DAY TRIP Christmas Tree Lane

It is one thing to get together with neighbors and plan to have a nicely decorated block, with inflatable Santas and twinkling icicle lights, and it is another thing to put up 300 Christmas trees spanning across 140 homes with decorations for roughly two miles, and then do it for 85 years. That is what Christmas Tree Lane in the Old Fig Garden neighborhood in Fresno has done.

The lane started with less extravagance, but with more seasonal spirit and social conscience. It was first prepared as a solemn remembrance, a single tree in memory of a child who died. Since then, the practice has built into an enormous holiday celebration, only going dark in 1941 due to wartime restrictions and during the energy crisis of 1973. It takes three months to create today’s Christmas Tree Lane, putting together the trees, lighting and other decorations.

More than 100,000 people stroll or drive down the lane to take in the aesthetics each year, which have been featured in the Washington Post.

GETTING THERE

Take the I-405 north to the I-5 north, both for roughly 60 miles. Continue onto the CA-99 toward Bakersfield and Fresno. Exit onto CA-41 north toward the airport and Yosemite. Exit Shields Avenue and turn left at East Shields Avenue. Turn left at Van Ness Boulevard and cruise down Christmas Tree Lane.

COST

Free. Completely free. It’s a street you drive down and just enjoy the sights. They do accept donations that help pay for the lighting costs, refurbishment and maintenance. The main cost for this trip is the mileage, which at more than 200 miles of drive time can translate to a couple of tanks of expensive gas.

HOURS

The street is open Friday and Saturday from 6 to 11 p.m., and Sunday through Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m. until Dec. 26, so it would be nice for a weekend-before-Christmas trip to get the family into the holiday spirit before the big day.

ENERGY

For those worried about energy consumption for such an extravagance, the lane has recently improved its energy efficiency with better wiring, which has allowed power requirements to be reduced 50% during the last eight years, according to its website.

DECORATIONS

Gauging from pictures and articles about the lane, the decorations are various concoctions made by the locals. They can put up anything they want. They make wooden reindeer, Mickey Mouse displays, Santa and his outfit, trains, Charlie Brown, Snoopy and friends. Some homes bring in fake snow and rain it down from above for patrons to walk under as they pass through. On the special walk nights, about 10,000 people will view the arrangements.

— Daniel Tedford