This year that moment came at approximately 7 p.m. on Dec. 5, as residents watched the annual tree-lighting ceremony at Willow Glen Elementary School.

The ceremony kicked off a series of holiday events and services scheduled for Thursday and Sunday nights along Lincoln Avenue.

The elementary school lent its playground for the event and sponsors set up booths and a stage where Willow Glen elementary, middle and high school students performed in an outdoor concert.

While the children sang, hundreds of people visited booths where local booster clubs and Lincoln Avenue merchants provided information about their services.

Far from the stage, Santa Claus was offering photo opportunities. Santa appeared courtesy of the Willow Glen Sunrisers Kiwanis club.

Children too old for Santa's lap went one booth over to where Rambo 256—a blocky, motorized 110-pound metal apparatus with two extending arms in front and back—was demonstrating his prowess with the help of three members of the Willow Glen High School robotics club.

According to club member John Hart, the robot was dubbed Rambo 256 because it exhibited such strength in tests and at competitions. The designation 256 is simply the club's number among other teams nationwide.

Rambo 256 was at the tree-lighting ceremony for a demonstration and to raise funds. The club was giving out webcams to $50 donors and T-shirts to $5 donors. By the end of the night the club had made about $70.

"We don't have enough money right now to start building next year's model," explained club member Derek Karamanos. "We need a little bit more money for competitions."

This was Rambo 256's first and last tree-lighting ceremony. He will be retired soon, since the club needs to build a new robot based on new specifications by competition organizers.

Back onstage, the choir began a rendition of "The Twelve Days After Christmas," by Frederick Silver.

"I like to pick a repertoire that is off the beaten path," said Willow Glen middle and high school choir director Andrew Eisenmann.

The event wasn't just for people. Several people brought their dogs, who became as popular with the children as Santa.

The event seemed very "dog-friendly," noted Wednesday Dull, who had brought a pair of Dobermans, 1-year-old Satchel and 13-year-old Moxy.

Both dogs were wearing festive collars with blinking red lights.

"The collars are for the evening because they're black dogs," Dull said. "And because it's Christmas it works double duty."

Toward the end of the evening, the choir began singing "Celebrate Kwanzaa" by Lois Brownsey and Marti Lantz.

"I chose 'Celebrate Kwanzaa' because our choirs look like the United Nations," Eisenmann said. "For every concert I'm featuring a different cultural emphasis and for this one, instead of Christmas or Hanukkah, I decided a Kwanzaa song would be totally appropriate."

For more information about Willow Glen holiday programs, contact the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association at 408.298.2100 or visit www.downtownwillowglen.org.