Every year, A Pitt Meadows Christmas grows, said the City's communications manager Lorna Jones, and this year there were more than 2,000 people in attendance at Friday evening's event.

"It has been steadily increasing since the first year," Jones said of the event that is co-organized by the City and the Pitt Meadows Community Foundation.

With a new sequoia tree on the hill of Spirit Square covered in Christmas lights, Pitt Meadows residents were able to take in entertainment, sip on hot chocolate, and have hotdogs courtesy of the Pitt Meadows Lions Club.

But the evening's highlight was when Santa Claus and his better half Mrs.

Claus arrived in a lit carriage, and children were allowed to give last-minute gift ideas to the jolly old elf and have their pictures taken with the couple.

"Santa was warmly welcomed in Pitt Meadows," Jones said, despite a scare earlier in the day when the wind seemed to be picking up.

In the family recreation centre, groups had decorated Christmas trees - the public is invited to vote on the best decorations until Dec. 12.

mrantanen@mrtimes.com