A huge crowd gathered at the Fashion Island outdoor shopping complex in Newport Beach, California on Saturday for its annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony, hosted by stars and ambassadors from the nearby Disneyland Resort.
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Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and even Olaf joined in on the festivities that lasted almost half an hour and included sing-alongs and promos of this year’s holiday events at Disneyland. It concluded with the lighting of the tremendous trees at the center of the mall’s open-air courtyard.
The Fashion Island Christmas tree lighting is an annual tradition that dates back to the 1960s, and is one of the very rare occasions that Disney characters make officially-sanctioned appearances outside of the parks and Disney-hosted events. Those are two big reasons why so many families from the area consider it a must-see event every holiday season.