Altadena's historic Christmas Tree Lane brings much-needed cheer 11 months after Eaton Fire

ALTADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- Altadena's historic Christmas Tree Lane lit up once again on Saturday, a hopeful milestone in the community's recovery from the Eaton Fire.

The trees on Santa Rosa Avenue in Altadena have lit the holiday season for more than 100 years, and this weekend, they are back and brighter than ever. For many families, that means there's still room for joy, even in a year of so much loss.

Widely regarded as the nation's largest and oldest outdoor holiday lighting display, Altadena's Christmas Tree Lane dates to 1920 and relies entirely on volunteers who spend months stringing lights with ropes and pulleys.

For much of its 105-year run, Altadena's Christmas Tree Lane has gone dark only in moments of true crisis -- during World War II and amid the 1970s energy crisis. After the Eaton Fire, organizers briefly debated whether this would be another such year.

The moment the lane lit up, you could feel the shift amongst the crowd of onlookers. After months of heartache, the first glow felt like a moment of relief.

"Even though they lost their houses, they are in good spirits, and they are very strong, and I am just incredibly proud of this community," said Altadena resident Tisla Sideropoulos.

For many in Altadena, the trees are more than a decoration.

They're part of Altadena's story -- a story that was interrupted in January when the Eaton Fire raced down the foothills, killing 19 people and destroying thousands of homes.

But even then, the lane survived. And on Saturday night, so did the tradition of Christmas tree lane.

"I think there was a fear that we were going to put things aside because the rebuild effort is still continuing, but this is an event that is cherished each and every year," said L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Altadena in the 5th District.

The 105-year-old festival stretches a full mile with food trucks and families shoulder-to-shoulder, all walking under a canopy of lights that volunteers string by hand every single year.

"This year was a little challenging with the hurdles we had to go through to see even if our power lines were OK, if we could even get the lights into the trees to see if our trees were healthy enough," said Christmas Tree Lane Altadena Communications Director Mikayla Arevalo.

There were still moments of magic. The Walt Disney Company, which employs many Altadena residents, brought characters, donations and a little extra light to a community still rebuilding after the fires.

SEE ALSO: Disney Imagineers to help rebuild beloved Altadena park destroyed by Eaton fire

The Walt Disney Company announced that its Imagineers are helping rebuild and reimagine public spaces that were lost in the devastating wildfires across Los Angeles County.

"Due to the devastation of the fires, a lot of our lights were damaged, and Disney was gracious enough to give us a wonderful donation to replace the lights, but put also to put in additional lights per tree to make this extra special for the community," Arevalo said.

A new addition to Christmas Tree Lane this year is a memorial tree - its base filled with messages for victims and survivors of the Eaton Fire.

"Some of my students lost their homes. Some of my coworkers lost their homes, and it has just been a really long road, and I wrote, 'Little by little, one walks far,'" one participant said.

In Altadena this weekend, lights didn't just return; hope did, too.

The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of this ABC station.

City News Service contributed to this report.