Santa Claus greets Tricia and Oliver Potts of Watsonville (center) and others Saturday during the Aptos Holiday Craft Fair and Tree Lighting in Aptos Village. The event included dancing, music, crafts and a visit from Santa Claus, who arrived to the event in an Aptos/La Selva fire truck. The event has its roots in the Aptos community for nearly 30 years, when a scraggly 9-foot redwood tree was discovered near the intersection of Aptos Creek Road and Soquel Drive. It has been decorated every year since, and now stands 50 feet tall. “With the community, the tree has grown,” said Aptos Chamber of Commerce co-Executive Director Karen Hibble. “Every year it gets better and better.”
