Flights owner Alexander Hult and his team of merry elves have devised a way to generate money for laid-off staff at local restaurants while providing a much-needed distraction for the community.

The Christmas drive-through market in the parking lot next to Flights was also spurred by the idea that families needed something to do before they headed to Vasona Lake County Park to take in the Fantasy of Lights display. Hult partnered with local Los Gatos businesses and the Kiwanis chapter to erect and decorate the drive-through market with Christmas trees, festive ornaments, stockings, twinkling lights and holiday music.

“This is a tough holiday for so many,” Hult said, “but especially for the restaurant workers who just got laid off due to the lockdown. We’re asking all the local restaurants to nominate their staff members who are most in need. Our goal is to provide them with a really nice gift of cash on Christmas Eve so they can have a merry Christmas.”

To that end, the market features a hot cocoa bar with all manner of add-ons, including multicolor mint sprinkles, marshmallows, nonpareils, and whole and crushed candy canes. Kids’ hot cocoa starts at $5, adults at $10, with a choice of marshmallow snowman or gingerbread house add-ons made by The Pastaria for $4 and $10, respectively. Adults can add booze like rum or whiskey for $6.

Adults can also pick up cocktails to go, and there are plenty of sweets for the younger set.

Flights is offering hot takeout items, Centonove is selling cannoli, and local restaurants are offering a whole host of other goodies. Los Gatos retailers are selling gift items, and Mary Guercio of Out of the Envelope has relocated her annual gift-wrapping operation to the market.

Christmas trees will be available for sale, along with custom wreaths and other décor. There will also be essential items like eggs, cheese, butter, milk, bleach and this year’s hot gift item—toilet paper—along with wine, vodka, gin and rum for $30 per bottle.

Hult said his “Feed the Need” effort raised $140,000 to help feed restaurant workers during the first phase of the lockdown in March, and he’d like to surpass that amount with the Christmas market.

The market is slated to open at noon daily through Christmas Eve next to Flights at 165 Los Gatos-Saratoga Road, Los Gatos.