Downtown San Bruno's Two Plazas Are Finished, and the Tree Lighting Is the First Night to See Both

This fall, the City of San Bruno finished work at both ends of its downtown. At the Caltrain end, Posy Park has its fountain running again, a restored centennial mosaic and a new sculpture. At the other end, Centennial Plaza has a mural covering one of the two walls that frame it. On Tuesday, December 1, the City's annual Holiday Tree Lighting comes to Centennial Plaza. It will be the first holiday gathering with both spaces finished.

Both spaces have been around for years, and the new art in each went through a public selection process in 2026 before it went up.

The station end got its fountain back

The City's September announcement on Posy Park calls the park, near the San Bruno Caltrain station, "a key gateway into the City's downtown shopping area." If you've used the station for years, the biggest change is the fountain. The City says the fountain had been dormant for a long time. The repair took new pumps and waterproofing, plus work with Caltrain to fix system problems that had dragged on for years. The City says the goal was a fountain that keeps working well into the future.

The rest of the park got attention too:

• New landscaping, plus benches, seating, trash receptacles and planters
• A full repair and cleaning of the City's centennial mosaic by artist Rita Soyfertis
• A new public sculpture by Maxwell Emcays

The money came from a grant by the San Bruno Community Foundation and from San Mateo County Measure K funds. The City describes Posy Park as one piece of a multi-year Downtown Beautification Project. Calling it multi-year matters, because it means the park is one finished stage of a longer downtown plan.

The sculpture was picked in public

The City Council reviewed the Posy Park sculpture at a February 10, 2026 special meeting study session. The packet lists Maxwell Emcays's proposal under the title "Pulse of Connection." The scoring tables show it ranked first overall among the finalists. According to the City, the winning design came from dozens of qualified proposals, and the choice went through commission review and community engagement.

That process is why the sculpture sits in the park now, seven months after the study session. It also set the pattern for the second piece of new art downtown.

The plaza end got a wall of color

In spring 2026, the City and the San Bruno Culture and Arts Commission put out an open call to artists for Centennial Plaza. They chose Jesse Melanson, a Truckee-based muralist who works professionally as JMEL and whose large murals appear in communities across the country.

He painted for three weeks in October. The City announced the finished work on October 29. The mural is called "Blooming Together," and it covers the south-facing wall of 474 San Mateo Avenue. You can see it from the plaza, from the walkways nearby and from San Mateo Avenue itself. It's painted in Melanson's signature low-polygon style, meaning bold color broken into abstract geometric shapes.

In the City's announcement of the mural, Melanson said San Bruno's role as "both a connected urban hub and gateway to nature" inspired the design. He said the mural "aims to create an uplifting and memorable landmark that celebrates San Bruno's identity while encouraging joy, curiosity, and human connection."

Community Services Director Travis Karlen described the plaza this way in the same announcement:

"Centennial Plaza is where our community comes together, and this mural adds a rich story and a vibrant sense of place."

The City notes that Centennial Plaza hosts community events, cultural celebrations and everyday gatherings all year. The mural's timing is what makes this season different. It was finished about a month before the plaza's biggest night of the year.

December 1, on a Tuesday evening

According to the City's event listing, the Holiday Tree Lighting runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, December 1, at Centennial Plaza, 470 San Mateo Avenue. The tree lighting ceremony starts at 5 p.m., with live music and holiday activities. Then, at about 6 p.m., Santa rides a fire truck through San Bruno for Jingle Around the Block.

The 5 p.m. start matters for a weeknight event. Anyone getting off Caltrain after work can walk from Posy Park to the plaza along the downtown stretch the City has been fixing up, and arrive in time for the lighting or for Santa's 6 p.m. departure.

Here's the rest of the City's holiday-season calendar:

For the coat drive, you can drop off coats at five City locations:

• San Bruno City Hall, 567 El Camino Real
• San Bruno Police Department, 1177 Huntington Avenue E
• San Bruno Fire Department, 555 El Camino Real
• San Bruno Library, 701 Angus Avenue W
• San Bruno Recreation and Aquatic Center, 251 City Park Way

The coat drive ends less than three weeks before the tree lighting. If you're clearing out closets ahead of the holidays, a coat you drop off by November 13 goes toward keeping someone warm this winter.

A bakery a few doors from the plaza

A walk downtown doesn't have to end at the tree. Padoca Brazilian Bakery is at 445 San Mateo Avenue, a few street numbers from the plaza's 470 address. Palo Alto Online reported that it opened on May 23 with classic Brazilian breads and cakes, including pão de queijo and bolo de rolo, served amid tropical decor.

The same Palo Alto Online story explains that "padoca" is slang for a neighborhood bakery in Brazil, where owners Pedro and Germana Brandao, both Belmont residents, grew up. Pedro Brandao told the outlet that while California has cafes and small shops selling Brazilian treats, Padoca is the state's first Brazilian bakery. Photos from the opening coverage show bolo de cenoura, cheese coconut bread, strawberry-filled brigadeiro and a Brazilian cappuccino on the counter.

On December 1, the tree goes up in front of a mural that wasn't there in September, and Caltrain riders will step off at the other end of downtown next to a working fountain.

Michael Soon grew up on San Francisco's west side, and part of Michael Soon's work on the Peninsula is keeping up with changes like these in places such as downtown San Bruno. If you'd like to talk about how projects around San Mateo Avenue figure into your plans for a home here, schedule a free neighborhood consultation in English, Mandarin or Cantonese.