Christmas Tree Lane Lights Up Alameda

It's holiday season, and in Alameda, you know what that means — on Thompson Avenue is decorated, full of lights and ready for your visiting pleasure.

This holiday tradition has been around for as long as many of the residents can remember and because of its long stretch of homes displaying twinkling holiday lights and festive decor.

"I can't imagine how many people come, hundreds every night for about thirty days," said Craig Schneider, a Thompson Avenue resident. "There is constant traffic at night."

Each year, says Schneider, he's excited to see how his neighbors have adorned their houses, what's the same and what's different. One house, he says,  is always outfitted with homemade decorations from a current animated movie. This year, they featured Disney's Tangled.

Scheneider, along with other dads on the street, sign up for shifts to play , and residents of the street coordinate through a Google group and kick off the season with a big potluck.

"It's a lot of fun to be Santa Claus," Schneider said. "You get a lot of sweet kids."

In the middle of the street is a mailbox for kids to mail their letters to Santa. At busy times, volunteer elves help to direct traffic.

"It's a great community to be a part of," Schneider said.

Resident Andrew Ahrens agrees and looks forward to this time of the year.

"It's cool to see people taking pictures of the house and appreciate our hard work," Ahrens said.

Contrary to popular belief, Alameda Power does not pay for electricity. Though last year, they subsidized the cost of lighting up the wide median that runs down the middle of the street. "I think they might have paid for electricity a long time ago, but they don't now," Schneider said.

Many visitors drive through the street, especially when it's raining. But on a nice night, many admirers walk up and down the street taking pictures with their favorite houses. A visit to Thompson is a holiday tradition for many.

"This year, I really liked the home with the signs that says 'Santa Land Here' and 'We've been nice,'" said Janelle Ondevilla, who came with her brother and mom. "Me and my family come here every year to take pictures. Even though it's cold, we still show up."

Most of the homes stay lit through New Year's, so Alamedans have plenty of time to enjoy this holiday treat.