Christmas in the Park going dark? SJ holiday tradition needs spirit of giving to stay afloat

DOZENS OF PEOPLE crowd around hundreds of trees wearing Santa hats and reindeer antlers, hanging ornaments and laughing. San Jose’s beloved Christmas in the Park is about to enchant Plaza de Cesar Chavez.

This year, the nonprofit that brings the holiday joy is asking people to pull out their wallets to fill a six-figure gap and keep the tradition alive. Christmas in the Park needs about $100,000 going forward after three key sponsors pulled out because of the poor economy. The funding gap won’t affect the more than 44-year-old tradition this year, but could affect next year’s festivities. The fun begins with the Nov. 29 tree lighting ceremony in downtown San Jose.