The best Christmas events in Los Angeles

Stroll through a garden illuminated by celestial-inspired lights during this year-end event at South Coast Botanic Garden. There’s admittedly nothing Christmassy nor even wintry about this hour-long Palos Verdes trail, yet its nine stellar installations are the most cosmically mesmerizing of the budding after-dark botanical garden shows that’ve come to blanket L.A. toward the end of the year.

The annual L.A. Kings ice skating rink once again returns to L.A. Live. Skate around the dazzling Christmas tree that stands in the middle of the outdoor rink, and take in an LED holiday light show on the huge screens around the plaza. Choose from four nightly skating sessions. Note: Tickets, which include skate rental, are only sold on-site, and can’t be purchased online.

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Nope, that’s not some sort of catastrophic explosion in the center of the city—that sound’s just the arrival of Christmas at the Grove. Brace yourself: L.A.’s shopping mall metropolis lights up its Christmas tree with fireworks and a slew of special guests, including Santa himself (may we humbly suggest that you ask Santa this year for a prime spot in that mammoth parking garage). Lance Bass hosts this year’s show. Stick around for the fireworks finale (and we’ll reiterate that, yep, anxious Angelenos, those are indeed fireworks that you’re hearing on November 25).

Located just blocks from the ocean, Ice in downtown Santa Monica brings a bit of winter to the comfortable coastal city. The 8,000-square-foot outdoor rink runs daily from November to mid-January on the corner of Fifth Street and Arizona Avenue (less than a 10-minute walk from the E Line). Tickets for an hour-long slot ($22) include skate rentals, and you can book private parties and cabanas if you’re looking for something a bit more premium. Look out for treats for sale, plus themed nights on Wednesdays.

One of the best small-business shopping events in the country, the biannual Unique World—which recently rebranded from Unique Markets and is celebrating 15 years of pop-ups—features clothes, accessories, wellness products, art pieces and artisanal foods from a number of quality local brands. Rub elbows with the different designers and artists showcasing their work. And head to the Studio for custom embroidery, piercing, permanent jewelry and tarot readings. Unique World is the perfect place to find, well, unique gifts for those on your list.

Stroll across the grounds of King Gillette Ranch as the Santa Monica Mountains hideaway is illuminated during Holiday Road, which returns with a nearly mile-long walking trail. The event, which comes from the same team as Nights of the Jack, includes thousands of lights, festive decor like a small Christmas village, larger-than-life holiday displays and lit-up archways. Look out for Santa and Mrs. Claus, and fill up with food trucks and a holiday bar while you’re there. Prices start at $25 before fees and go up depending on the day and time you visit.

Riverside’s stunningly beautiful Mission Inn is bathed in 4.5 million twinkly lights during the annual Festival of Lights. The free six-week-long holiday tradition runs from late November to early January and typically features more than 400 animated figures. Having been voted the “Best Public Lights Display” by USA Today, the festival attracts over 500,000 visitors each year.

Even the grumpiest of list-makers at yuletide has to include a production of Dickens’s most beloved tale of becoming a better person. Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott direct this merry and music-filled production, starring Elliott and his fellow resident artists of A Noise Within theater company—all ranking among L.A.’s best classical actors—staged in ANW’s spacious house with perfect sight lines from every seat, even for the kids.

Strike the electrified, amped-up harp and join the chorus: The KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas lineup is here. Don’t let its dainty Christmas name fool you—the annual concert is most definitely a plugged-in affair featuring some of the year’s top mainstream, alt-rock radio staples. The ’90s-heavy lineup includes the Smashing Pumpkins, Beck, 311, Sublime, Jimmy Eat World, Franz Ferdinand, Royel Otis, AWOLNATION, the Linda Lindas and bby.

Commuting through Union Station around the holidays? Make sure to take a detour into the historic ticket concourse for the train station’s ninth annual tree lighting on November 25, with musical performances by Kingston Ska Collective and Los Rebeldes Romanticos. You’ll also find a “North Pole” on the north patio, where you can enjoy arts and crafts with a side of milk and cookies. Little ones can pose for photos with Santa. The holiday décor will stay up through Christmas.

