Christmas Tree Lane, Palo Alto

"Christmas Tree Lane" is one of the oldest traditions of Palo Alto. The creation of a "Christmas Fairyland Lane" was suggested by Judge Edward E. Hardy in 1940 while playing bridge with his wife Dorothea and neighbors George and Charlotte English. The idea was presented to residents of the 1700 and 1800 block of Fulton who enthusiastically endorsed the project. In the ensuing sixty years there have been only two years, 1942 in WWII and 1973 during the energy crisis, that lights have not illuminated the outdoor Christmas trees on what is now known as "Christmas Tree Lane".