There are tons of opportunities to get involved in activities in a city like LA. The weekend before Christmas is no exception. We have compiled a list of all the events to attend before the holidays and some that will lead into the New Year!
CHILL with the Queen Mary
Queen Mary, Long Beach
www.queenmary.com
Experience a lot of holiday fun at CHILL in the Queen Mary! The 38,000-square-foot ice park features ice skating, bumper boats, a zip line, shuffleboard, ice tubes, and more. Open every day until January 7, 2018. There are special opening times on Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Vacation in Disneyland
Disneyland, Anaheim
Holidayicerinkd Bäumenla.com
Slide across the ice on one of the best ice rinks in LA! Open until January 15, 2018, this rink is located in the middle of downtown LA and is surrounded by an impressive skyline.
Pershing Square ice rink
Pershing Square
Holidayicerinkd Bäumenla.com
The ice rink at Pershing Square is a favorite with Southland skaters who like to show their skills in front of moderate to large crowds and who love sliding on this particularly frozen ground. The temporary venue in downtown Los Angeles is open until January 15, 2018. So get your blades ready for quick and frenzied hour-long sessions on this popular ice rink (or rent it right away) that won’t disappoint even the most uncoordinated Ice Queen or Ice King. Open until January 15, 2018.
LA zoo lights
Griffith Park, Los Angeles
www.lazoolights.org
Take a 60-90 minute self-guided tour that includes animal-themed light displays, including 3D projectors, lasers, and thousands of LEDs, plus a water show, live reindeer, music and all new Wild Wonderland finals . Open until January 7th, 2018.
Enchanted: Forest of Light
Descanso Gardens, La Cañada Flintridge
www.descansogardens.org
This interactive nighttime experience provides a stunning display of the holiday colors as you stroll for a mile through some of the gardens’ most popular areas. Tickets have timed entry and must be purchased in advance. Open every day until January 7, 2018.
Drive through Christmas Tree Lane!
Altadena
www.christmastreelane.net
Christmas Tree Lane is one of Southern California’s most famous areas for vacation! The mile-long drive in Altadena features some of the best Christmas lights ever.
Take a stroll down Candy Cane Lane!
Several locations
It might not snow in Los Angeles, but there are plenty of light shows for families. One of the best types is Candy Cane Lane, which shows up in various cities around Los Angeles. Check out our full list of Candy Cane Lanes in Los Angeles
Venice Canals Holiday Lights Tour
1601 Main St.
Venice, CA 90291
The annual Venice Canals Holiday Lights Tour takes participants along the famous walkways that make up Abbot Kinney’s great vision from the turn of the century. The tour goes deeper than just showing the beautiful canals with seasonal lights. It’s a charming place to see Christmas lights lining the bridges.
ICE in downtown Santa Monica
1324 5th Street, Santa Monica
www.durbansm.com/ice
Located on the corner of 5th and Arizona in Santa Monica, the ICE offers 8,000 square feet of ice skating fun on an outdoor ice rink filled with Christmas lights. Open every day until January 15, 2018, but opening times vary depending on the date.
The ice rink in downtown Burbank
Corner of N 3rd St. and E Orange Grove Ave, Burbank
www.dtnbur.com
The outdoor ice rink offers not only skating, but also fundraising and special performances. Skaters of all ages who are turning the corner of North 3rd Street and East Orange Grove Avenue into a winter wonderland are welcome to participate and enjoy unlimited $ 10 worth of skating. You can also take part in ice stock sport and skating. Open every day until January 7, 2018.
Knott’s happy farm
Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park
www.knotts.com
Visitors to Knott’s Berry Farm can watch “snow” fall during the holiday season. Called Knott’s Merry Farm at this time, the theme park’s decorations, entertainment, and food transform into a festive atmosphere. Hear some Christmas carols from the Calico Carolers, a singing quartet dressed in Victorian attire, and attend the Holiday Ice Show with Snoopy and all of his friends and a team of talented ice skaters. And every night the ghost town is filled with gently falling snow and moving lights orchestrated to vacation music. Park entry starts at $ 49 when purchased online for a specific day. Experience the holiday fun until January 7th, 2018.
4th Friday on fourth street
Retro Row / 4th Street, Long Beach
www.4thstreetlongbeach.com
Fourth Friday on Long Beach’s Fourth Street turns shopping into a social sport and turns Retro Row into something of a block party. The event, which takes place on Friday, December 22, 2017, features live music, pop-up shops, food and drink specialties and themed events.
See life-size gingerbread houses!