The American Contemporary Ballet returns to the holiday stage with its fantastical take on the tale from author E.T.A. Hoffmann. Experience the seasonal classic on a snow-shrouded stage set within an immersive space in DTLA’s Bank of America Plaza. The 75-minute production includes an ensemble of 11 live musicians performing Tchaikovsky’s iconic score, as well as an artist reception following the show.

Right down the hill from Universal Studios Hollywood, at the Hilton hotel, you’ll find this ice skating rink with views of the Hollywood Hills. For the kids, there’s Santa’s Workshop and face painting. Grown-ups can opt for the “date & skate” package, which includes two tickets and two themed cocktails from Jingle Bell Tavern, a holiday pop-up bar. Theme nights include “Wicked Wednesdays,” when the rink is lit up in green and tracks from the musical provide the soundtrack starting December 4 (timed perfectly not only for the film version of Wicked but also the musical’s return to the Pantages). On opening night, November 30, skating will be free from 6–8pm after performances by a Wicked cast member and the Los Angeles Ice Theater.

You can’t seem to get more a stone’s throw away from a huge festive light display in Los Angeles come holiday season. Well, except for this new entry to the scene, which is making its L.A. debut all the way at Raging Waters. If you feel like making the trek out to San Dimas, though, Lektrik looks like quite the impressive display, boasting over 1,000,000 LED lights and larger-than-life lanterns through miles of illuminated trails. Adding to the experience are acrobatic performers, artisan vendors, food trucks and even some stone-carving.

Join the Los Angeles Master Chorale for all of your favorite holiday carols in concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Sixty-two singers, led by conductor Grant Gershon, will belt out classics from around the globe (and traditional fixtures like “Silent Night,” “Angels We Have Heard on High” and “White Christmas”) to get you in the festive spirit. The Disney Hall’s famed pipe organ will also make an appearance—and you never know when Santa might show up.

Have a crafty start to the Christmas shopping season at Craft Contemporary’s annual holiday marketplace. If you’re making a list and checking it twice, consider this shopping event for unique handmade gifts and an opportunity to buy directly from the emerging and established L.A. makers behind them. And when it comes to wrapping those gifts, drop by the handmade holiday wrapping and cards workshop, where you can make one-of-a-kind, upcycled paper creations to wrap your new treasures ($15, includes materials).

The beloved Bob Baker Marionette Theater is back with its annual holiday production, which dates back to 1969. This year, it’s taking the stage at the Sierra Madre Playhouse for the first time. From just after Thanksgiving through the beginning of the year, you can see the charming play, with its large-scale marionettes and intricate sets, on most weekends and, around Christmas, select weekdays. 

Like a holiday edition of Fiesta Hermosa, this weekend-long event transforms the coastal city’s downtown with an open house among existing retailers, plus an artisanal pop-up marketplace (Pier Avenue between Valley Drive and Monterey Boulevard), as well as a carnival—complete with Ferris wheel—at Pier Plaza. Also on the schedule: a tree lighting ceremony and community concert on Sunday, and fun family activities including the culmination of a citywide Elf on a Shelf Scavenger Hunt. 

A performing-arts staple of Los Angeles for over 40 years now, the 200-strong GMCLA brings festive cheer in its annual holiday musical extravaganza while raising awareness for important LGBTQ+ issues. This year, the chorus performs a Willy Wonka-themed show at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, paying tribute to the original film as well as the more recent Wonka, in addition to performing candy-coated holiday hits.

It’s always Christmas at this charmingly kitsch amusement park outside of Lake Arrowhead. But it’s extra Christmassy toward the end of the year at Santa’s Village—especially if we’re lucky enough to have had some fresh mountain snowfall. Swing by from November 14 to January 5 for lighting displays, a train ride, a magical nighttime walk through the forest, seasonal snacks, breakfast with Santa and tea with Mrs. Claus (those require a separate ticket) and ice skating.

