Original subtitles

Bye.

Bye.

Bye.

So remember, it's like you just reach up and that next note is effortlessly

there. It's like it's coming out the crown of your head.

Ready? Let's try it one more time.

Good.

That's so good.

And it's just going to get stronger and stronger. Keep practicing between one

note and the other.

And do your exercises.

And let's work on that for Thursday's lesson, okay?

Oh, Carrie, your mom said you wanted to pick up a few extra shifts here. I can

add you onto the schedule.

That'd be great.

Okay? Thanks.

What song is that?

Just something I've been playing with.

When are you going to do a concert again?

Mom said you student up here all the time. No.

But these days I much prefer hearing my students perform.

Okay, go ahead. Finish your homework. I know you have lots of it before

Christmas break.

Bye. Love you. Bye.

from space.

I hope so.

Everything old is new again.

Bye.

Morning, Marina.

Hey, morning, Meg.

Morning.

Oh, the kids filled out their wish list?

Carrie's outgrown it, but Mabel's is ten pages long with illustrations.

Santa's going to be a busy guy.

I'm just going to take this to the bank. Okay, have fun. Love you.

Yeah, I'm just on my way back from the bank now, Dad.

I'm going to grab a quick coffee and I'll be back.

Well, in case there is a rush, I will be there.

Sprinkles? Some sprinkles, too, please. Yeah.

Perfect. Thank you very much.

I'm so sorry. Just a few more sprinkles. You have the small ones?

Yeah. Yeah, the small ones.

Oh, that's great.

Perfect. Merry Christmas.

May I have a decaf coffee black, please?

Yeah, we have a special Christmas hot chocolate, Dave. That's fine.

Is it?

Excuse me?

You don't see a lot of people drinking black coffee nowadays.

Well, all that stuff just masks the flavor of the beans.

Because they taste like sadness.

Look at this. It's a Christmas masterpiece.

It's not really coffee, is it? It's more like dessert.

You have a little something here.

Still got more of it. There you go. I guess it's more of a sit and sip.

Yeah. Yeah.

Do you care to join me?

Sure. Yeah?

Great.

So,

do you work around here?

Yeah, 35th floor down the street.

And I looked out my window and saw everyone skating.

Hot chocolating. I decided to take a break and take it all in, you know? Hot

chocolating? Is that even a word?

It is, as of three seconds ago.

Are you from Denver originally?

I am.

Yeah, originally.

But I... Do you hear that?

Look at the joy in their voices.

Oh, yeah, that's beautiful.

I wonder who it is.

Houston Children's Choir in 1989.

How did you know that? My family sells the vinyl at our store.

Riley's Music on Christmas J Lane.

Riley? Yeah.

Wow, I haven't been there in years.

I didn't even think it was still around.

Yep.

Sure is.

Still there. I should probably get going.

Enjoy your masterpiece.

And you enjoy that. Oh, believe me, I will.

Merry Christmas.

Excuse me!

Riley's.

Hi. Oh, I hear the mob's in downtown.

Yeah, everybody's shopping at that new plaza instead of coming down here.

Apparently some people don't even know we're still here.

Hey, Bert.

Hi, you saved me some stuff.

It's yours.

It's official.

Wow. Maybe we won something.

Thanks, Bert. Have a good one.

Open an NBA?

Yeah.

What? What's wrong?

It's an eviction notice.

All of the buildings on the street have been sold. They're tearing down

Christmas tree lanes. Creative spaces for media and technology companies.

Emma, look.

You ever going to clean up this disaster zone?

You see, my apartment is ten times worse.

I've been looking for this everywhere.

It's always so weird decorating my LA office with Christmas decorations with

palm trees outside.

Well, we're all real glad to have you back at corporate, especially your

Speaking of which, we got a meeting with him in five, so... I guess Christmas is

going to have to wait. I guess so.

When do they want us out?

90 days.

They're offering a cash incentive if we vacate early.

Looks like they found a loophole in our leases. Dad, we can't just pick up and

move. We're barely hanging on as it is.

Never heard of this new owner.

Cloverfield Investments?

Emma and I are holding an emergency Merchants Association meeting tomorrow

upstairs at the store.

Well, that's a good idea. But in the meantime, eat.

Thanks, Dad, but I just don't have much of an appetite.

Hey, don't worry, honey. We're going to figure this out.

No. Guess you better get going before you hit traffic.

Good night, Dad.

Good night, honey.

We all should have bought these buildings in the 60s when we had the

What power do renters have?

Yeah, I think we opt for the early buyout. At least make a few dollars. No,

no, I have to disagree with that. We can't just give up. This is our chance

really do something big and to make the city pay attention.

No, our only chance is the buyout.

Come on, folks, we're better than this. We haven't had a store for 40 years.

Christmas Tree Lane used to be the most bustling shopping district in town.

We've survived the Depression, the Great Recession, malls, even the Internet.

We can survive this.

This street is one of the only places left where people can experience

the way it used to be. We just have to get people back down here so that they

can see it for themselves.

So what we need are ideas for how we can raise awareness and do it fast.

Ideas, folks. Come on. How about gift wrapping? Gift wrapping? A gift wrapping

party. How about a toy drive?

Yeah. A bake sale. We just opened our St. Elizabeth's Christmas tree lot

the street. What if we sponsored a Christmas tree decorating contest?

