More than a dozen Downtown Arcadia businesses are participating in the second annual Christmas Market starting this Saturday 5-9 p.m. and running the first three Saturdays in the month, Dec. 6, 13, and 20.
First-time participants Matt Denny’s Ale House, La Luna Negra, and Stacked Sandwich are each offering specialty food and beverages for purchase. Other vendors, food trucks and business vendors will also offer a plethora of delicious holiday fare on First Avenue, which will be closed between Huntington Drive and Wheeler Street all afternoon and evening.
Other business vendors include Arcadia Chamber member Downtown businesses The Book Rack, Robusto Cigars, Spa Xanadu, VJ’s Auto Service, California Airsoft, MD’s Florist, and the new Selfie Selfie. Also participating are Downtown businesses 1st Avenue Salon, Santa Anita Hot Yoga, and Second Time Around.
And many local businesses and Chamber members are sponsoring specific elements and the overall event itself presented by Arcadia’s Best Foundation in association with the Arcadia Improvement Association. These sponsorships make it possible to keep it all free for attendees. The Christmas Market, which features blowing snow, free horse-drawn carriage rides, Dickens Christmas carolers, more than 50 holiday food and merchandise vendors, Santa Claus posing for photos at a classic fire truck, inflated jumpers for kids, and live bands, is sponsored primarily by the Foothill Gold Line, as well as Forest Lawn.
Santa Anita Park is sponsoring a special “Carcadia Christmas” edition of the monthly Carcadia @Route 66, showcasing numerous “cool” cars of every style and era each night, a new element to the Christmas Market this year. Carcadia @Route 66 is presented from 7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. on the fourth Sunday of each month (except December) in the parking lot behind Denny’s, courtesy of the restaurant member of the Arcadia Chamber.
Free horse-drawn carriage rides rides will be offered for the first time at the Christmas Market courtesy of sponsor MW Investment Group, owned by local developer Matt Waken, whose Walbern Developments has been involved in the building of several prominent commercial buildings in Arcadia, among many other residential, commercial, and retail projects in Southern California.
Waste Management provides trash services and additional support comes from the City of Arcadia, Matt Denny’s Ale House Restaurant, Marie Taylor of NAI Capital, and Downtown Arcadia attorney and President of the Arcadia Improvement Association April A. Verlato.