Different places
There are several places in LA that you can see incredible life-size gingerbread houses! Beverly Wilshire has an 8 × 12 foot gingerbread house in the lobby made of wood but covered in gingerbread. To make so much gingerbread, head pastry chef Chris Ford started baking in August! The JW Marriot LA Live also has a great gingerbread house. Step into this life-size restaurant, which offers a bar and cocktail tastings every day from 4pm to 5pm. Anaheim’s Great Wolf Lodge has also created a giant gingerbread house. Weighing in at over 600 pounds, it has 50 pounds of icing and 135 pounds of candy!
See “The Nutcracker”
Long Beach Ballet, Long Beach
www.longbeachnutcracker.com
Experience this Christmas classic from December 22, 2017 to December 24, 2017 in Long Beach. It’s fun for the whole family. Tickets can be found here.
Long Beach Santa Crawl
Belmont Shore, Long Beach
www.facebook.com
The folks behind the Santa Crawl took the stress out of the holiday season and dressed like funny old St. Nick with the fun of traditional pub crawling on Saturday 23rd December 2017. Hopping from restaurants and watering holes along 2nd St. Drag, attendees will dawn boots, red velvet, and big white beards while enjoying themed specialty drinks and loads of holiday treats. Save your batter for the bar, this is a free event.
Lights on the display
3901 Longview Valley Rd
Sherman Oaks, CA.
www.lightsondisplay.com
Lights of Display runs until January 1, 2018 and features elaborate Christmas animatronic characters and an exciting light show with Christmas music. The show, which has been going on for years, is hosted by Mike Ziemkowski, who lives in Sherman Oaks. The display runs Monday to Friday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and on weekends from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
58th Annual LA County’s Holiday Celebration
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles
www.lacountyarts.org
For the 58th time, on December 24, 2017, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion will host an afternoon of performances ranging from traditional choirs to Dixieland blues ensembles. During the free, public afternoon, the Korean, Chinese, Mexican, Filipino and Cuban communities of Los Angeles will be represented with highlighted performances showcasing their own cultural celebration of the holiday season.
Experience Christmas Lights!
Several locations
From Beverly Hills, The Grove in West Hollywood, and Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena, there are plenty of places to see Christmas lights! Take a car ride with friends or family and experience the magic of this Christmas weekend! Los Angeles has multiple cities with special Christmas lights, or check out areas in our Orange County like the South Coast Plaza and the Irvine Spectrum Center!
Holiday Light Festival train ride
Griffith Park, Los Angeles
www.griffithparktrainrides.com
The festive one-mile train ride through Griffith Park is just $ 4 per person, and drivers will see tens of thousands of lights to get you in the holiday mood. The train ride can now be experienced until December 23, 2017 and from December 26 to 28, 2017.
The festival of lights
The Mission Inn on the river
www.missioninn.com
See over 400 animated characters and more than 4.5 million lights on display. The tasteful work of art is more than bright and bold, it is enough to shake everyone. It may be a drive for those outside of LA, but the sight is worth it. Nightly until January 6, 2018.
Matzo ball
The guest room in Hollywood
www.matzoball.org
Not into the Christmas thing? No problem! Head to Hollywood’s Spare Room on Christmas Eve (December 24, 2017) for one of the country’s biggest Jewish singles events!
Winterfest OK
OC Exhibition and Event Center, Costa Mesa
www.winterfestoc.com
Ride down Snowflake Summit, an eight-lane, 150-foot ice tube hill, slide over Southern California’s largest outdoor ice rink, or play in the snow that is freshly made daily at Winter Fest OC. The festival also features a carnival, visits from Santa Claus and his reindeer, tree lighting festivals, fireworks and falling snow, as well as a new maze of lights and live entertainment. There are bouncy castles and a petting zoo for the little ones, while teenagers no doubt gather to snap a selfie in “the world’s greatest ornament”. Indulge in seasonal treats like hot cocoa, craft beer, vacation-inspired cocktails, grilled dishes, and sweet treats. Groups can rent private cabanas or walk the grounds to be captivated by the vacation spirit. Admission starts at $ 10, with additional fees for ice skating, food, carnival games, and rides. Open during the holidays and until January 7th, 2018.
Winter Wonderfest
Discovery Cube, Santa Ana
www.discoverycube.org
Hop on an inflatable tube to see if you’re sliding faster at the beginning or the end of the snow-covered 75-foot ramp, as mass, speed, and friction come together as factors. Then tap your imagination to build a snowman or snow castle, or just explore the features of this frosty fluff in the play area. There are lots of fun events for kids!
Christmas Eve dinner in Los Angeles
Several locations
With all of these fun Christmas activities going on, you’re likely to have an appetite! If you want to celebrate Christmas Eve dinner outside the home, you’re in luck! There are several incredible restaurants that offer special menus.
Christmas Eve dinner in Orange County
Several locations
Restaurants in the Orange County area help residents and visitors get excited about the holidays by offering special menus on Christmas Eve! Head to our list of the best Orange County restaurants serving Christmas Eve dinner for ideas!
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