Every holiday season, the historic Monterey cypress that stands at the entrance of Golden Gate Park is adorned with colorful lights. Affectionately known as Uncle John’s Tree, the annual lighting is one of SF’s oldest and most cherished holiday traditions. This year marks the 96th tree lighting in Golden Gate Park, and it remains a festive event for San Franciscans.
The ceremony took place earlier this week on Thursday, December 4, with its usual crowd and festivities, including live music. While the lighting ceremony may be over, you can still see the iconic tree, decorated in all its holiday finery, through the rest of the year. The 100-foot tree is decorated with over 500 multi-colored bulbs outside the historic McLaren Lodge at the edge of Golden Gate Park, just off the Panhandle.
The San Francisco tradition started in 1929, initially to honor John McLaren’s 84th birthday. McLaren was the first superintendent of the San Francisco Parks Department and was a key part in developing San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Park. The massive Monterey cypress at the entrance to the park was planted around 1880 and has since become a city landmark. You can find many other tributes to McLaren throughout the city, including John McLaren Park, which is the third-largest park in the city.
Aside from Uncle John’s Tree, you can find more holiday lights in Golden Gate Park at the Botanical Gardens. The gardens recently debuted a light show called Lightscape, featuring over a million lights along a mile-long trail. The installation has been a major hit, and organizers have added two more dates for the installation.
For more tree lightings and fun things to do, check out our holiday events guide here.