All events are subject to change. Please confirm with the event organizer before attending.
Santa’s Jolly Trolley in Dana Point
NOVEMBER 30: Santa and his elves from the Recreation Division will be riding on his Jolly Trolley and making stops at parks throughout Dana Point to hand out pre-packaged treats for kids up to 12 years of age.
Yuletide Cinemaland at the Heritage Square Museum in Los Angeles
NOVEMBER 30 - DECEMBER 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.
Bob Baker’s Nutcracker – Marionette Adaptation in Sierra Madre
NOVEMBER 30 - JANUARY 5: Enjoy a marionette adaptation of the ballet classic. It's Bob's most beloved holiday show since its opening in 1969.
Holiday Carnival & Santa’s Helicopter Arrival in Norwalk
NOVEMBER 30: Kick off the holiday season with Santa arriving in style in a helicopter, snow sledding, pony rides, holiday crafts like cookie decorating, face paining and more.
La Plaza Park Tree Lighting in Dana Point
NOVEMBER 30: Santa and his elves will be arriving at La Plaza Park on his Jolly Trolley to hand out pre-packaged treats for children up to 12 years old. The event features carolers, hot chocolate, cookies, and the annual tree lighting at 5:15pm.
Multicultural Holiday Events at Pretend City in Irvine
DECEMBER 1-31: Celebrate the magic of the holidays all month long at Pretend City. Engage in fun holiday traditions from around the world. Las Posadas (12/18), Hanukkah (12/26), Kwanzaa (12/27)
International Winter Holidays at Bowers Museum
DECEMBER 1: Around the world music, dance and art bring joy to families gathering to celebrate this special time of the year and performances from The Klezmer Juice Band, Mariachi Anacatlan, and Amati Strings. This free family festival includes complimentary face painting, art projects, live performances, and more.
Holiday Carnival at the Anaheim Town Square
DECEMBER 1: Kick off the holiday season with Santa arriving in style in a red convertible, snow sledding, pony rides, holiday crafts like cookie decorating, face paining and more.
Hollywood Christmas Parade
DECEMBER 1: The annual Hollywood Christmas parade will feature Hollywood celebrities, award-wining marching bands and dance groups from around the country, dazzling equestrians, larger-than-life character balloons, colorful floats and humorous specialty acts. The parade culminates with the appearance of the Jolly Old Elf himself, Santa Claus and his reindeer, ushering in the holiday season!
Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Cerritos Civic Center
DECEMBER 2: Enjoy craft activity for children, entertainment, performances, and photos ops with Santa
Irish Christmas in America at Garry Marshall Theatre in Burbank
DECEMBER 2: This family-friendly performance features lively instrumental tunes on fiddle, flute, uilleann pipes and harp, along with thrilling Irish old-style dancing.
Holiday Tree Lighting at Terrace Plaza in Long Beach
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4: Celebrate the holiday season with a 67-foot tall Christmas tree and more than 500,000 lights illuminating the Terrace Plaza. Festive activities include, live music, food, photo ops with Santa, train ride, and fireworks show!
Narrated Nutcracker at Central Library in Huntington Beach
DECEMBER 5 and 13: Festival Ballet Theatre’s lavish 45-minute, narrated rendition of The Nutcracker is specially designed to introduce young children to the beauty of classical ballet and music.
Rancho Voices: A Holiday Celebration at the Rancho Los Alamitos in Long Beach
DECEMBER 5-6: Tour the Ranch House decked for a 1920s holiday party. Docents will be stationed in the house to call out special stories past holiday parties and answer questions. Explore our grounds to listen to stories about the ranch workers’ experiences during their time there in the early to mid-1900s.
Debbie Allen’s Hot Chocolate Nutcracker in Redondo Beach
DECEMBER 5-8: Debbie Allen has taken the ballet classic and given it fresh, new context with lively characters, new music by industry legends, diverse choreography, spectacular aerial arts and state-of-the-art projection to create an immersive, vibrant and memorable theater experience for all ages.