Every shop on the lane buys a tree from us and then decorates it in the theme of

their shop. I love that. That is a fantastic idea.

What if we had a vintage Santa with a photo booth and maybe like an old -timey

play? Yeah, I love that. I know someone at Channel 7 News. Maybe they could do a

story about us. Okay, that would be incredible.

So I think the one thing we need, though, is something to tie all these

together, some single perfect blockbuster event.

Like what?

Like a holiday parade.

It does that. Yeah. Or a tree lighting ceremony.

You can combine that, yeah.

Okay. A concert. Oh, yeah. A concert. There you go. On Christmas Eve. I love

that idea.

You can perform, too.

I'd be happy for Riley's just to host.

We could bring people together to come down here from all over the city.

The concert to save Christmas tree lane.

Who's that?

Just this guy I met yesterday downtown at the coffee stand.

What's he doing here? Here's an idea. Go ask him. Right.

Hey. Checking to see if we really are still here.

Actually, I came to bring you this. I wondered where that went.

Thank you.

My name is Nate, by the way. Meg.

Hi. Hi.

Sorry, this is my best friend, Emma. She owns the coffee shop a couple of doors

down. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you, too. Emma's place is famous for

holiday hot cocoa bar. It is right up your alley.

Emma, do... Smooth?

This is amazing. It's like a time capsule.

Since 1903.

Courtesy of my great -great -grandfather.

He opened this place with a prayer and a song, literally.

Is that you?

No, that's my mom, Miriam.

She used to run the store and taught upstairs.

Is she retired now?

No, sadly we lost her about five years ago. Oh, I'm sorry.

She was a great lady.

Her spirit keeps this place going.

She is the heart and soul of Riley's.

I'm sorry.

It's my boss.

Slash father.

You work for your dad, too?

Yeah. It's not like having a regular boss, right? Do you know your strengths,

your skills, your weaknesses?

Yeah, but the added pressure of the future of the company riding on your

shoulders? That I understand.

So what do you do, if you don't mind my asking?

I'm an architect.

What brings you back to Denver?

My father owns a real estate investment firm here. And he's grooming me to take

over for him on the management side for when he retires.

I'm trading my drafting table in for a desk. You don't sound too thrilled about

it.

Are those originals?

Most of them, yes.

Oh, check this out.

This is the choir that we were listening to at the plaza. It's one of the only

vinyl copies remaining.

What? It's so scratchy.

I guess that's why people don't buy records anymore.

People do buy records, and those that don't are missing out.

That scratchiness, as you call it, those imperfections, that's what makes it

real. That's what makes it special.

Go deeper. Really listen.

Let the music surround you.

That tonal balance is pretty near perfect.

You can feel it, right?

It's almost solid.

You can't get that from a digital recording.

Between the music and the shop, I feel like I've traveled back into Christmas'

past. That's exactly what we're going for.

You're welcome to take it home.

Try it out for yourself.

Oh, no, no. I haven't unpacked yet, and even when I do, I still won't have

a record player.

Well, lucky for you, we have a whole bunch of refurbished ones.

I am so sorry about this.

Your dad?

Yeah, I should go. I'm sorry.

Just end of year, deadlines.

Hang on a second.

Here. Wow, talk about high -pressure sales. No, no.

You can borrow it.

Take a little Christmas tree lane home with you.

Sounds like you could use it. It's very sweet.

But I can't take this without giving you something in return.

Well, we are planning a big Christmas Eve concert.

Maybe once we get the flyers printed out, you could help us pass them around.

Spread the word.

Deal.

Well, great to see you again.

You too.

Enjoy. I'll enjoy the scratches.

Merry Christmas.

Let the trees.

Let heaven and nature sing.

Let heaven and nature sing. And heaven and heaven and nature

sing.

We really need to get our tree and decorate it for the competition and for

open house.

And you need to start practicing.

Practicing what?

Your song for the concert.

You are ready, Carrie.

No, I'm not.

There's going to be so many people there, Meg.

I'm going to tell you what my mom told me when I used to get nervous.

When you start to sing, just focus on one pair of eyes out there.

And you'll feel like you're singing for a friend.

The hardest part is walking out onto that stage.

And I promise.

I'll help you do that.

Thank you.

Hey.

Nate.

Back so soon?

I actually, I came to pay you for the record player. I'd like to buy it. Well,

as I said, you are more than welcome to borrow it.

I insist.

Oh, you saw the flyer.

I, uh, I didn't realize Christmas tree land was in trouble.

Well, it won't be if we can rally enough people behind it.

Yeah, what can I do to help?

Just keep on spreading the word.

Okay, well, how about for now I at least buy a couple Christmas albums?

That would be great.

My music student Carrie is in there and she can help you with that.

Uh, you're leaving?

I just have to go and get a Christmas tree for the store.

Well, today's your lucky day because I am fantastic at picking Christmas trees.

I look at it kind of like choosing a design for a building.

You know, you need a good base, good balance.

And when it's right, you can feel it in your heart.

Sounds a whole lot like songwriting.

Are you a songwriter?

I am a voice teacher and a piano teacher, and I help my dad run the

Keeping the family business going, just like you.

My dad.

If you need to go.

I know. It's totally fine. You know what?

