Santa Monica Place and the Bayside District Corp. has given two TV celebrities the honorable task of flip-ping the switch on downtown Santa Monica’s holiday season.
Doris Roberts, a four-time Emmy award winner who portrays “Marie,” the mother on “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and Mark L. Walberg, the host of “Temptation Island” and “House Rules,” will throw the switch on Nov. 28, lighting up downtown Santa Monica’s holiday decorations.
The lighting event will be surrounded by a full day of music and entertainment.
Santa and his elves will arrive at 9 a.m. to set up shop and host a breakfast with 150 children who will help get the wish list started. There will be opportunities to take photos with Santa and each $2 donation will go directly to the Westside Food Bank, a local non-profit organization that feeds needy people.
At 2 p.m., the Santa Monica High School Orchestra will kick off the program from the main stage on the Third Street Promenade at Broadway. Future Hasbeens Comedy Troupe will emcee the first part of the program and then turn the festivities over to Mark and Kim from radio station KOST 103.5. The Santa Monica Playhouse will perform a part of “Alice and the Wonderful Tea Party” and musical group, Gwendolyn and the Goodtime Gang, will entertain the crowd.
At 4 p.m., snow is predicted to fall at Santa Monica Place followed by the arrival of “surfing Santa” — who will be decked out in beach attire, sunglasses and riding in a convertible with his elves.
At 5 p.m. the lighting ceremony will begin and at 5:15 p.m., the two TV stars will hit the lights and all of downtown Santa Monica and Santa Monica Place will spring to life amid music and a volley of snowy confetti.
Roberts will then sign copies of her autobiography “Are You Hungry Dear?” at Barnes & Noble bookstore on the Promenade, beginning at 6 p.m.
The Bayside District Corp., which manages downtown Santa Monica, and the Macerich Company, owners of Santa Monica Place, are the producers of the lighting project, called, “A Winterlit Celebration.”
The “Winterlit” project will light downtown every evening from sundown to 3 a.m. through the first week of January. The lighting project features three 22-foot illuminated trees, icebergs jutting up from the ground around the Promenade’s dinosaur courtyards and a new cascade of lights. Indoors, the festive atmosphere continues at Santa Monica Place with a 30-foot tree, ice elements, snowflakes and enchanting fairies. Also included is a multi-colored light show causing a shimmering snow effect visible from the mall's Third Street entrance.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 17, 2003. Read the original PDF.