The most familiar tree in Danville stands in the middle of a road. It sits in the Diablo Road median between West El Pintado and the I-680 interchange, with traffic on both sides. A 16-foot steel frame on six columns circles its trunk and branches. The Danville Area Chamber of Commerce estimates the oak is about 350 years old.
On Friday, November 27, from 5 to 8 p.m., Danville will light that tree for the 50th time. Most people know the evening for Father Christmas, the choirs and the hot chocolate downtown. Fewer know why it began. The first lighting was a way to make people care about a tree that had just become very easy to lose. Twenty-five years later, the same community put up money to keep that tree standing.
A Wider Road and a Merchant's Idea
The ceremony began in 1976, after Diablo Road was widened to four lanes. The widening left the oak in a median with cars passing on both sides. A 2006 Danville Weekly retrospective traced the first celebration to members of the Old Town Guild. Volunteer Ken Preston handled the lights, and local merchant Carmine DeVivi appeared as Father Christmas.
In DeVivi's account to that paper, he proposed lighting the oak to draw attention to preserving it. He chose Father Christmas because he wanted a holiday figure that wasn't tied to any one faith. He played the role for 15 years.
The first version was small. The same retrospective describes people gathering at the Danville Hotel on Hartz Avenue, then walking to the tree with candles and carols. Over the years the crowds grew into the thousands. The evening has kept the walk between the tree and downtown, but the direction has flipped. The early crowds carried candles out to the oak. This year's crowd starts there and follows a procession back into town.
The Year the Town Weighed Losing It
The worries that started the lighting turned out to be justified. A 2008 Danville Weekly story on the oak reported that the busy median had long been suspected of stressing the tree. In 2000, arborists told the Town the oak was unstable and unsafe for the public because of decay at the root crown.
The council looked at several options, and one council member suggested taking the tree down. Residents organized instead. They formed the Support the Oak foundation and raised money toward a steel support frame. The two options the Town compared cost very different amounts:
| Option the Town considered | Design | Estimated cost | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support frame around the tree | 16-foot steel frame on six columns, circling the trunk and branches | $70,000 | Built in early 2001 |
| Catch frame over the road | Steel framework spanning all four lanes of Diablo Road, meant to catch the tree if it fell | $150,000 | Not built |
The cheaper option won, and it is the frame drivers pass today. The Chamber's 2026 history of the tree credits "our compassionate community" for its installation and still calls the oak "the most notable landmark in the Town of Danville." By 2001, the lighting had been asking people to care about the oak for a quarter century, and the fundraising showed that they did.
Five Decades of Lighting the Oak
The tradition has changed shape a few times without stopping:
- 1976. Old Town Guild members hold the first lighting after the Diablo Road widening, with Carmine DeVivi as Father Christmas.
- 2000. Arborists find decay at the root crown and call the tree unsafe.
- Early 2001. The $70,000 steel frame goes up, with help from the Support the Oak foundation.
- 2020. Pandemic shutdowns move the festivities online.
- 2021. The 45th lighting returns in person. The Chamber expects 3,000 to 4,000 people.
- 2023. The Snow Angel returns for her 30th year.
- 2026. The 50th lighting, co-sponsored by the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Danville.
Father Christmas has been part of the evening since the first year, and the Snow Angel has been with him for three decades. In 2023, Chamber CEO Judy Lloyd told DanvilleSanRamon.com that the figures "started with a local person and have just kept with it." She added that the Snow Angel "was so popular and her costume was so spectacular."
When the event came back after the virtual year, Lloyd described the tree's place in town to DanvilleSanRamon.com:
"If you think about how Danville is shaped, and the importance of downtown, the oak tree is kind of at the entrance. We've always thought of this as the symbol of our town."
Renee Morgan, the mayor at the time, told the same outlet, "The heart of Danville is our old oak tree."
What the 50th Looks Like on November 27
According to the Chamber's event page, the evening opens at the tree with the Danville Girls Chorus, the Monte Vista High School Chamber Singers and the San Ramon High School Chamber Singers. Father Christmas and the Snow Angel greet the crowd next. Then a procession heads down Diablo Road and through downtown to the entertainment and holiday treats. The Chamber's history notes that the event is traditionally held on the Friday after Thanksgiving and marks the start of downtown's holiday shopping season.
The downtown part of the night covers a defined area. The Town's 2026 business registration form sets the activity zone along Hartz Avenue from Linda Mesa Avenue to School Street. It also covers Prospect Avenue from Front Street to the entrance of the Clocktower parking lot. Businesses in that area could sign up for an event activity map listing special hours, promotions and offerings. Last year the Town and Chamber published the map ahead of the event.
The procession still needs people on foot. The Chamber is asking for volunteers to walk with the Snow Angel down Hartz Avenue, help at activities and give directions. It welcomes individuals, local organizations, students who need volunteer hours and groups of friends. Sign-up is on the Chamber's event page. Since 1976, the evening has depended on locals volunteering their time, so walking with the Snow Angel is a fitting way to spend the 50th.
Getting There, Based on Last Year
The Town posts closure details close to the event. Last year's notice went up on November 24, four days before the lighting. In 2025, parts of Hartz Avenue, Diablo Road, Prospect Avenue, El Pintado, Front Street and Linda Mesa Avenue closed from about 4 to 9 p.m. One stretch of Diablo Road closed earlier, from 1 to 9 p.m. The Town pointed drivers to free parking on surrounding public streets and in municipal lots. If the 2026 pattern matches, anyone driving on Diablo Road Friday afternoon should plan for the early closure. The Town's news and alerts page is where last year's details appeared.
The rest of the holiday weekend has one more downtown event. On Saturday, November 28, the Town calendar lists Holiday Show: The Best Intentions from 8 to 10 p.m. at the Village Theatre, 233 Front Street. The theater is a short walk from the Prospect Avenue end of Friday's activity zone. With both events on the calendar, the Friday-to-Saturday stretch is Danville's busiest downtown weekend of the season.
Some people will drive past the oak on Diablo Road for years without thinking about it. In 1976, someone thought a road project had put the tree at risk and asked the town to look at it. In 2000, the town heard that the risk was real and paid to keep the tree. On November 27, the choirs will sing in front of a 350-year-old oak held up by a frame its neighbors helped fund.
If your family is going to its first Old Oak lighting this year, or you're bringing out-of-town guests to see the tree, I hope you enjoy the evening. Traditions like this one are a big part of why I love working in the Tri-Valley, and I'm always glad to talk about Danville's history with neighbors. When you're ready to think about your own place in town, Linda Traurig can help. Start with a free Instant Home Valuation and a conversation.
