The Community Holiday Tree next to Walgreens in Scotts Valley is now illuminated, and families across the region have plenty of memories to share, following the successful Light Up the Night festivities Dec. 3 at the Scotts Valley Community Center.
Corinne Coleman, a teacher at the Tutu School in Scotts Valley, was beaming, following performances from her students aged 18 months to 8 years old.
“It was incredible,” she said, adding the event helps build their confidence. “I’m so proud.”
Coleman, who’s been teaching at the Tutu School for a year, called the performances “impressive.”
“These kids are so young,” she said, in the vestibule. “It’s a big step for them.”
Jenn Flores, who co-owns the Tutu School, said it was great to see their students all performing together.
“Dance is for everyone,” she said, “and they’re just so cute.”
Flores commended the dancers for their ability to pull off back-to-back shows, since they had performed the night before.
“They were just amazing,” she said, noting that none succumbed to stage fright, despite some getting nervous ahead of the event. “Every child danced. Every child had a smile on their face.”
And that’s the point, the school’s officials said.
“A lot of them kept saying, ‘I want to go back up,’” Flores said. “It couldn’t have gone better.”
Refreshments were provided by local service clubs, including the Kiwanis of Scotts Valley, the Rotary Club of Scotts Valley and the Santa Cruz Moose Lodge #545.
Dave Hodgin, past president of the Exchange Club of Scotts Valley, said countless hours of volunteer labor went into setting the event up.
“A lot of people were involved in getting it organized,” Hodgin said, estimating the crowd size at more than 200. “I was very pleased. So many people showed up.”
A torrential downpour that slammed the community that day led to altered plans—the snowmaking machine was nixed in the end, for example—but only slightly.
And it didn’t dampen spirits one bit.
“Sitting here, I can hardly hear myself think because of all the shouting and chatting,” Hodgin said.
He shared that their organization is planning on reviving the talent show it used to produce.
“Its focus was similar to this,” he said. “It was very popular.”
It was the opening of the new theater next to the library that convinced the nonprofit that this spring is the time to bring the talent show back to life, Hodgin added.
Sydney Gorham, of Mountain Music School, was lugging a keyboard outside after she got off stage.
“It’s so rewarding to watch the culmination of all the hours of practicing,” she said. “This is what it’s really all about.”
Gorham had two students who participated in Light Up the Night: Megan Tracy performed “Feed the Birds” from “Mary Poppins,” while Ever Lehr performed “Thank You for the Music” from “Mamma Mia.”
“They both did amazing,” she said. “This is our first year doing this event.”
Now that their school has been in business for half a decade, they’re able to begin taking part in these sorts of functions, Gorham explained.
Midori Shiono, of Scotts Valley, said she was thrilled to watch her daughters Karina, 12, and Abigail, 15, on stage.
“I’m happy to watch them dancing in front of the people in the community,” she said. “I’m proud of them.”
After all, it’s an event they don’t miss.
“It’s fun,” Shiono said.
Abigail said she enjoyed performing “The Macarena” and “The Man with the Bag.”
“It felt really good to be performing for the holidays,” she said, noting the latter number was a parade number they did in-place. “It’s kind of jazzy.”
They’ve been perfecting their Wings School of Dance routines for weeks, she explained.
“We got the choreography set out in August,” Abigail said, “and we had to learn it by October.”
Her sister Karina went over the dances in her head frequently to learn them.
“It feels nice to do this again, because it’s been a little while,” Karina said, referring to pandemic challenges. She admitted she was a bit stressed leading up to the show.
Abigail added she thought her sister really nailed her performance.
Tim Johnson, Scouts BSA Troop 614 scoutmaster, stood near the line to Santa, which they were asked to manage.
“We’re selling Christmas wreaths,” he said, explaining the proceeds will help them get to summer camp. “We want to go to Catalina.”
Volunteering is a key component of the Scout experience, Johnson explained.
“It is a part of community service, which is a rank requirement,” he said. “Our troops are always very active with community events.”
They’re planning to lead next year’s Fourth of July Parade, he added.
Johnson said five scouts showed up to volunteer.
“With the rain, it was really busy from 5 to about 6:30pm,” he said. “Lots of kids. Lots of music. Lots of noise. I think it’s a really good event. Turning out for the community is something that happens a lot in Scotts Valley.”
Mayor Donna Lind said she was overjoyed to see the children react to Santa’s arrival in a fire engine.
The event’s been set outdoors in years past, but—given the rain—it was helpful that it had been scheduled indoors this time, she added.
Lynn Robinson, executive director of Valley Churches United—the recipient organization of the event’s charitable drive—was wowed by the mountain of toys and food crowding the table next to her.
“It’s wonderful,” she said. “I love it because this kicks off the whole holiday spirit.”