Jennifer Hudson, the youngest-ever female EGOT winner, brings her powerful voice to the Walt Disney Concert Hall. See the diva take on Christmas carols as she performs both covers and originals from her new holiday album, The Gift of Love.

Ah, the joys of Christmas in a Mediterranean climate, where boat owners can deck out their ships in holiday lights and set sail without the impediment of icy weather. For the 115th year, the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade is doing just that as over 100 decorated yachts and ships parade around a 14-mile circuit in the Newport Harbor. You can see the parade for free during each of the five nights from any bay-facing point along the harbor (Marina Park, which also hosts a holiday market, is the go-to spot), but there are also reserved seats, dining packages and cruises available for purchase. 

If the words “Disney” and “sing-along” normally make you think of mini-vans and Frozen, rethink your word associations and head to the Walt Disney Concert Hall for the annual Messiah Sing-Along. The event allows the 2,200-member audience to sing their hearts out and try to hit the high notes alongside the Los Angeles Master Chorale, conducted by artistic director Grant Gershon. Songs will be performed by the professional orchestra and a quartet of professional soloists.

Relive your childhood theatergoing experiences this Christmas with Uncle Drosselmeyer, Clara and her beloved Nutcracker at the L.A. Ballet. The timeless show—which gets a SoCal twist here—will travel all over L.A. for the holiday season, bringing classic pirouettes and Mouse King battles to Pasadena and Westwood, as well as 10 performances in Hollywood, where the show will be backed by an orchestra (a rarity among Nutcracker performances).

If you’ll follow wherever Gilmore Girls leads, then you’re going to need to embark on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour this holiday season. For the final couple weeks of the year, the Burbank backlot is supplementing its regular tour with the Holidays Made Here addition, which decks out the Stars Hollow section in festive decor, including the gazebo and Luke’s Diner, where you can sip on coffee from “Luke” actor Scott Patterson own brand. Holidays Made Here runs as part of all studio tours (the cheapest one is a three-hour tour) from December 18, 2024, to January 5, 2025.

Mexican folk dance company Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles is taking the Soraya stage in Northridge once again for a mariachi-infused holiday performance that celebrates the different regions of Mexico. The two music- and dance-filled shows will also feature the talents of guest vocalist Camila Fernández, granddaughter of famed Mexican singer Vicente Fernández.

Strike the harp and join the chorus with the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Holiday Sing-Along at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The family-friendly seasonal program offers two performances hosted by Melissa Peterman with performances from a choir, a jazz combo and on the massive pipe organ. Lyric sheets for the holiday classics will be provided, just in case you forget how many fa-la-la-la-las are in “Deck the Halls.”

American Ballet Theatre is returning to Southern California with its production of The Nutcracker. The show will feature larger-than-life scenery, a Christmas tree, and sets and costumes designed by Tony Award winner Richard Hudson (the visionary behind the sets of the stage version of The Lion King). The Pacific Symphony will perform Tchaikovsky’s score live.

The beloved Bob Baker Marionette Theater’s year-end production, Holiday on Strings, is back onstage at the puppet troupe’s new-ish Highland Park location. The hour-long show, which follows the Wizard of Fantasy and his sidekick, Demetrius Nova Twinklestar III, on a tour of the holiday galaxies, covers every festive angle: It’ll transport audiences to Santa’s workshop, the world of Charles Dickens and a Hanukkah celebration. For a sensory-friendly version, book tickets to the 10:30am show on Saturday, December 14.

Don something festive and head over to Royce Hall to hear the angels sing—the Angel City Chorale, that is. The America’s Got Talent semifinalists will sing both Christmas and Hanukkah classics at their annual holiday concert. The 180-member group, known for its mishmash of classical, pop, world, contemporary and gospel genres, will perform sparkling arrangements at the “Bling”-themed show. Also promised are photo ops, carol sing-alongs and some surprises. If you can’t make it, the Sunday concert will also be livestreamed.

