The 77th annual State Capitol Christmas tree lighting ceremony takes place tonight on the west steps of the State Capitol. The ceremony, which is paid for with private funding through the Protocol Foundation, will feature Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, First Lady Maria Shriver, and Hollywood stars including Extra’s Mario Lopez and singer Rick Springfield.
The Christmas tree was donated by the U.S. Forest Service Institute of Forest Genetics. It is decorated with 6,500 ultra-low wattage LED lights that are powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. 1,500 hand crafted ornaments made by …

The Sacramento branch of the United States Post Office is launching its Dear Santa Letter Station for the 20th year today and is hoping to recruit volunteers to help make some of the letter writers’ wishes come true.
Post offices throughout the region receive thousands of letters each year addressed to Santa Claus, which end up in bins at Sacramento’s Royal Oaks Post Office at 2000 Royal Oaks Drive in North Sacramento, a postal service news release states. The “Dear Santa” station is staffed by postal employees and volunteers who …

Organizers say they have been forced to cancel the annual Santa Parade held on Thanksgiving weekend because of lack of money.

Retailers are hoping to see plenty of shoppers like the Kusters with their marching orders on the big day. They’ll open their doors well before dawn to draw shoppers, create buzz and try to revive a slumbering retail market. “The shoppers come earlier and earlier, so it behooves the merchants to open when shoppers are out strategizing,” said Michele Rothstein, a spokeswoman for Folsom Premium Outlets. The doors to most of the outlet mall’s 80 stores will open at midnight, she said. The Friday after Thanksgiving is one of the …