EMMY WINNING HOST AND HALLMARK STAR TAMERA MOWRY- HOUSLEY AND ACTOR JOSH PECK LIGHT THE LEGO® CHRISTMAS TREE

CARLSBAD, Calif. (Nov. 18, 2022) – Lights twinkled and fireworks filled the sky as star of Nickelodeon’s hit TV show “Drake and Josh,” Josh Peck and star of Hallmark Channel’s ‘Countdown to Christmas’ new original movie, “Inventing the Christmas Prince,” Tamera Mowry-Housley, helped Santa pull the switch to light the LEGO® Christmas tree during the 20th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony officially kicking off Holidays at LEGOLAND® California Resort.
Peck, father to Max (3) and newborn Shai, is best known for his roles on Nickelodeon’s “Drake and Josh”, Disney Plus’ Turner and Hooch, and most recently, “How I Met Your Father” on Hulu. Peck has more than 25 million followers across Instagram, YouTube and TikTok and will appear next in Christopher Nolan’s movie, “Oppenheimer”.

Mowry-Housley, mother to Aden (9) and Ariah (6), first gained fame for her teen role as Tamera Campbell on the ABC/WB sitcom Sister, Sister (opposite her twin sister Tia Mowry). She is an Emmy-winning host for the syndicated daytime talk show “The Real” along with being a successful author and producer.

Peck and Mowry-Housley enjoyed the Park’s festive holiday décor with their families before heading to LEGOLAND California’s famous 30-foot-tall LEGO Christmas tree created from 245,000 green DUPLO®bricks for the evening’s festivities. Prior to pulling the switch that turned on more than 11,000 twinkling LED lights, Peck and Mowry-Housley were presented special LEGO ornaments as invitations to return when the Park unveils its newest addition to Miniland U.S.A., a LEGO version of San Diego that is planned to open spring of 2023. Guests were also treated to a sneak preview of Mowry-Housley’s new holiday film prior to it premiering on the Hallmark Channel later that evening.

At the ceremony, LEGOLAND California Resort donated $10,000 on Peck’s behalf to MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach and the Hallmark Channel donated $10,000 on Mowry-Housley’s behalf to Make-A-Wish. Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital is a non-profit, pediatric and maternity teaching hospital in Long Beach that treats more than 8,000 children each year, delivers more than 5,500 babies and has become a regional pediatric destination for more than 84,000 children who need specialized care in outpatient specialty and satellite centers. Make-A-Wish is a non-profit organization that grants life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. A wish can be that spark that helps these children believe that anything is possible and gives them strength to fight harder against their illnesses. LEGOLAND and Mowry-Housley have both been longtime supporters of Make-A-Wish.

The annual tree lighting ceremony is part of the Park’s winter celebration, Holidays at LEGOLAND California Resort. Guests can experience LEGOLAND cheer from Nov. 19th to Jan. 8th with sparkling lights, festive treats and new holiday entertainment! Kids and families can prance their way to Merry Mistletown to join Mrs. Claus and the LEGO Gingerbread Man for some frosty fun and musical mayhem in the show, The Very Merry Mix-Up! Guests looking to snap that perfect holiday shot to share can pose with our very own LEGO model of Santa or with their favorite LEGO characters! Plus, families can ring in 2023 with the LEGOLAND Kids’ New Year’s Eve Party on December 31st! All holiday activities are included with regular Park admission on event dates.


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About LEGOLAND California Resort
LEGOLAND® California Resort includes LEGOLAND® California, SEA LIFE® aquarium, LEGOLAND® Water Park, LEGOLAND® Hotel and LEGOLAND® Castle Hotel. All are geared for families with children between the ages of 2 and 12. At LEGOLAND California, you’ll find more than 60 rides, shows and attractions including the new The LEGO MOVIE WORLD based on the blockbuster films The LEGO® Movie™ and The LEGO® Movie™ 2: The Second Part. The new land fully immerses guests into the LEGO® Movie universe and places them onto the streets of Bricksburg. LEGOLAND Water Park features more than seven slides, sandy beaches and the unique Build-A-Raft River plus Pirate Reef and LEGO Legends of CHIMA Water Park comprising 10 acres of water fun! The nation’s first LEGOLAND Hotel features 250 rooms, all themed either as pirate, adventure, kingdom, LEGO® Friends and LEGO® NINJAGO™! North America’s first LEGOLAND Castle Hotel features 250 rooms, fully themed as Knights and Dragons, Royal Princess and Magic Wizard. For more information, visit www.LEGOLAND.com or call (760) 918-LEGO (5346).

About Merlin Entertainments
Merlin Entertainments is a global leader in location-based, family entertainment. As Europe's number one and the world's second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin operates more than 140 attractions, 23 hotels and 6 holiday villages in 24 countries across 4 continents. Merlin’s purpose is to deliver memorable experiences to its millions of guests around the world, through its iconic brands and multiple attraction formats, and the commitment and passion of its employees.

See www.merlinentertainments.biz for more information and follow on Twitter @MerlinEntsNews.