Cal Heights Neighborhood Tree Lighting in Long Beach
DECEMBER 5: Start the holiday season off with a tree lighting followed by holiday activities like snow play area, story time with Santa, cookie decorating, holiday crafts, photo ops, holiday treats and drinks, and more from local businesses!
All is Bright Holiday Celebration & Tree Lighting Ceremony in Aliso Viejo
DECEMBER 5: Enjoy holiday cheer, train rides, ornament making, community and aerial performances, snow fall, and a visit from Santa Claus as the 22-foot tree is lit at the Aliso Viejo Town Center Fountain and Amphitheater.
Christmas Tree Lighting at Buena Park City Hall
DECEMBER 6: The Annual Christmas Tree Lighting will feature entertainment, local school performances, festivities, and even a visit from Santa Claus himself!
Christmas Car Wash at Carwood Express Car Wash in Lakewood
WEEKENDS, DECEMBER 6-31: A holiday adventure awaits at this interactive car wash! Complete with holiday characters, Santa photo ops, festive riddles, and lots of fun.
Dana Point Harbor Holiday Lights Cruises in Dana Point
DECEMBER 6-7 & 20-21: Take a 60 minute boat ride and get a panoramic view of the beautiful harbor all dressed up for the season.
A Christmas Carol at Rose Center Theater in Westminster
DECEMBER 6-8 and 20-22: A Broadway-style musical adaptation brings to life the unforgettable story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly old man forced to confront his past, present, and future by a trio of ghostly visitations.
Candlelight Walk at Heritage Hill Historical Park in Lake Forest
DECEMBER 6-8: Enjoy an evening stroll through the decorated grounds as well as live musical performances, holiday crafts for kids and a visit with Santa Claus!
Dr. Suess’s The Cat in the Hat at The Phantom Projects Theater at La Habra Depot
DECEMBER 6-15: Based on the childhood classic, Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat brings everything you loved about the book, directly to the stage!
Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas at Chance Theater in Anaheim
DECEMBER 6-22: Ooh, la la! This year, Nancy is especially excited. After selling some of her old gowns and accessories, she has enough money to buy a brand-new sparkly tree topper. But when things don’t turn out the way Nancy planned, does Christmas still stand a chance of being splendiferous?
Breakfast with Santa at Newport Coast Community Center in Newport Beach
DECEMBER 6: Your little ones will be treated to a tasty breakfast along with crafts, train rides, a bouncer, and of course, a photo with Santa!
Lakewood Tree Lighting
DECEMBER 6: Activities include lots of falling snow, holiday musical entertainment, holiday photo ops, costumed characters, and food trucks.
Winter Wonderland & Holiday Tree Lighting at Artesia Park
DECEMBER 6: Join the Holiday Tree Lighting at 5pm and stay for a night of kids performances and holiday fun with 15 tons of snow.
Nights of 1000 Lights at the Sherman Library & Gardens in Corona Del Mar
WEEKENDS, DECEMBER 6-22: Stroll through the Gardens this holiday season and experience this year's theme of "CELEBRATE 10 Years of Nights of 1000 Lights", featuring their best installations from the past for another festive year of favorites.
Tree Lighting at Laguna Hills Community Center
DECEMBER 6: Kick off the holiday season with an evening of festive lights, carolers, refreshments, crafts, and a visit from Santa.
Merry-Achi Christmas at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts
DECEMBER 6-8: The annual tradition Merry-Achi Christmas returns to Cerritos in a colorful Mexican holiday celebration filled with seasonal songs, dance, and festive merriment.
Capistrano Lights at Mission San Juan Capistrano
DECEMBER 7-29: Enjoy performances by Dickens-era Carolers and take selfies with Santa. Visit the Serra Chapel open after hours, California’s most historic chapel. Enjoy the Mission in lights, community Christmas trees around the grounds, extended holiday shopping hours in the Mission Store and more. Kids craft vendor and sweet treat vendor will be available on select days as well as surprise performances.
Holidayfest at South Lake Avenue
DECEMBER 7: Enjoy live music, holidays activities, in-store promotions, raffles, free photos with Santa and holiday character, holiday airbrush, cookie and ornament decorating, and more.
