Ed Fuentes

Santa helped deck the City Halls for the official tree lighting ceremony Thursday evening.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Old and new city sidewalks were busy sidewalks as City Hall and L.A. Live dressed up in Holiday style last night.

With all the attention down the road, City Hall’s official tree lighting ceremony, hosted by Project Restore, became a small hometown affair timed to allow civic leaders make the 7pm curtain at L.A. Live.

But City Hall had its believers. After the fake switch “turned on” the fifty-foot tree on Spring Street and the Lindberg Beacon that sits on top of City Hall, a mother asked her young daughter if she wanted to try and make it to L.A. Live after she was done singing with her group. “No, mommy,” she whispered. “Santa's here.”

Once the City Hall tree was lit, there was some time to head toward L.A. Live on a late running A DASH and pick up some hot apple cider at the 7+Fig Starbucks before watching the lighting ceremony “backstage” at the base of the tree.