All events are subject to change. Please confirm with the event organizer before attending.
The Nutcracker at the Irvine Barclay Theatre
DECEMBER 6-24: A cherished holiday classic, perfect for all ages. Festival Ballet Theatre’s family-friendly breathtaking production features superb colorful scenery and dazzling costumes, which make this age-old tradition sparkle like new. Create holiday memories for your family by sharing the magic of The Nutcracker.
Holidayfest at South Lake Avenue
December 6: Enjoy live music, holidays activities, in-store promotions, raffles, free photos with Santa and holiday character, holiday airbrush, cookie and ornament decorating, and more. FREE!
Family Hike at Black Star Canyon | Irvine Ranch Open Space
March–April (Saturdays): Take a guided 3–4 mile family hike along a flat canyon trail with wildlife spotting and interpretive stops. Registration may be required.
Nutcracker for Kids at Segerstrom Center for the Arts
December 6: 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 6: Play in real snow, make festive crafts, enjoy Santa’s procession, and explore holiday fun stretching from Del Mar to the Community Center. FREE-ish!
Holidays by the Sea in San Pedro
December 6: Festivities include snow play, crafts, live entertainment like San Pedro Ballet & marionettes, a Christmas Tree lighting in front of the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, and holiday boat parade. FREE!
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.
Tree Lighting & Fireworks Show in Fountain Valley
December 6: Kick off the holiday season with a friend from the North Pole, snow zone, tree lighting, and fireworks. FREE!
Tree Lighting Ceremony | Santa Fe Springs
December 6: Play in real snow, make holiday crafts, enjoy live performances, and snap a Santa photo during this festive evening celebration. FREE!
Holiday Junior Aviator’s Day & Santa Fly-In | Planes of Fame Air Museum, Chino
December 6: See Santa land in a vintage biplane, watch a P-38 Lightning take flight, and explore hands-on aviation workshops during this all-day holiday adventure.
Cars & Creations By The Sea | Huntington Beach State Park
December 6: Browse vendors, see the car show, meet Santa and a blue pup character, and check out the dog adoption area at this beachside community event.
Boat Ride with Santa at the Dana Wharf
December 6-7: Take a boat ride with Santa this holiday season around Dana Point Harbor! Tickets are $6 per person.
A Victorian Celebration | LA Arboretum
December 6-7 & 13-14: Shop a Victorian marketplace, meet Santa, enjoy dancers and carolers, and explore festive crafts inside the Arboretum’s historic holiday setting.
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.
A Very Sherman Holiday | Sherman Library & Gardens, Corona del Mar
December 6-7: Enjoy handcrafted shopping, Santa photos, festive treats, live music, and Sherman holiday traditions during this new daytime celebration at Sherman Library & Gardens.
All About Santa | Santa Monica Playhouse
December 6-14: Help save the North Pole in a lively, interactive musical filled with elves, villains, inventions, and holiday cheer.
A Christmas Carol at Long Beach Playhouse
December 6-21 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 6-21: Aquarium Holidays features festive décor, photo ops, Kwanzaa display, and meet Surfer Santa on the weekends!
A Snow White Christmas – A Holiday Spectacular at Laguna Playhouse
DECEMBER 6-28 - Selected dates. This season, experience the joy of A Snow White Christmas, a magical panto from the Lythgoe Family! With pop hits from Lady Gaga to Bruno Mars, hilarious audience interaction, and dazzling dancing, it’s a festive treat for all ages. Cheer for Snow White, and boo the wicked Queen in a show bursting with non-stop laughs, sparkle, slapstick, and singalong fun.
Gingerbread Wonderland | Discovery Cube Orange County
December 6-January 4: Celebrate the season with an immersive gingerbread village, sleigh theater, sing-alongs, arcade-style challenges, and a towering indoor toboggan slide.
King Tide Watch | Roundhouse Aquarium, Manhattan Beach
December 6: Observe one of the year’s highest tides, take photos for a community science project, and learn about coastal changes during this King Tide Watch. FREE!
Snow Festival & Breakfast with Santa | Arcadia Community Center
December 6: Enjoy free snow play, crafts, games, and a ticketed Breakfast with Santa at Arcadia’s Snow Festival. FREE!
Santa’s Big Day at Citadel Outlets
December 6: 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. FREE-ish!