Nutcracker for Kids at Segerstrom Center for the Arts
DECEMBER 7: See Tchaikovsky’s Christmas ballet performed in a condensed version created just for kids! This concert finishes with a visit from Santa and annual holiday sing-along.
Santa’s Village by the Sea in Downtown San Clemente
DECEMBER 7: More details to come!
Holidays by the Sea in San Pedro
DECEMBER 7: Festivities include a holiday market, crafts, live entertainment and Christmas Tree lighting in front of the Los Angeles Maritime Musuem.
Tree Lighting & Fireworks Show in Fountain Valley
DECEMBER 7: Kick off the holiday season with a friend from the North Pole, snow zone, tree lighting, and fireworks.
Kidz Bop Tour at the Youtube Theater in Inglewood
DECEMBER 7: Make memories that will last a lifetime at the ultimate pop concert for kids, and their grown-ups too. Sing and dance along as the KIDZ BOP Kids perform your favorite songs like “Espresso”, “greedy”, “Lil Boo Thang” and more, on stage.
Tree Lighting Ceremony at Town Center Plaza in Santa Fe Springs
DECEMBER 7: Enjoy snow sledding, crafts, photos with Santa, live performances, food vendors and more.
Nochebuena: A Christmas Spectacular at the Soraya Nazarian Center in Northridge
DECEMBER 7-8: This vibrant holiday show returns with vocalist Camila Fernández, granddaughter of legendary Vicente Fernández. Enjoy The Soraya’s ninth edition of the beloved Mariachi-infused holiday performance that celebrates Mexico’s many vibrant regions. This year, Mariachi Pueblo Viejo joins Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles to bring music, dance, and traditional costumes to life!
Boat Ride with Santa at the Dana Wharf
DECEMBER 7-8: Take a boat ride with Santa this holiday season around Dana Point Harbor! Tickets are $5 per person.
Old-Fashioned Holiday: A Victorian Celebration at LA Arboretum
DECEMBER 7-8 & 14-15: Enjoy an old-fashioned Victorian celebration at the Arboretum's treasured Queen Anne Cottage (built in 1885). Enjoy crafts, carolers, Victorian dancers, holiday market, food trucks, and cozy cocktails.
Santa Float in Santa Fe Springs
DECEMBER 7 - 21: Enjoy jingling bells, holiday carols, Santa's famous "Ho, ho, ho" echoing in the neighborhood, and take a photo with Santa for $2. See program calendar for float location.
A Christmas Carol at Long Beach Playhouse
DECEMBER 7-22: In this quick-paced, highly theatrical retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic tale, the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future show Ebenezer Scrooge the poverty of his material wealth and the blessings that come with generosity.
Aquarium Holidays at Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach
DECEMBER 7-22: Aquarium Holidays features festive décor, photo ops, Kwanzaa display, and meet Surfer Santa on the weekends!
Santa’s Big Day at Citadel Outlets
DECEMBER 7: Get ready for a day filled with festive cheer and joyful celebrations at Citadel Outlets' Santa's Big Day Event. It's the perfect way to kick off the holiday season and create unforgettable memories with family and friends.
Breakfast with Santa at 2nd and PCH
DECEMBER 7 & 14: Start the day with a festive breakfast at Noble Rotisserie featuring a special visit from Santa.
Skate with Santa at Irvine Spectrum
DECEMBER 7: Enjoy an enchanting morning and skate with Santa!
La Habra Tamale Festival
DECEMBER 7: Enjoy live entertainment on three stages, tamales, food vendors, retail vendors, children's play activities, holiday tree lighting, and fireworks show. This annual event draws in about 10,000 attendees every year.
Holiday Spectacular at Anaheim Hills Festival
DECEMBER 7: Enjoy crafts for the kids, face painting, and pictures with Santa in Anaheim Hills!
Civil War Christmas at Drum Barracks in Wilmington
DECEMBER 7: Walk through the museum, enjoy educational displays, horse-drawn trolley ride, soldier camp, children's craft, holiday decorations, and more.
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!
