From the Mayor's Desk: December 12, 2025

‘Tis the season for giving thanks and embracing the holiday spirit. For years, the City of Cerritos has proudly offered quality holiday events to our residents and visitors.

Approximately 1,400 people took part in our annual Christmas Tree Lighting event on November 24. The event is led by our Community Services Division and offers a fantastic start to the holiday season. In addition to celebrating the lighting of the Christmas tree, guests also enjoyed live performances, food, crafts, and time with Santa.

This past Saturday, December 6, we were pleased to see approximately 800 people attend our inaugural Santa’s Sleigh Day at the CCPA. Santa’s Sleigh Day is a new event in the City of Cerritos, which was inspired by my colleague, Mayor Pro Tem Lynda P. Johnson. The event featured Santa’s Sleigh, crafts, festive games, storytimes, and carolers. Guests were also treated to live holiday music from Mariachi Reyna De Los Angeles, which presented Merry-Achi Christmas at the CCPA December 5-7. At the event, staff served up more than 350 cups of hot cocoa while attendees created 200 craft ornaments and submitted over 100 postcards to Santa. I’m thankful to all who came out to enjoy this incredible day, and to our dedicated City staff from the Recreation Services Division and Theater Department for their coordination.

Continued excellence in community recreation and community programming is emphasized in the City’s Strategic Plan. These services keep our residents active, enhance quality of life, and stimulate our City’s economy. I’m pleased that we continue to build upon our long-running services while identifying new ways to create lasting connections with our community.

2026 brings another exiting year of activities as the City of Cerritos celebrates its 70th year since incorporation. This will include the dedication of new public artwork at the Cerritos Civic Center. Milking Time – A Tribute to Dairy Valley is a series of bronze sculptures that includes a farmer, his son and daughter, the family dog, and—of course—the cow, reflecting Cerritos’ agricultural roots and the enduring values of family and community. Voting is currently underway to determine the name of the cow featured in the sculpture. Nearly 300 names were submitted in the Name the Cow contest, and 10 finalists were selected. I invite you to participate in the voting process, which continues through January 16. View finalist names and submit your vote at cerritos.gov/cow.

I’m proud to serve a community that actively participates in our City services and at our events. Thank you for helping make Cerritos a vibrant place to live, work, and visit. I look forward to seeing you again next time.