Toluca Lake launched the holiday season in style on December 6 with the annual Holiday Open House hosted by the Toluca Lake Chamber of Commerce. Community members thronged the sidewalks along Riverside Drive from Sancola all the way to Maple, exploring festively decorated shops and restaurants, sampling treats and giveaways from local businesses and organizations, enjoying live entertainment, meeting friends old and new, and reveling in the spirit of the season.
A major new feature of the 2024 event was the Vendor Village and Family Zone, which offered a centralized spot for arts and crafts, photos with Santa Claus and other fun family activities, as well as an array of booths representing area merchants and groups. Performers filled the air with musical cheer throughout the night, including traditional tunes by carolers and bagpipers as well as energizing sets by DJ Deezy and student bands from the Burbank Music Academy. The Road Kings of Burbank Car Show displayed an assortment of vintage vehicles that later capped off the evening with a cruise down Riverside Drive.
The Vendor Village also served as the setting for the tree-lighting ceremony emceed by honorary mayor Fritz Coleman. Describing the love Toluca Lake residents have for their community, he highlighted the monthly cleanups organized by the Chamber and spearheaded by Shannon Hartman of Priscilla’s Coffee. “She gathers a group of volunteers, and they go with brooms and bags, clean out gutters and get leaves out of the fronts of stores, and just show a great deal of pride in this neighborhood. I don’t know too many large or small towns in Southern California that do that on an ongoing basis,” he noted, leading the crowd in a round of applause for Hartman’s efforts.
Newly elected Councilmember Adrin Nazarian praised the innovations that made the Open House even more open and accessible, thanked the Chamber for its ongoing work for the community, shared his excitement about representing Toluca Lake on the City Council and expressed optimism about working together on the issues facing the city and district. “Toluca Lake is so unique in how it celebrates the holidays and kicks it off for the entire San Fernando Valley,” he said. “All the shops open up, everyone comes out, everyone welcomes the neighbors from other communities to come out and join in.”
Also newly elected to his position, Assemblymember Nick Schultz introduced himself to community members and noted that although he had just flown in from Sacramento a few hours before, he was determined to bring his family to the Open House: “If Santa’s going to come all the way down here from the North Pole, I can come here to Toluca Lake to help ring in the holidays.”
Santa then took the stage to lead the countdown that illuminated the tree in a magical display, after which singer Chris Mann performed holiday classics under the glow of the lights.
As Chamber president Taylor Montana summed it up in his welcoming remarks, “this event is about celebrating our incredible community and supporting the small businesses that make Toluca Lake such a special place. It’s our way of giving back to you, our neighbors, friends and families, and officially kicking off the holiday season.”