This is important.

I need to get to know the city again now that I'm back.

Especially its history.

My dad will understand.

Should we get some coffee?

Okay.

Are these gas lamps original for the street? They are.

My dad told me that... Back when they used to be on, they put off this

incredible warm orange glow, like being in a movie.

You never saw them?

No, they were turned off over 40 years ago.

It was a sad day for Christmas Tree Lane.

What's happening with the street?

Christmas Tree Lane is slated for demolition.

What do they want to tear all this down for?

High -rises.

New. Modern.

Cold, sterile.

You know what I'm talking about.

Yeah.

I built what you're talking about all across the country.

This is Emma's coffee house.

She opened her doors here on the lane right out of college.

It was her dream.

I'm not letting anyone take that away if I can help it.

Shall we coffee up?

Let's coffee up. Come on. After you.

Oh, wow. The inlaid ceiling tile in here. You don't see that in newer

It's beautiful.

Yeah.

Hello. You're back.

What can I get you? You know, why don't you get something festive?

Good luck. I've been trying to get her to color outside the lines since first

grade. Okay. You know what? Why don't we order her an Americano?

With a dash of nutmeg, whipped cream, some cocoa powder, and a little drizzle

chocolate on it. I like this guy.

I'll be in a sugar coma for a week.

This young man's order sounds delightful. Can I get one just like it,

Why not? But we should give it a name in case it catches on.

Why don't we call it Nutmeg's Christmas Blizzard?

You see what I did there?

Oh, I see what you did there.

Yeah?

Emma likes it.

I think it's going to turn out really well.

I'm not sure about that.

It's going to blow your mind. Oh, yeah, Emma.

Well, number 24 had good form, bad coverage. Number 11 had bad form, good

coverage. Hey, what about this one?

We need a tree that looks good from 360 degrees.

The base is nice.

Excellent form.

Good needle retention.

The top's a little funky, but we could probably prune that up. It's a

Nate, they're closing in five minutes.

Take it.

We'll take it. We'll take it.

All right.

Hey.

This is perfect.

Thanks again for your help.

You know, I never did buy those records.

Then you're just going to have to come back, aren't you?

Sounding more and more like Christmas.

I hope I wasn't playing too loud.

So good to see you writing again.

I just had a little burst of inspiration.

Whoa, guys. Where are you taking that?

That's my... That's my drafting table.

We were hoping to surprise you.

Well, you didn't have to give me this, Dad. We'll keep your drafting table

safely in storage.

I need your management expertise right now more than I need your drawing

You know what? You have no idea how happy I am to have you back home.

Hi.

What's all that?

Our active project files.

Well, I'm going to need you up to speed.

It's like a hundred foot up there.

Concert to save Christmas tree lane. Save Christmas tree lane.

December 24th.

Christmas Eve.

Save Christmas tree lane.

Let's take a selfie? Oh, yeah. For socials.

Oh, that's cute. I've been posting twice a day. Sure.

Have you been getting a lot of followers?

Hashtag SaveChristmasTreeLane is catching up. Oh, for sure.

SaveChristmasTreeLane!

ChristmasTreeLane! Meg?

Nate! What are you doing here?

Well, we're handing out flyers for the concert. What are you doing here?

I'm going skating.

Want to join me?

I have a lot of flyers that I still need to hand out.

Oh, um, guys, I've got to go.

Our special maker is down.

Cappuccino catastrophe.

I didn't hear a notification.

It was on vibrate.

Okay, well, you two have a great time. Emma.

Hey,

good luck with that.

Emma.

You ready?

Sidebar?

I'm not a good skater.

Okay. Whoa.

All right, let's do this. Okay.

Good stuff.

Valid show.

Whoa. This is the slippery part over here.

Nate Williams.

Regina? Is that really you?

When did you get back to town? Why didn't you call me?

Hey. How you doing?

I came back two weeks ago. You know, I've been busy getting settled.

I'm so sorry. This is Meg.

Regina Stephen.

Regina and I have known each other since college.

Known each other? We dated for four years.

Did your father tell you I had an eminent domain lawsuit against him last

And I almost won.

Almost? I'm sure he loved that. No, actually, he was lovely.

He took me for lunch after and offered me a job as his corporate counsel. And

what'd you say?

No way.

He'd have me working 24 -7.

Edmund doesn't know the meaning of weekends and holidays.

Oh, you weren't kidding about him. He's one of a kind.

The old gang is doing a gift exchange at Smitty's Bar.

It's just around the corner.

Why don't we all get a drink right now?

Thanks. Oh, I'm going to head out.

Come on, are you sure? Why don't you come join us?

No. I've got so much work to do, and it seems like you guys have a lot to catch

up on, so I'll catch you later.

All right. Well, that was fun.

It was nice to meet you. It was great to meet you.

You did great.

Thank you for helping me with this.

Of course, I'll help you with yours, too.

Mine's done.

Mine, too.

We weren't, uh...

Busy. What did you tell her?

Just say you had a little ice skating date with Nate. I hate to disappoint you

both, but it was not a date.

Date. Nate ran into an ex -girlfriend and I left.

I'll probably never see him again.

Never say never.

Nate. Hey.

Hi. Hi.

What are you doing here?

What, a man can't do a little Christmas shopping?

