Annual Christmas tree exhibit showcases holiday spirit at Merced Courthouse Museum

More than 80 Christmas trees decorated by Merced organizations and community members will be on display at the Merced Courthouse Museum in celebration of the holiday spirit.

Trees are displayed throughout three floors of the museum and decorated in various themes. According to Merced Courthouse Museum Director Sarah Lim, the annual Christmas tree exhibit began in 1985 and is a way for community members and organizations to share in the holiday spirit and come to together as a community.

Susana Santana, 33, of Merced, was at the museum Wednesday decorating a tree displayed by Healthy House Merced, a non-profit that promotes multi-ethnic health and well being through services and advocacy. A Spanish language interpreter for Healthy House, Santana said not only was it her first time decorating a tree as part of the exhibit, but that it was also her first time in the museum.

She placed figurines on the tree in celebration of different cultures before stringing lights around the display. Santana said she thought the museum looked beautiful and that she was going to take the time to see everything inside.

“I love Christmas,” she said.

A mother of five children, Santana said the family found themselves homeless at one time and they weren’t able to celebrate the holiday with a tree.

“So now we do have a big tree,” she said. “Even though we don’t have— last year we didn’t have gifts and stuff, but we had a tree we were all together.”

On the museum’s third floor, Gina Ramos, 53 and Ramon Montoya, 50, both with Select Property Management, were putting the finishing touches on the organization’s Christmas tree display with the theme, home for the holidays.

Ramos said this is the company’s third year decorating a tree as part of the annual display.

We just want to be part of something that the community is doing,” said Ramos. There’s several different businesses and I think it’s a great thing every year we do this.”

Ramos said she enjoys attending the annual even and the various festivities involved.

“I love Christmas so like looking at all the different trees, it’s a really nice event,” said Ramos.

Lim said the trees are displayed throughout all three floors of the museum and the placement depends on whether the tree needs electricity.

The 40th Annual Christmas Open House at the Courthouse Museum will take place Sunday, Dec. 1, from 1p.m to 4p.m., and is free to the public. The event will feature 87 decorated Christmas trees throughout the museum as well performances by Central Presbyterian Church Handbell Choir, choirs from Our Lade of Mercy School, Maxwell Norton and Friends, St. Paul School Choir, the Merced Baroque Sinfonia as well as the Bear Creek Ukulele Society.

The Christmas tree exhibit will be on display inside the museum until December 30.

This story was originally published December 1, 2024 at 5:30 AM.