All events are subject to change. Please confirm with the event organizer before attending.
Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan | Ralphs Marina Pacifica, Long Beach
December 6: Snap photos with Santa, sip holiday Coca-Cola flavors, and drop a kindness postcard into the glowing Magic Post Box. FREE!
Christmas at the Beach | Beach City Provisions, Bolsa Chica
December 6: Watch Santa ride in on a jet ski, roast s’mores, enter a beach cleanup raffle, and enjoy a festive movie at sunset. FREE!
Winter in the Grove in Garden Grove
December 6: Play in the snow and ride the snow slides at Village Green Park. Make holiday crafts, shop handmade gifts, enjoy performances, treats, carnival games, holiday crafts, inflatable activities, and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus! FREE!
Illuminate Irvine at Great Park Palm Court Arts Complex
December 6: Ring in the season with winter-wonderland inspired activities and holiday music classics. The evening culminates with the lighting of the Holiday Tree and Palm Court Arts Complex. FREE!
Apollo Lighting at Columbia Memorial Space Center
December 6: Join the Columbia Memorial Space Center for a day of festive wonder and exploration!
Belmont Shore Christmas Parade in Long Beach
December 6: Enjoy the annual parade showcasing local business, schools, community groups, and more. Parade features 100 entries, including floats designed by Long Beach businesses and organizations.
Palos Verdes Peninsula Holiday Parade of Lights in Rolling Hills Estate
December 6: Come and enjoy holiday floats, marching bands, Santa and other community partners making their way through a brightly lit commercial area of Rolling Hills Estates.
LA Harbor Holiday Boat Parade
December 6: Annual boat parade showcasing a vibrant array of decorated boats and festive lights that stretch about one mile. FREE!
Ubefestmas | Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts
December 7: Snack, shop, and stroll through 70+ vendors at this free, ube-themed outdoor festival. FREE!
Hug & Groom Horses with Free Rein Foundation
FIRST SUNDAYS: Come learn, hug and groom rescue and therapy horses. You may meet playful mustangs, a feisty thoroughbred, or a big white mule.
Disney On Ice: Let’s Dance! | Honda Center, Anaheim
December 11-15: Dance with Mickey, relive your favorite Disney stories on ice, and join a festive sing-along preshow during this high-energy family show.
American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker
DECEMBER 11-21 - Celebrating its 10th season at Segerstrom Center, SoCal’s favorite holiday tradition returns with American Ballet Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of The Nutcracker. American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker is one of the great joys of the holiday season. Make a memory with your loved ones!
Annual Christmas Parade | City of Compton
December 13: See The Game lead Compton’s 70th annual parade, then enjoy a toy drive, bounce houses, and a Jon B performance at the community celebration that follows. FREE!
Holiday Posada | MOLAA, Long Beach
December 13: Make piñatas, enjoy cultural performances, and join the joyful Posada procession at AJUA’s festive holiday celebration.
Shoreline Yacht Club’s Christmas Boat Parade | Long Beach
December 13: Enjoy a boat parade with scenic views of the Long Beach waterfront. The viewing party held at Shoreline Village gives guests an ideal vantage point to take in the parade, marina and city lights with DJ, balloon twisters, holiday music, and snow at Shoreline Village.
Christmas Boat Parade & Ring of Lights in Newport Beach
December 17-21: Watch beautifully decorated yachts, boats, kayaks, and canoes sail along the harbor. View the parade from over 50 locations including Marina Park and Balboa Village Fun Zone.
Disney On Ice: Let’s Dance! | Crypto.com Arena, LA
December 18-21: Dance with Mickey, relive your favorite Disney stories on ice, and join a festive sing-along preshow during this high-energy family show.
Capistrano Lights at Mission San Juan Capistrano
DECEMBER 19-23 and 26-30: Join in the spirit this holiday season at the Mission for Capistrano Lights: Mission Lights! The beloved annual event returns with 10 days and nights of family fun. Enjoy a life-sized nativity, the stunning light tunnel with over 20,000 lights, Dickens Carolers, family crafts, sing-alongs during the tree lighting program, hot cocoa and S’mores, plus lots more. Santa will even be on hand for photos!
63rd Annual Cruise of Lights at Huntington Harbour
DECEMBER 19 - 23: The Huntington Harbour Philharmonic Committee Cruise of Lights® offers 50-minute narrated boat tours through the waterways of Huntington Harbour. See the beauty of thousands of lights and animated displays on brightly decorated homes, docks, decks and boats.
Holiday Express Train | Metrolink Stations
December 6-21: Start with crafts and treats at the station, then ride a sparkly holiday train with carolers, characters, and Santa onboard.
Nochebuena – A Christmas Spectacular at The Soraya
DECEMBER 20-22: A Christmas spectacular featuring Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles and Mariachi Pueblo Viejo with special guest Ximena Sariñana. The Soraya celebrates the 10th anniversary of this performance with an expanded schedule leading right into the holidays.
Public Star Party at the Griffith Observatory in LA
Nov 22 & Dec 20: Try dozens of telescopes and spot the Sun, Moon, and planets with help from local astronomers.
Holiday Snow Land | Balearic Park, Costa Mesa
December 20: Balearic Park turns into a winter wonderland with over 40 tons of snow. This time-honored tradition hosts over 1,000 people annually. FREE!
Polar Express Family Day | San Diego Railroad Museum
December 20: Watch the Polar Express, make holiday cards, ornaments, see Santa, and enjoy the exhibits!
Ultimate Ninja Winter Camp
December 22 – January 9: Looking for something amazing for your kids to do during Winter Break? Send them to Ultimate Ninjas, where kids ages 5-13 can learn to conquer Ninja Warrior style obstacle courses, just like on TV, and have a blast doing it! Half-day or full-day options.
