The Encinitas Historical Society, in yearly partnership with the City of Encinitas and support from the Encinitas Rotary Club, will present the 30th Annual Lighting of the Encinitas Heritage Tree on Friday, Dec. 6 from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. The celebration will be held at the Moonlight Beach upper parking lot. Attendance and parking are free.

This year’s three-decades ceremony will be specially marked with an appearance by Encinitas’ very own 2019 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Jack Tempchin. Tempchin’s long list of popular compositions include the Eagles hits Peaceful Easy Feeling” (1972) and “Already Gone” (co-written with Glenn Frey in1974), and Johnny River’s hit Swayin’ to the Music (Slow Dancing)” (1977). A long-time Encinitas resident, Tempchin is regularly seen playing guitar and crafting songs at Swamis.

The program will feature carols by the San Diego North Coast Singers children’s choir and three “EnSINGnitas” school choirs: The El Camino Creek Elementary School Choir, the Flora Vista Elementary School Choir, and combined Paul Ecke Elementary School and Olivenhain Pioneer Elementary School choirs.

The EnSINGnitas program is sponsored by the Encinitas Educational Foundation, a 501.c.3 nonprofit organization dedicated to making music education, performance, and enjoyment in all its forms a cultural staple in the Encinitas school program, according to a news release.

For the fourth consecutive year, the local popular band Free Verse will start the celebration with a medley of holiday classics and join the choirs for the grand finale.

Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus will make their yearly trek from the North Pole, riding in on an Encinitas fire engine with horns and lights blazing, the highlight for the tots. Event T-shirts featuring the Heritage Tree will be available for $20, to benefit the Encinitas Historical Society.