Hey, Nate. How did the cappuccino catastrophe work out?

The what?

The cappuccino. Oh, that.

Yes. All set.

Great. Good. This is Samantha.

She owns the vintage clothing store down the street. Hi. Oh, the one with the

pink tree? That's the one.

Great color.

Timeless. I think so, too.

Well, all right. The gang is all here, huh?

So, any ideas for the tree?

We got a little sidetracked.

Nate, this is my father, Benjamin.

Dad, this is Nate. He's my new customer.

Glad to meet you, Nate.

Nice to meet you, sir.

Is this the one you were telling me about? Yep.

Well, Nate, feel free to look around.

We'll be decorating if there's anything you need.

Except we haven't yet figured out how to theme the trade to the store.

Do you guys happen to have any old 45s?

Maybe some sheet music?

Boxes of both, yeah. Why?

I have an idea.

Okay, that should do it.

Now all we need is light.

Oh, man.

Why don't you do the honors?

Okay.

Ready?

How nice is that?

This will be just perfect for the open house tomorrow.

Well, if I can get off work on time, I'll try to make it.

These are amazing.

We can put some of the people helping with the vintage Santa sleigh in

like this.

Yeah. That's beautiful.

Maybe we could even let the kids use some of these in their photos. Love

Definitely.

How's the promotion going for the concert?

Oh, well, we blanketed the city with flyers, so now we just have to hope we

a fantastic turnout. And if we do, I'll wear this.

What about this?

For Santa? I think an A -line might not be the right cut for him.

For you.

It just came in and it screams, Meg.

Well, it's beautiful, but where would I wear something like this?

Christmas party.

Concert.

Date.

The only thing on my mind right now is saving Christmas tree lane.

What are you talking about? I love that look.

But look, Captain Obvious.

Okay, are we ready?

Yes, let's do it.

Welcome to Riley's. Merry Christmas, everybody.

Thank you for coming. Enjoy the tree table and have some holiday cheer.

That's right.

Here's the info about our Christmas Eve concert and a little pamphlet about the

history of Christmas Tree Lane.

Come join us on Friday for our vintage Santa photo booth and the shops left

special too.

And the street will look just like it did at Christmas in the 1900s.

I finally got a hold of my friend down at Channel 7 News. I told him about

everything we're doing to save Christmas Tree Lane and he said he'd love to do a

story on us. That would be perfect.

Let's get him down here right away.

Free food?

The concert flyers? Our social media posts?

Working, Meg?

You sure you don't mind closing up? Not at all.

It was a really great day, huh?

You're making a difference, honey.

We'll see.

I hope it'll be enough.

You just wait.

Good night.

Good night.

Oh, hey.

Am I too late for the open house?

Well, that's up to Meg. Come on in.

Wow. Well, looks like you had fun. How did it go?

Oh, it was the best. We had so many people, we didn't slow down until just a

minutes ago.

Oh, it's great.

Sadly, the only thing left is fruitcake.

Hey, any port in a storm, right?

That's right.

The Christmas spirit.

Thank you.

Can't do it.

Oh, hang on.

I know just the thing.

Okay. All right.

Now you're just mocking me.

Made me tilt a little bit.

You're going to need a fork for that.

Thank you so much.

Can I offer you some wine?

That I'll take. Okay.

Regina would have been welcome to join you.

Lovely meeting her the other day.

Oh, yeah. She thought the same of you.

She's probably out with friends tonight or something.

She seemed nice.

You should see her in the courtroom.

You two were pretty serious, huh?

Back in the day, yes.

Hey, did you put up the rest of your flyers for the concert?

Every last one.

Great. You know, I had a thought. My mom runs the toy drive at St. Luke's

Hospital, and they get a ton of foot traffic. She'd be happy to pass them out

for you. That'd be great.

I can print out a few more.

I'll be over there tomorrow at noon if you want to pass by. I will.

Thank you. I really appreciate that.

Oh, of course.

Hey, can I pick your architect's brain for a second?

Yeah.

Okay, so we've been starting to map out what the stage might look like, the

outdoor stage for the concert.

Right now, all we have is the base, but it needs to really feel like it's part

of the history of Christmas tree laying, you know?

It needs to be like a natural extension of the street or geography of Denver.

Yeah. Well, you could do a Christmas -themed backdrop with some prop

gas lights and maybe some string lights crisscrossing the street. I'd be happy

to drop a plan for you. Seriously?

I don't want to bother you, and I have no idea how we'd be able to pay you.

You could do a trade. Like what?

I'd love to hear you play.

Mom mentored a whole generation of local talent in this room.

And every singer -songwriter you can think of from the 60s and 70s played

at one point when they were just starting.

Wow.

You can feel the vibe.

Yeah.

Look at this record collection.

It's funny, growing up immersed in music from infancy like I did.

It took a while before I started writing my own songs. I guess it felt like a

lot of pressure.

But I started writing when I was about 16 or 17.

This is a Christmas song I wrote.

Here's that.

All right.

I had no idea.

You're amazing.

Oh, thank you.

Why don't you perform more?

Well, it's kind of complicated.

What happened?

A producer came to a show here at The Loft when I was playing, and he heard

and he loved my voice, and he liked my songs, but he said if I wanted to

take it seriously, I should write more modern material.

