bernardino.”
Arts leaders at the event said they want that sense of energy and togetherness to extend beyond the holidays.
Michael Segura, executive director of the Garcia Center for the Arts, said residents should expect new opportunities in 2026. “We’re going to be launching our membership. We’re also going to be doing some hiring. And then you’re going to see more skillshares, more workshops happening, and more events,” he said.
Segura said his top hope for 2026 is an art acquisition policy and dedicated public funding. “What I’d like to see in 2026 in the arts would be policy in San Bernardino, specifically our art acquisition policy,” he said. That, he added, would support “more public funding towards arts and culture here, meaning grants for community organizations, infrastructure improvements, more investment in our libraries, even in our parks, and eventually a department for arts and culture.”
He pushed back on the idea that the arts are optional. “That the arts don’t have value,” Segura said, describing a common misconception. “People see the arts as an extra thing — if you have extra money, maybe you invest in the arts or put some money towards them. But arts are really critical. It’s our culture. It’s the center of freedom of speech. It’s where conversations start.”
Miracle on Court Street runs Dec. 10–21 at Court Street Square, 349 N. E Street, featuring daily snow, letters to Santa, arts and crafts, a s’more station, storytime, music and more, Monday through Sunday from 5 to 9 PM.
The city’s parks, recreation and community services department is also hosting:
— Miracle on Court Street Silent Disco on Dec. 11, 5–8:30 PM, at Court Street Square.
— Deck the Halls Holiday Dance Party on Dec. 12, 6–9 PM, at 8088 Palm Lane.
— Breakfast with Santa on Dec. 20, 10 AM to noon, at Court Street Square.
Mayor Tran said her own holiday must-have is simple. “Family — to be with family, gather, and just have a really nice dinner and be together,” she said. “That’s what’s important.”
