Tree lighting set for Balboa Peninsula

Residents of Balboa Peninsula will be met by Newport Beach City Council members, Santa and carolers at a tree-lighting ceremony Saturday night.

A 12-foot, beautifully decorated tree will be lighted after a brief ceremony at 6 p.m. on the corner of East Balboa Boulevard and Palm Street, said Jim Fournier, a board member with the Balboa Business Improvement District.

In 20 years of working on the peninsula, this will be the first tree that event organizer Dayna Pettet has seen placed on public display.

The festive tree will be a sign of not only the holiday spirit, but also the spirit of the local business community, she said.

“Downtown Balboa is trying to establish itself, and tree lighting is important to that because people will want to come see it, and it will draw people to the area,” Pettet said. “People want to see that something is alive and that there is energy happening here.”

—Sarah Peters