More commercial, whatever that means.

Anyway, when I moved back here, I started teaching, and I found real joy

that, too.

Do you play?

I have zero musical talent. I don't even sing in the shower.

You're an artist, though.

People like you always have music in their souls.

Come here. Come sit.

No. We could play. something together i promise i'll go easy on you i i know you

could do it first piano lessons on the house oh well thank you

okay i know that one yeah you heard it i've heard that one yeah okay

so see the black piece so it's the middle black key there a flat and then

this finger yep beautiful

Now we're going to change the court.

Go down to this.

Oh, boy.

Hello. There's one here. You still open?

How much for that piano lesson?

It just gives me an excuse to come back.

You can keep playing if you want.

Hey, Mom.

This is incredible.

Yeah, people have been so generous. I can't even keep up.

Well, you know, Meg is off to do a gift wrapping night at her shop.

That's awfully nice of her.

She's got a big heart. You should hear her sing and play piano. She's so

talented. Really? And she's got this incredible collection of Joni Mitchell

albums. Oh, I love that.

Hi.

Oh, hey, you made it. Hi.

Mom, this is Meg Riley.

Meg, so nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you, too.

These are for you.

They're donated from Marino's Toy and Hobby Store on Christmas Tree Lane. That

is so kind.

Please, thank them for us. I sure will.

Let me see these. Why don't I see what I can do with these?

Thank you so much, Mrs. Williams. I really appreciate that. Of course.

Would you like to join us for lunch?

I would love to, but I have to get back to the shop. We have so much planning to

do before the concert.

Okay, well, it was lovely meeting you. And I'm sure our paths will cross again.

I hope so.

See you after.

I like her.

Okay. She's great.

Oh, it's dead.

So much for lunch.

Okay, moving on.

So, what's the latest update on CTL?

CTL? Christmas Tree Lane.

That's one of our projects.

Actually, it's about to be one of your projects, Nate.

I need you down on the ground coordinating as we move forward.

I heard the Merchants Association was shilling for people to come down and

the lane.

Putting on some sort of concert or something, hoping to spruce up the

About 20 years too late.

I'm here with Meg Riley, the president of the Christmas tree laying merchants

association on one of the oldest streets here in Denver. Meg.

Where does the name Christmas Tree Lane come from? Back in the 1920s, we were

the first shopping district in the city to use electric Christmas lights on all

the trees and buildings.

Nobody had seen anything like it. People came from all over.

So there's a lot of history here.

History and tradition.

And we're in danger of losing both.

Christmas Tree Lane is slated for demolition.

We're hoping to show the city that we are worth saving.

And how are you doing that? By embracing what people are longing for, which is

Christmas the way it used to be.

We are having a Christmas tree decorating contest. We have a vintage

sleigh. We're lighting this street from end to end. And it all finishes with the

big concert to save Christmas tree lane on Christmas Eve.

We are bringing history back to life.

And we hope you will help us preserve this lane for generations to come. And

we're putting a link up on our website for that concert information.

You think I'm too old to visit with Santa?

You are never too old to have the Christmas you remember.

That's perfectly said.

I really love this.

It really

does feel like you're going

back in time.

Christmas the way it used to be. Rick Conner, Channel 7 News, reporting from

Christmas Tree Lane 100 years ago.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas, Denver.

Did you see the story on TV?

I did.

Christmas Tree Lane is the talk of Denver.

It really feels like all of our hard work is starting to pay off, you know?

shop has been filled with customers all day.

I, uh... I want to tell you something.

Okay. It was just... I found something out at work.

Mabel!

Mabel.

Hey. Hey, what is it?

Hi. You remember Emma and Carrie, and this is my best buddy, Mabel.

Hi, Mabel.

Hi. I'm Nate.

Are you ready to go?

Where are you going?

We are going to go look at all of the trees in the Christmas tree decorating

competition. Ooh.

We even put little coffee mugs on it. I cannot wait to see that.

Do you want to come with us?

Uh, sure.

Yeah, why not?

Well, I mean, this one is obviously the winner.

I think you might be playing favorite.

Wow, it's actually kind of crowded in there.

Was there still something you wanted to talk to me about?

I just... I wanted to say...

Congratulations on all the publicity.

Thank you.

Yeah, I'm really starting to believe this might actually work.

Any chance you'll be coming back down here tomorrow?

I can almost guarantee it.

See you then.

See you then.

Good morning.

Thanks. You know, these are going out as fast as you get them to me. That's

fantastic. I'm going to bring the rest of these over to Cloverfield

Let them know about the concert and invite them to use a couple of VIP

I want them to see this plane and everything we're doing for themselves.

Cloverfield. Aren't those guys like a bunch of Scrooges? Even Ebenezer came

around in the end. Worth a shot, right?

Your mom would have done the same thing.

There's a lot of history here.

History and tradition and...

We're in danger of losing votes.

Carol!

Carol?

You wanted to see me, sir? Yeah, I'm headed down to Christmas Tree Lane. Oh,

you have a budget meeting in about two minutes. This is more important.

Thanks.

Meg Riley with the Christmas Tree Lane Merchants Association.

Meg.

Well, at least now I know why you were down there all the time doing a little

opposition research.

That's not it at all.

