August 3, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Santa Monica Celebrates the Holiday Season at Meet Me Under the Fig Tree

The holiday season in Santa Monica officially started this past Sunday,
December 10th at Meet Me Under the Fig Tree, a free annual community event hosted by Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows and MSD Capital.
Over one thousand Santa Monicans gathered under the historic Moreton Bay Fig Tree to celebrate the holiday season with live performances by Grammy award winning pianist Bill Cunliffe and the Santa Monica High School Orchestra, and vocalist Savi. The event was hosted by KTLA personalities Wendy Burch and Eric Spillman, while guests enjoyed playing in the snow, holiday cookie decorating, hair braiding by Glam & Go, a bounce house, a petting zoo, arts and crafts and a
whimsical ginger bread house display, as well as meet and greets with members of Santa Monica Police Department Mounted Police, Heal the Bay and the American Red Cross.

Once again, pictures with Santa Claus proved to be extremely popular, which parents can access on the Friends of the Miramar Facebook Page in the coming week. Guests were also treated to a complimentary raffle, which featured prizes donated by community partners including Arclight Theater, Fritto Misto, Healthy Spot, Exhale, Helen’s Bikes, King’s Seafood/Water Grill, FIG Restaurant and a one-night stay at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows. Guests delighted in culinary offerings such as grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken shawarma and
three types of hot chocolate from FIG Restaurant, and food from Santa Monica partners including Lunetta All Day, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co, Vanilla Bake Shop, Panini Kabob Grill and Crityk.

Attendees were asked to bring non-perishable food to be donated to The People Concern. In total, over 11,000 pounds of food was collected, all of which will be distributed to those families in the community most in need.

In addition to the food drive for The People Concern, Meet Me Under the Fig Tree was proud to be partnering with Santa Monica Police Activities League (PAL) to raise funds for their programs that benefits youth aged 6-17 in Santa Monica. Over $5,000 was raised for Santa Monica PAL from a silent auction of hotel room stays throughout California.

“I personally look forward each year to Meet Me Under the Fig Tree, which has turned into our largest community event of the year”, said Matthew Lehman, General Manager of the Fairmont Hotel & Bungalows. “This year we welcomed over 1,000 Santa Monicans.”

Ellis O’Connor of MSD Capital’s Hospitality Group added, “We are always impressed by the generosity of our community, with significant donations that benefit such worthwhile local charities.”

“We are humbled to once again to be part of this event that benefits our most vulnerable neighbors and gives the community in its entirety a reason to come together and celebrate,” said John Maceri, Executive Director of The People Concern. “Thousands of individuals and families will be directly helped by those who generously decided to give. Thank you to the Fairmont Miramar Hotel and
MSD Capital for hosting this annual Santa Monica holiday tradition.”

“We love being a part of Meet Me Under the Fig Tree and I could not be more impressed with the event this year,” said Eula Fritz, Director of Santa Monica PAL. “The Fairmont Miramar is such a big part of our community and they once again put on an amazing community event supporting important charitable organizations. We look forward to coming back next year.”

Santa Monica residents are invited for a staycation at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel and Bungalows during the month of December with discounted rates. To make a reservation, Santa Monica residents can dial 1-800-441-1414 and mention “The Fig Tree” for a discount. In addition, a portion of the room rates made under the program will be donated to Santa Monica PAL.

Related Posts

Two LA County Deputies Charged in Off-Duty Scheme Tied to Crypto ‘Godfather’

August 2, 2025

August 2, 2025

Deputies Accused of Abusing Law Enforcement Powers for Beverly Hills Mogul One Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy pleaded guilty,...

Metro Releases Draft Environmental Report for Sepulveda Transit Project, Public Comment Now Open

August 2, 2025

August 2, 2025

Six Route Alternatives Under Review for Valley-To-Westside Connection The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has released its Draft...

Trump Administration Freezes $200M in UCLA Research Funds Over Student Protests

August 2, 2025

August 2, 2025

UCLA Says Freeze Harms Life-Saving Research With No Connection to Stated Reason Donald Trump’s administration has blocked $200 million in...

Culver City’s National Night Out Returns August 5 With K9 Demo, Live Music, and Fun

August 2, 2025

August 2, 2025

This Year’s Celebration Moves to the Culver Steps to Encourage Community Spirit Culver City’s annual National Night Out celebration returns...

City Installs Crosswalks In Sawtelle District After Residents Paint Their Own

August 1, 2025

August 1, 2025

Los Angeles Begins Official Safety Upgrades Near Stoner Park City crews began installing official crosswalks Friday near Stoner Park in...

HARD Summer Returns This Weekend With New Sound Strategy After 2024 Noise Complaints

August 1, 2025

August 1, 2025

Sold-Out EDM and Hip-Hop Festival Runs Saturday and Sunday at Hollywood Park The HARD Summer music festival is set to...

Free Document Shredding, Electronics Recycling Set for Saturday in Culver City

August 1, 2025

August 1, 2025

Culver City Offers Secure Way to Recycle Tech and Shred Paper This Weekend Residents will have the opportunity to responsibly...

Last Call: Culver City Wants Your Input in Hiring Its Next City Manager

July 31, 2025

July 31, 2025

Public Survey Open Through August 1 Invites Residents to Weigh In As Culver City begins its search for a new...

1,000 Additional National Guard Troops Withdrawn From LA as Federal Presence Continues to Shrink

July 31, 2025

July 31, 2025

National Guard Presence in Los Angeles Slashed Again Amid Ongoing Rollback Roughly an additional 1,000 National Guard troops have been...

Luxury Watches Stolen From Keanu Reeves Recovered in Chile, To Be Returned to Actor

July 31, 2025

July 31, 2025

Six Rolex Watches Worth Over $120,000 Were Seized in Santiago Police Raid Six high-end watches stolen from actor Keanu Reeves’...

Aging Mindfully: Zen-Inspired Senior Living Takes Shape in Simi Valley

July 31, 2025

July 31, 2025

Two Zen-inspired senior living communities are embracing the reality of aging — consciously. Ensō Village, open since 2023 in Sonoma County,...

Trio of Suspects Busted in $50K Beauty Heist at Culver City Store

July 31, 2025

July 31, 2025

Burglars Try to Flee, But Culver City PD Catches All ThreePolice arrested three suspects late Sunday night following a break-in...

Lulu Hosts Summer Tardeada With Guest Chef From Oakland’s Bombera

July 30, 2025

July 30, 2025

Chef Dominica Rice-Cisneros Joins Alice Waters for a Courtyard Celebration Lulu, the acclaimed restaurant located at the Hammer Museum, will...

Film Review: Together

July 30, 2025

July 30, 2025

By Dolores Quintana Dave Franco and Alison Brie, a married couple in real life, star in Michael Shanks’ gruesomely passionate...

Heidi Klum’s Tropical Erewhon Smoothie Drops Just in Time for Summer

July 30, 2025

July 30, 2025

Supermodel’s Limited-Edition Drink Blends Kiwi, Coconut, and Matcha Erewhon has debuted its newest celebrity smoothie collaboration, this time with supermodel...