Yuletide Cinemaland at the Heritage Square Museum in Los Angeles
December 6-23: Join Street Food Cinema for an immersive holiday experience featuring Victorian holiday home tours, food trucks, vendors, Santa appearances, photo ops, and your favorite holiday films under the stars.
Annual LA County Holiday Celebration | Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
December 24: Watch a diverse group of L.A.-based artists and community groups showcase their talent, artistry and traditions on The Music Center’s iconic Dorothy Chandler Pavilion stage. The three-hour live production features instrumental music, choral music and dance performances. FREE!
Holiday Sewing Workshops at Sewing Lab
DECEMBER 22 & 29 - Hands-on seasonal workshops for kids (ages 7 and up), each with a different project focus. The Holiday Pajama Workshop guides kids through making their own pair of pajamas, while the New Year’s Workshop focuses on creating a sweatshirt or pants. All sessions are beginner-friendly.
Rose Parade Viewing Party | Southern California Children’s Museum, Pasadena
January 1: Enjoy a prime view of the parade, continental breakfast, open museum play, and fun-themed crafts.
Floatfest: A Rose Parade Showcase in Pasadena
January 1-3: Experience this 2-mile showcase of Rose Parade floats and walk within a few feet of floats to appreciate the creativity and details of each display.
Disney On Ice: Let’s Dance! | Long Beach Arena
January 1-4: Dance with Mickey, relive your favorite Disney stories on ice, and join a festive sing-along preshow during this high-energy family show.
Oshogatsu Family Festival | Japanese American National Museum, LA
January 11: Make mochi, see candy art demonstrations, craft Year-of-the-Horse keepsakes, and enjoy a day of cultural performances at this free New Year festival. FREE!
Westerly School Community Tour | Long Beach
January 15: Tour the Westerly campus and experience their learning spaced during the school day!
Experience The Dream: MLK The Musical | Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts
January 16-18: Follow the moving love story of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King in a new musical that blends history, song, and powerful storytelling.
OCSA Connects Community Arts Festival | OCSA Campus, Santa Ana
January 17: This free, annual community festival, hosted on the campus of Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA), offers arts-minded children a full day of play! Kids (ages 5-11) and their families are invited to come take part in arts play areas and experiences while enjoying live performances by OCSA's talented students.
Martin Luther King Jr. Parade | Long Beach
Saturday, January 17: The parade kicks off at the intersection of MLK and Anaheim St., followed by a park celebration with performances, kid zone, food and merchandize vendors, and more. FREE!
The Peking Acrobats | CSULB Carpenter Center, Long Beach
January 17: Marvel at gravity-defying stunts and centuries-old acrobatic artistry with The Peking Acrobats.
Dancing in the Light: Healing with the Arts | Debbie Allen Dance Academy, LA
January 18: Take free dance classes, enjoy an aerial demo, and join a live sculpture talk at Debbie Allen Dance Academy’s MLK community celebration. FREE!
MLK Day Parade | Los Angeles
January 19: Celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King. FREE!
Dog Man: The Musical | Long Beach Terrace Theater
January 22: Cheer on Dog Man as he battles cyborg fish, Beasty Buildings, and one very evil cat in this musical made for giggle-loving kids.
Festival of Human Abilities at the Aquarium of the Pacific
January 24-25: Join the Aquarium of the Pacific for its annual Festival of Human Abilities, a celebration highlighting the creative talents and abilities of people with disabilities.
Westerly School Open House | Long Beach
January 24: Tour the Westerly campus and experience their learning spaced during the school day! FREE!
Weather Hunters ft. Al Roker | Natural History Museum, Los Angeles
January 24: Explore hands-on weather science, meet Weather Hunters characters, and catch special screenings with a Q&A featuring Al Roker.
LEGOLAND® Junior Galaxy Explorers | Kidspace Museum, Pasadena
January 30–31: Kids build LEGO spacecraft with a Master Model Builder and can enter a contest to be among the first riders of LEGOLAND’s new Galacticoaster.
Tanzanite African Acrobats | Irvine Barclay Theatre
January 31: Watch East African acrobats perform towering human pyramids, rhythmic drumming, and dazzling stunts in a high-energy cultural showcase.
Lunar New Year Festival in Monterey Park
January 31 - February 1: Enjoy a day celebrating the Lunar New Year with performers, delicious food, live entertainment, family activities, and more!
The Great Race: A Chinese New Year Adventure | Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa
January 31 & February 1: Join characters, Po Po and Kung Kung, as they celebrate Chinese New Year by making dumplings and sharing the story of The Great Race with their grandkids, Freddie and Ivy. The show weaves a family celebration with a re-telling of one of the most beloved tales in Chinese folklore - the origin story of the Chinese Zodiac.
DodgerFest | Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
January 31: Enjoy games, live music, player meet-and-greets, and a Dodgers memorabilia fundraiser supporting community programs. FREE!
San Diego Museum Month — Half-Off Admission to 70+ Museums
FEBRUARY 1-28: Enjoy half-off admission to more than 80 museums, gardens, aquariums, historic sites, nature and wildlife centers, state parks and more! It's the region's biggest month-long celebration of arts, culture, history, science, nature, and so much more.
Whale Fiesta | Cabrillo Aquarium, San Pedro
February 1: Celebrate the migration of the Pacific gray whale and the beginning of the whale watch season. It's a family day filled with activities and exhibits for all including games, arts and crafts, puppet shows, expert guest lecturers, and festive music.
Disclaimer: The Kidsguide team does their best to keep event details accurate at the time of posting, but information can change without notice! Be sure to double-check with the event organizer before heading out. Kidsguide is not responsible for any errors, omissions, or changes on our calendar—we’re just here to help you find the fun!
