With Christmas 20 days away, Pleasanton embraces the holiday spirit through decorations, ice skating, Secret Santa, and festive events.
“The most special thing is the children. If it was just for adults, it wouldn’t be as fun [but] the kids are the fun,” said the Stoneridge Mall Santa Claus.
Ice Skating
Another fun activity to enjoy with friends is ice skating. Although balancing on ice may be hard, here are some tips and tricks to help you.
“My favorite tip to give to people when they’re beginning to skate is [to] learn how to glide. It’s really easy for people to just continue pushing and pushing, and that [makes it] really easy for them to fall. If you learn how to glide and balance, you’ll know the basics of skating,” said figure skater Anaya Doshi (‘26).
The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is an event that goes on every year during the Christmas season. It is a ballet performance depicting the story of a young girl named Clara, who receives a Nutcracker for Christmas; she dreams of him coming to life. Certain parts of the show are more engaging for the audience than others and are highly recommended.
“Waltz of the Snowflake or Waltz of Flowers [are the best], since they’re the bigger numbers of the show. They’re also just really pretty on stage,” said ballet dancer Rachael Norton (‘27).
The Meadowlark Dairy
Christmas season started for businesses downtown, including the Meadowlark Dairy where winter flavors have gone on sale. This includes the infamous peppermint and eggnog. Not only that, they will be having Christmas decorations this season.
“We’re probably going to do a blowup snowman and reindeer on the roof,” said Meadowlark manager Nicholas Mcmillin.
Enjoying the Spirit
Finally, the most special thing about Christmas is gift-giving. the thought that goes into giving a gift to someone that truly brings joy to one’s face.
“The gift-giving is one [thing], and planning for it is another… and just talking to the kids and seeing how excited they are about Christmas,” said Santa Claus.