I kept on going there because I love it down there. I had no idea that we were

involved in the Christmas Tree Lane project.

How is that even possible?

Because when I got back to Denver, my father had dozens of projects for me to

get caught up on. I had no idea our company was the one causing all your

problems until yesterday.

And you didn't tell me then?

I tried.

But you were so happy.

And so was I.

Look.

Let me fix this.

How? I can work on my father from the inside. I think we can do this together.

Together? I looked at the proposal.

Okay, and I think that there's a way that we can combine the old buildings

new construction.

I can do a sketch, cost analysis, and present it to my dad. What makes you

your father would even consider something like that? Because I'll make

plans are so good that he won't be able to say no.

Look, I know I can do this.

I just need to know if you want me to try.

I don't know what I want right now.

Hey. Hey.

Before you say anything, I just wanted to...

Show you what I've been working on.

Just in case you said yes.

Meg, I want to bring my father down here tomorrow morning and show him

everything you're doing.

If he sees this and I show him these plans, I think that we have a shot at

something special.

From here on out, I want total transparency.

No secrets.

I promise you I will not keep anything from you.

Then I think it's worth a shot.

Son, this is a waste of time. I've been down Christmas tree lane before.

We have a site meeting across town at 1, so let's try to make this quick.

Mr. Williams, thank you so much for coming down here.

I'm Meg Riley. Welcome to Christmas Tree Lane.

Nice to meet you.

I saw the story about you on TV the other night.

And we have just gotten busier ever since then. Where else in the city can

go to experience Christmas the way it was 100 years ago? People are just

it. Mm -hmm.

Well, I understand what you and Nate have been trying to do here, but the

way to reinvent this neighborhood is to start over.

Christmas doesn't need reinventing, and neither do we.

Well, that's not... Look, we're losing our connection to the past.

All over town, buildings are being torn down.

Neighborhoods bulldozed over.

Well, that's not true. Yes. No, that's not true. Yes, it is. No, the city has

restored the Ogden Theater, Larimer Square, the old Molly Brown house.

But, you know, we need to have progress.

And we can't save everything. But look at how many people are out, sir.

Yeah, I see them.

But they're all going to be gone by January 1st.

Now, I want to wish you all the best of luck in your future endeavors, sir.

All right?

Nate, we got to go. We're running late.

Yeah, go ahead, Dad. I'll meet you back there.

Excuse me?

I'm going to stay here with Meg.

How's it going?

Great.

Everybody's in a holiday mood.

They're amazing.

I think you should join them for a song.

No, I couldn't.

There's so many people. Yeah, but they're all minding their own business.

Nobody's paying that much attention. It'll feel like a performance, but no

pressure.

Do you want to give it a try? Just one.

Yeah? Okay.

friend carrie sit in with you guys for our song yeah we love that come on

one

two three

Wow, she's amazing.

I know. Wait till the concert. She's going to blow everyone away.

Thank

you.

And thanks to the best music teacher in the world.

Who should come up and sing next?

Come on, Meg. Don't you have an original for us? I'm working on a few new

things, but they're not ready quite yet.

Carry on.

Concert to see if we can see Lane?

Merry Christmas.

Well, hello there.

Well, hello there.

What are you still doing down here?

I

didn't

want to go back to the office and get lectured to by my dad.

I get it.

You're writing a new song.

Well, I'm trying to.

Lately I feel like I'm getting all these ideas, but haven't really finished

anything for a long time now.

There's this melody that keeps playing around in my head, and I don't know.

It's time to go home.

I have a lot on my mind.

Well, let me...

Let me walk you.

I think I'd rather just be by myself.

That's okay.

Of course.

Thank you.

Thanks for sitting with me.

Ho,

ho, ho!

More toys!

Hey, let me give you a hand with that.

This is amazing.

Thank you so much.

We would have never been able to get everything wrapped.

Well, we're happy to help. Nate tells me that you are something of a gift

-wrapping whisperer.

Is that true? I'm terrible at this. I hope you'll help me. I will teach you

my secrets. But first, I hear there's the congratulations in order.

What? Why? You haven't heard.

The online version of tomorrow's Denver record just went live.

The print edition goes out in the morning.

Wow.

This is amazing.

They picked you as number one.

The street has music, nostalgia, themed Christmas trees, vintage Santa, and the

biggest heart in all of Denver.

Take a walk down memory lane at Riley's Music Store for some retro fun.

Savor the memories because this all might be gone soon.

Look, there's even a link to your concert page.

This is incredible.

How did this happen?

You made it happen.

And he took his blades off his skates and started shuffling around, falls

on his face.

I haven't seen my son laugh like that in ages.

You seem to bring out the joy in him when you're together.

Well, I think there's a lot of joy hiding in there.

His father used to be like that when we first met.

I heard about his visit down here.

When I get home, I'm going to talk to Edmund and show him that article.

See what I can do to help him bring back that love of Christmas he had.

Really? Yeah.

Thank you.

They're not still at work, are they? No, they live up there.

Above the shop?

Yeah.

Most of these buildings had apartments upstairs for the shopkeepers.

When I was a kid, the lane was filled with families who lived here.

So it was zoned for residential?

Mm -hmm.

What happened? The suburbs.

Back in the 1970s, nobody wanted to live downtown.

We had the shops, but no one to shop at them.

