Westlake rings in the season with a hometown holiday celebration

Over 800 people gathered for a hometown celebration in Westlake Nov. 30 for the annual Tree Lighting event.

Mayor Laura Wheat flipped the switch to light the 20-foot Christmas tree at The Plaza in Solana, 1301 Solana Blvd.

Westlake Communications Manager Jon Sasser said, “This was the first time the event was held at Solana Plaza and it was the largest crowd ever.”

The evening was filled with lots of activities including carriage rides, a cakewalk, reindeer petting zoo, food tastings from various local restaurants, hot beverages and a chance at cookie decorating. Children also had the chance to get their picture taken with Santa.

Westlake firefighters were on hand to collect hundreds of toys and food items that will be distributed to the needy.

This story was originally published December 4, 2017 at 3:40 PM with the headline "Westlake rings in the season with a hometown holiday celebration."