Fact Brief: Is San Jose’s Christmas in the Park managed by a nonprofit organization?

Christmas in the Park, a San Jose holiday event for more than 40 years, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to the downtown each year. It’s operated by a nonprofit under the same name.

Christmas in the Park’s 501(c)(3) manages the array of light displays and rows of Christmas trees that transform Plaza De Cesar Chavez each holiday season. Other attractions downtown are operated separately — carnival rides are run by Winter Wonderland and the San Jose Downtown Association produces the ice skating rink.  

The Christmas in the Park tradition was started by small business owner Don Lima in the 1950s, who donated the operation to the city of San Jose in 1970. Christmas in the Park’s nonprofit organization formed in 1985 to partner with San Jose to develop the event, but took full control in 2012 following city budget cuts.