A large, happy group of Orindans gathered at the Library Plaza on Thursday, Nov. 6, for the launch of the 2025 Light Up Orinda project.  The event coincided with a food truck event, so visitors could dine as well as enjoy the festivities, which included performances by young Lamorinda Idol contestants, singing topic-specific numbers.  This was followed by the big event: throwing the switch to light up 111 decorated trees throughout Orinda Village and the Theatre District. 

    Light Up Orinda is a community beautification initiative of the Orinda Community Foundation, spearheaded by two long-term Orinda residents with a vision to wrap trees in downtown Orinda with white LED lights during the winter season (November through January). Before the initiative of co-leaders Carol Brovelli and Kim Wirtz Straub, grumbling could regularly be heard in Orinda, decrying the lack of holiday lights and decorations, beyond the lovely wreaths put up around the city by the Orinda Garden Club.

    The efforts of Brovelli and Straub were met with enthusiasm in the community, allowing the project to grow to almost triple the number of trees in downtown Orinda wrapped in holiday lights. Starting in 2024, 40 trees were lit, which exceeded their goal of 32, and met the fundraising needs by raising almost $45,000. Fundraising was sufficient to pay all of the bills last year and all the relighting and maintenance of the existing trees for the 2025 winter season. With the additional financial support of The Orinda Community Foundation, Light Up Orinda added 71 trees, bringing the total to 111 lit trees throughout North and South Orinda.

    The Light Up Orinda event was one of the first of several holiday events planned in Lamorinda. 

    The Moraga Chamber of Commerce will present the annual Turkey Trot in Moraga on Thanksgiving morning starting at 8 a.m. at the Moraga Country Club (advanced registration by Nov. 26 is required – https://rusignup.com/

Race/CA/Moraga/MoragaTurkeyTrot). Orinda Winterfest 2025 – a free, family-friendly event with refreshments, performances, and crafts – is scheduled at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5 at the Orinda Community Center and is held in conjunction with the Gingerbread House Making Contest (entries due by Dec. 3). And the Lafayette Chamber’s It’s a Wonderful Life in Lafayette Holiday Celebration will return to Plaza Park from 4 to 6 p.m. on Dec. 7, and will feature a free visit with Santa, train rides on the Lafayette Express, a holiday tree lighting ceremony, live musical entertainment, crafts, and holiday treats. (https://lafayettechamber.org/holiday/). 

The Moraga Park Foundation is also planning its tree lighting event in December, and there will be two Hospice Tree of Lights events at 5 p.m. Dec. 6 at the Moraga Country Club and at 31 Orinda Way in Village Square by McCaulou’s. For more information,  visit https://hospiceeastbay.org/community-event/tree-of-lights/.

    For more information about Light Up Orinda and how to donate, visit: https://www.lightuporinda.org/