People are clamoring to move back to the city.

I'd live down here in a heartbeat.

What if we added housing to the plans?

Everyone's been so focused on office space, but what if we got people living

down here again?

It sounds like a great idea, but how would you convince your dad?

I'd have to revise the plans.

But the minute people are living here, you've got your shopping base.

Add offices and people can walk to work, dining, bars, markets.

I think this could work.

Thanks for walking me

back.

Of course.

You're...

You're an extraordinary person, Meg.

Getting to know you has been the greatest Christmas gift I could have

for.

I know what you want for Christmas.

And I'm not giving up.

I had a guitar tonight.

Me too.

Oh, hey, Dad.

Hey, what's up? You wanted to see me? Yeah.

I figured out a way to make Christmas Tree Lane more profitable.

With a mixed -use project, we can expect either double or triple the per square

foot income.

I remember being your age.

Challenging authority.

That's the beauty of youth.

But I'm proud of your initiative.

Well, I'm glad.

Because I'm putting a proposal together for the board.

Full set of plans. I have Dean doing a cost analysis for me right now.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Nate, that street has been a retail failure for years.

How is it going to support offices and housing?

I mean, it's a waste of time.

Well, not to me, Dad, and definitely not to the shop owners of Christmas Tree

Lane. Put me on the agenda before people leave for the holidays.

You won't be disappointed.

Good? Miss Riley.

Meg.

Do you mind if I join you?

Oh, of course.

You have a sweet tooth just like your son. Well, where do you think he got it

from?

Oh, I learned my manners. Enjoyed one.

You know what?

I absolutely would. Thank you.

Nobody makes Christmas kolakis like Mrs. Kaminsky.

You know Mrs. Kaminsky?

No, no. I knew her mother.

So you used to come to Christmas tree laying?

Mm -hmm.

Well, I remember the Christmas windows, the lights on the old gas lights.

Most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

Well, Mr. Williams, with all due respect, why don't you help us save it?

Those were the old days. At least come to our Christmas Eve concert. Christmas

Eve is too late, Meg. We vote tomorrow.

Listen, I really got to get going.

Merry Christmas, man.

I'm so sorry I'm late.

I can't wait to hear about this conversation you had with my dad.

Well, we kind of bonded over Christmas tree lane, if you can imagine that.

Wow.

My dad talks about the path basically never.

So something must have gotten to him. I think it was when he spent time down

here the other day.

I know it sounds crazy, but I think he has a soft spot in his heart for this

street.

Okay, go on. A guy doesn't sneak down here in the middle of the work day to

a box of Christmas kolaches from his youth unless he's got more on his mind

the bottom line.

You're doing the presentation tomorrow. We don't have time to get the board to

come down here to see the Christmas Eve concert.

So we need to figure out a way to bring the spirit of Christmas tree lane to

them.

Merry Christmas!

Hi, Father John.

Hey, Father.

Amazing, Nick. Thank you. Thank you, man.

Okay, yeah. Pan around a little bit and watch.

So this is a day in the life.

One nutmeg Christmas blizzard coming right up.

That was my idea.

Whoa!

Another food cart?

It never used to come down here.

It's because Christmas Tree Lane is now the place to be.

Look at this selection.

For you.

Thank you.

This is a fantastic idea. We should do this next year for the open house.

Assuming we still have a house to open.

Oh, come on. Don't give up. This is far from over.

All right?

We're going to make this happen.

So what do you think I should get? White chocolate or milk hot chocolate?

Or maybe I can do a swirl.

You have the same exact expression as your father. You know that?

What do you mean?

When I saw him at the bakery.

It was like he was ten years old again.

He has a heart, Nate.

I saw it today. It's just a glimmer that it's in there.

What do you love more?

Singing or songwriting?

Actually, right now.

Seeing my students perform.

You know you can do all of that and still write your own songs.

I am so sorry. It's work.

I'll be right back, okay?

Ever since the Merchants Association has been planning events for the holiday

season, the street has seen an explosion of foot traffic.

I think that if we harness the energy, Christmas Tree Lane can become the

destination it once was.

So, uh... I know I went over some of the board.

You came up to me after the meeting. What about your dad?

The revised plans would trigger a new approval process for the city.

Well, that would be a good thing for us.

That would buy us more time.

It would cost a fortune to new plans and set the whole project back by at least

a year.

My father doesn't want to spend the money.

But this is just the first step, Meg. I know that if we lobby enough of the

board, I can challenge my father. I can't count on your father coming around

this point.

No, but I can help.

Nate, I know that you've tried your best. I know you've done everything you

But right now, I think the only hope we have is that people come together and

stand up for Christmas to claim.

Just like before we met.

But we did meet.

And everything changed.

We can't just let that go.

I'm sorry, but right now the only thing I can focus on is the concert.

It's our last chance.

And if that doesn't work?

Well then, I guess you'll have a lot of new buildings to design.

I have to call my dad. Thank you for everything, Nate.

Hey, Dad.

It's not good news.

Where is everybody?

I told them about the boy.

You've already shouldered too much of this as it is, and I didn't want you to

have to deliver any bad news.

Where's Nate?

It doesn't matter. He can't help us anymore.

But he matters to you, doesn't he? I can't even think about that anymore,

What I know is that I made a promise to everybody on Christmas Tree Lane, and I

failed. Are you kidding me?

