CHRISTMAS TREE LANE IN ALAMEDA WAS PACKED TONIGHT WITH FAMILIES CHECKING OUT ALL THE DECORATED HOMES. RESIDENTS SAY IT IS THE STREET'S BUSIEST NIGHT OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON, AND ABC SEVEN NEWS REPORTER RYAN CURRY SHOWS US WHY FAMILIES TURN IT INTO A TRADITION. >> SMILES ALL AROUND IN ALAMEDA. THOMPSON AVENUE IS THE PLACE TO BE THIS CHRISTMAS EVE. CHRISTMAS, WHETHER ON FOOT OR IN A CAR, IT'S TIME TO TAKE A STROLL DOWN CHRISTMAS TREE LANE. FOR DECADES, PEOPLE LIVING ON THIS STREET HAVE GONE ALL OUT WITH DECORATIONS THAT COULD GET EVEN THE MEANEST GRINCH IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT. >> THIS IS OUR 17TH YEAR LIVING HERE, AND, UH, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T KNOW QUITE WHAT WE WERE GETTING OURSELVES INTO. UM BUT, YOU KNOW, AFTER YEAR ONE, IT'S JUST IT'S HARD TO NOT GET INTO THE SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAYS WHEN YOU'RE JUST SO IMMERSED IN IT. >> DEREK DALY GOING AN EXTRA STEP THIS CHRISTMAS EVE, A TRAIN SET. HE ONLY USES FOR THIS NIGHT. YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S JUST ADDS A LITTLE SOMETHING TO THE WHOLE THING. >> IT GETS PEOPLE TO STOP. IT GETS THE KIDS. THEY DON'T JUST RUN TO THE NEXT HOUSE BECAUSE THEY SEE THE TRAIN AND THEY STOP, AND PEOPLE JUST KIND OF ENJOY IT. >> HIS SON'S POURING HOT CHOCOLATE WHILE COLLECTING DONATIONS FOR THE LOCAL ANIMAL SHELTER. I THINK LAST YEAR THEY RAISED A LITTLE OVER $500 FOR THE PET SHELTER. >> UM, AND, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE'LL EXCEED THAT THIS YEAR. >> EACH HOME HAS A UNIQUE STYLE, SOME CHOOSING, A SIMPLE BUT NICE LOOK, OTHERS AIM TO BLOW YOU AWAY. EITHER WAY, IT'S ENOUGH TO GET THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD ATTENTION AS LONG AS YOU'RE JUST PATIENT AND JUST LIVING IN THE MOMENT AND JUST ENJOYING IT, IT'S ENJOYABLE. >> YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING YOU GO AND RUSH THROUGH, TAKE YOUR TIME, ENJOY IT, SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THIS COUPLE IS SET TO BE PARENTS SOON. >> AS THEY WALK AROUND, THEY CAN'T HELP BUT THINK HOW SPECIAL IT IS TO SEE SO MANY FAMILIES CHERISHING MOMENTS WITH EACH OTHER. TOGETHERNESS THEY SAY, IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THIS CHRISTMAS. >> WHETHER YOUR FRIENDS OR YOUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY, EVERYONE CAN BE FAMILY. SO JUST TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER. THAT'S I'M BIG ABOUT TAKING CARE OF THE PEOPLE NEXT TO YOU. SO IF YOU'RE TAKING CARE OF OTHERS AND OTHERS TAKE CARE OF YOU, THEN I THINK WE'RE