Skate with Santa | Irvine Spectrum
December 6: Enjoy an enchanting morning and skate with Santa!
Tree Lighting & Holiday Bazaar | Crystal Cove
December 6: Visit Crystal Cove for artisan shopping, Santa photos, and the annual tree lighting during this community holiday event.
La Habra Tamale Festival
December 6: 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. FREE!
Power of the Arts Festival | Discovery Cube Los Angeles
December 6-7: Build festive crafts, explore interactive exhibits, and catch a live concert from Tom Kenny of SpongeBob fame.
Santa’s Sleigh Day | Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts
December 6: Meet Santa when he arrives by sleigh, enjoy crafts and performances, and spend a festive afternoon at the Cerritos Center.
Civil War Christmas | Drum Barracks, Wilmington
December 6: Walk through the museum, enjoy educational displays, horse-drawn trolley ride, soldier camp, children's craft, holiday decorations, and more. FREE!
Western Wonderland Holiday Extravaganza | The Autry, LA
December 6: Build snowmen, bounce through holiday playlands, craft ornaments, and meet Santa during this snowy Western celebration.
Holiday Spectacular | The Shops at Rossmoor, Seal Beach
December 6: Make holiday crafts, snap photos with Santa, and enjoy a live dance performance during this festive community celebration. FREE!
Santa’s Arrival Celebration | Lido Marina Village, Newport Beach
December 6: See Santa sail in by boat and enjoy live music, treats, crafts, and festive character visits by the water. FREE!
The Holidays at the District in Tustin
December 6: Enjoy holiday activities, including free photos with Santa, seasonal crafts for kids and interactive family activities to create joyful holiday memories together. FREE!
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!
Victorian Christmas | Banning Museum, Wilmington
December 6: Celebrate the holidays with a horse-drawn carriage ride, a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, family crafts, caroling, Victorian dancers and, a walk-through of the decorated Banning Mansion.
Montana Avenue Holiday Walk | Montana Avenue, Santa Monica
December 6: Race between Santa photos, train rides, live jazz, character meet-and-greets, and a brand-new tree lighting. FREE!
La Pastorela: A Mexican Christmastime Tradition at Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum
December 6: See the La Pastorela Christmas play put on by the CSUDH Teatro Department. Kick off the Christmas festivities with oriejas and champurrado as you watch the play in the museum's historic veranda.
Holiday Bash with Santa & Gingerbread Girl | SteelCraft, Long Beach
December 6: Meet Santa, make crafts, enjoy live music, and experience surprise snow at SteelCraft’s Holiday Bash. FREE!
Musique Sur La Mer-ry Holiday Concert | Shoreline Village, Long Beach
December 6: Hear live holiday music from local youth orchestras and mariachi performers at a cheerful waterfront concert. FREE!
Jolly Holiday at the Promenade at Downey
December 6: Kick-off the holiday season with kid's activities, music, restaurant booth, photo opportunities, Santa and the Grinch, magical snowfall, and more. 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!
Winter Wonderland | City Hall, Gardena
December 6: Enjoy snow play, crafts, shopping, and a festive tree lighting at Gardena’s Winter Wonderland. 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!
Winter Wonderland | Montebello City Hall
December 6: Race down snow slides, glide on the rink, meet Santa, and watch the evening light up at the 7 p.m. tree lighting. FREE!
Apollo Lighting at Columbia Memorial Space Center
December 6: Join the Columbia Memorial Space Center for a day of festive wonder and exploration!
Winter Wonderland St. Isidore Historical Plaza, Los Alamitos
December 6: Kick off the holidays with with free snow play and ice skating! Enjoy for musical performances, snow sledding, tree lighting, and Santa's Village. FREE!
Tree Lighting Celebration | Historic Town Center Park, San Juan Capistrano
December 6: Enjoy pre-show entertainment, a holiday production, the tree lighting, and evening activities throughout the Los Rios District during this annual celebration. FREE!
Holiday on Main | Main Street, Yorba Linda
December 6: Enjoy photos with Santa, crafts, vendors, and a festive tree lighting on Main Street in Yorba Linda. FREE!
Tree Lighting | Laguna Niguel
December 6: The City of Laguna Niguel hosts their annual tree lighting with an evening full of games, crafts, performances, meet and greets, cookie decorating, and a visit from Santa. FREE!
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!