You have succeeded beyond your wildest dreams.

How can you say that? Look around, honey.

You make family everywhere you go, just like your mother.

The lane hasn't felt like this in years. Have you ever seen so many smiles?

And I think that this experience...

As unpleasant as it's been, it's really helped you find your voice.

Sorry, Dad.

It's okay, sweetie.

Carol, where's Nate?

I don't know, sir. He left after the meeting without saying anything.

Hey.

Hi, sweetie.

Well, I tried.

I really did.

But Dad won and I lost.

I'm so sorry.

I know you did your best.

How's Meg doing?

I think I lost her, too.

I did.

I blew it, Mom.

I disappointed her in the most important thing in her life.

There's no coming back from that.

Will you be at the concert tomorrow night?

No, no. After everything that's gone on, I should probably just steer clear.

No, Nate. You need to be there.

Why?

Because she needs to know that even if Christmas Tree Lane won't be there for

her, that you will.

Samantha, you're runner -up.

Merry Christmas. Thank you, Father.

What's this?

We tallied up the votes from all the folks who came down to see the trees.

You won.

Merry Christmas.

If you love Christmas, this is the place to be on Christmas

Eve. Everyone coming together to save Christmas Tree Lane getting ready for

big concert tonight.

It is so much buzz and excitement at being here where you've got everyone

together and it's very successful.

They can bring Christmas back the way it used to be. The lights, the sound. Lots

of energy here.

Regina.

Hi. What are you doing down here?

Nate called me. I'm sorry about what happened.

You know he did everything he could.

Absolutely. And now it's just better for us to go it alone, like we did before.

Do you think this concert will do the trick?

Honestly, at this point, I don't know what to think. Well, I do.

And that's why I'm going to help you.

Pardon me?

Nick came to me a few days ago. He was worried that things wouldn't work out

with his dad.

And if that happens, he wanted you to have a backup plan.

That's me.

He called me this morning and asked me to come down here.

I could tell he was worried.

That's what he was meeting you about.

I thought you and Nate were... That ended a long time ago, Meg.

I'm lucky to have him as a friend.

I really appreciate the saucer, but there's no way that we could afford you.

know, but this is exactly the kind of work I do pro bono.

Why didn't Nate tell me he was talking to you about this? He was hoping he'd be

successful. He was...

Trying to protect you.

I know you two just met, but he cares about you, Meg.

Christmas Tree Lane brought you and Nate together.

Don't let it tear you apart.

Ready?

How are you holding up?

You got this. You are going to be so great.

Okay, first step. Let's make sure we're all on the same team.

I thought we were going to the party.

What's it all about, Lorraine?

I've never seen so many people down here.

How'd this all happen?

You know how.

Meg Riley.

Wow.

You look incredible.

Thank you.

Have you taken a look outside?

Not yet.

You've already made a difference.

To me, to everyone else, you're going to do great, Meg.

It's the season of miracles after all.

Thank you.

Good evening.

I'm Meg Riley, and this is the concert to save Christmas Tree Lane.

Thank you all so much for coming out tonight and showing your support.

Before we get started, I want to thank my father, whose love and support

has really kept my spirits high, especially over these last few weeks.

Thank you, Dad. I love you.

For over a hundred years, this is where Denver came to celebrate the

holidays.

As my mother used to say, when you have a shop on Christmas Tree Lane, you have

to live up to the name.

Christmas Tree Lane is more than just a street.

Christmas Tree Lane is about love and family.

And keeping the spirit of Christmas alive.

And that is exactly what we are going to do tonight.

I wasn't originally

planning to perform tonight.

But seeing you all out here, my heart is full.

I'm finally ready to sing my song.

Just enough these memories.

One more year gone by.

Face to face with meant to be.

The truth within your eyes.

And it's happened so unexpectedly.

Like the best things always do.

Lights in my heart are on again.

I think it's all because of you.

You are the peace I've been missing.

I couldn't have prayed I'd find.

You are the gift I've been wishing for. My hope on this

holy night.

In the glow of Christmas past Everything old feels new

again Please let this be our beginning And

Christmas

You pulled off the impossible.

The concert was incredible.

Not the concert, Nate.

You know, when I look around and see all this energy, all this goodwill, it

gives me pause.

You know, Meg is right.

Something very special lives here on Christmas Tree Lane.

And it wouldn't be right if we took that away.

Let's give it a try, okay?

You have... You have no idea how much that means to me, Dad.

Don't tell her, honey.

My tree!

I'll be good.

You're welcome.

You blew me away.

You blew everyone away.

I meant every word.

These gas slips.

Are you kidding me? How did you do that?

Call them a couple favors to the city.

What would you say if I told you they'd stay on permanently?

What do you mean?

My father wants to find a way to make this work.

Are you serious?

That's a miracle.

You're the miracle, Nick.

Knowing you has changed my life.

You have changed my life, too.

I can't even begin to imagine Christmas tree lane without

you by my side.

Well, you won't have to.

Because I'm not going anywhere.

Merry Christmas, Meg.

Merry Christmas, Pete.

You're a good listener. I know what it's like to need to talk to someone.

Are you just going to keep talking on the phone?

Hi. Hi.

Delivered by Christmas.

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