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Moreno Valley lights 30-foot tree at annual holiday ceremony; Santa, youth performers and council join the celebration

City of Moreno Valley holiday tree lighting ceremony · December 12, 2025

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Summary

Moreno Valley’s 2025 holiday tree lighting at City Hall featured youth performers, a set by the Satin Dolls, an appearance by Santa Claus and a ceremonial countdown led by Mayor Ulysses Cabrera and city council. The mayor also used the occasion to highlight several upcoming local projects.

Moreno Valley on Saturday evening staged its 2025 holiday tree lighting ceremony at City Hall, where a crowd gathered for performances, a visit from Santa Claus and a ceremonial lighting of the city’s 30-foot tree.

The event opened with an emcee-led program that framed the evening as a 'storybook' of musical chapters. Local youngsters billed as 'Time for Tots' performed a rendition of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," and the Satin Dolls delivered a medley of holiday standards, prompting sustained applause from the audience.

Mayor Ulysses Cabrera, joined onstage by Mayor Pro Tem Elena Baca Santa Cruz and council members Shalinda Bernard, Ed Delgado and Erlin Gonzales, offered brief remarks describing the lighting as a symbol of "holiday cheer and unity" and noting the ceremony marked the city’s tenth annual tree lighting. "This year has been full of emotional ups and downs, both near and far," Cabrera said, urging residents to celebrate together.

Cabrera invited the crowd to help count down from five; after the countdown he flipped a switch that lit the tree in festive colors. Attendees were offered hot cocoa and cookies, and the program included a staged 'snow' moment before the ceremony concluded.

The ceremony's program and performances were presented as community-oriented entertainment rather than a policy forum; no formal city actions or votes took place during the event. The lighting concluded with the mayor and council thanking performers, staff and residents for attending.

Speakers quoted or named in this report are drawn from onstage introductions and remarks given during the event. The host was introduced onstage as Brooke Bergstahler and also spoke onstage; the transcript contains a second self-introduced spelling (Brooke Bergstuller).