If you loved Greta Gerwig’s Little Women (or even, gasp, Louisa May Alcott’s original), head to the Heritage Square Museum and step into the lives of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy in this immersive ballet—the wintry final installment of a seasonal trilogy developed by Emma Andres, the resident choreographer for Pasadena Civic Ballet. If you can’t make the weekend of site-specific performances in Victorian houses, you can catch the full-length ballet December 7 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre.

KIIS FM’s annual holiday behemoth’s lineup reads like a roll call of the station’s playlist: SZA, Kane Brown, Shaboozey, Tate McRae, Benson Boone, T-Pain, NCT Dream, Meghan Trainor, Paris Hilton and Madison Beer will all take over the new Intuit Dome this holiday season. The best seats will cost you a boatload, so look out for news of a potential free pre-show with some of the artists on the lineup.

You’ve walked, donated and volunteered, all in the name of charity. Now here’s your chance to drink for those in need. Gather your friends and join other do-gooders at the annual SANTA Monica (see what they did there?) Pub Crawl. An admittance fee benefiting the Westside Food Bank allows you to participate in one of three routes around Santa Monica—although the VIP route hopper ticket gives you the best bang for your buck. Don your ugliest Christmas sweater or a Santa hat—there’s a prize for the best holiday spirit costume—and enjoy single-digit-dollar food and drink deals at some of the city’s best spots, including the Victorian and Jameson’s Irish Pub (both stops on the Main Street Route). Sign up online and collect a wristband on the day of the event, then crawl from spot to spot on foot. End your night at the official after-party at 1212.

Like an Angelyne billboard on Sunset Boulevard, the Hollywood Christmas Parade is an essential part of L.A. kitsch. The nine-decade-old parade will feature floats, balloons, bands, equestrians and celebrities as they ride in a U-shaped route that begins at Hollywood and Orange and ends up at Sunset and Orange. Reserved grandstand seats can be purchased, with proceeds going to Toys for Tots, but free curbside seating is also available.

Sip on a free cup of hot chocolate as L.A. County decks the halls and lights up its official Christmas tree at the Music Center’s Jerry Moss Plaza. While you’re there, listen to festive favorites and peruse a small craft market.

Not to be confused with A Noise Within’s A Christmas Carol—though the talents involved are equally stellar—here we have the chance to see the story up close. Now in its 20th year, the show finds David Melville displays his classically trained, beautifully polished craft to bring the famous writer to life as he tells his classic tale of Christmastime redemption; Melville also performs the tale’s many iconic characters, all in the intimacy of Independent Shakespeare Co.’s indoor theater space.

Add some handmade magic to your holidays at these beginner-friendly workshops, hosted by the female-owned Handmade in Venice Beach. On November 24 and December 8, head to Cafe Gratitude with some friends to make your own clay ornaments for trimming your tree. On December 4, you can try your hand at creating gifts (the sky is the limit, but you can never go wrong with a nice mug or tray). Materials and festive decorations are included in the price. You can take home the pieces as they are (though they'll be brittle) or pay a $10–$15 fee to have them bisque and glaze fired, then pick them up a week later.

The multicity Jackalope Arts fair is back again this year, featuring over 150 local artisans and high-quality, handcrafted goods perfect for gifting. Both the Pasadena market (held in Old Pasadena’s Central Park November 9 and 10) and Burbank market (held on San Fernando Boulevard as the Downtown Burbank Winter Arts Festival on December 7 and 8) offer free admission.

Rancho Palos Verdes used to offer outdoor ice skating—albeit on a synthetic rink—but now it’s changed things up to host wintertime roller skating, which is still pretty fun. After a tree lighting ceremony and holiday pop-up shop on Friday evening, you can skate around atop a bluff overlooking the ocean, sled on real snow and enjoy live entertainment all weekend.

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Follow Kara as she drifts from New York to globetrotting lands with a hot-chocolate-filled Nutcracker in this Debbie Allen Dance Academy reimagining of the ballet, made famous in Netflix documentary Dance Dreams. Matinee performances of the jazz, modern dance, hip-hop, aerial arts and ballet show include the option to add on the Fairy Queen Tea ($60), a pre-performance tea party that includes photos with cast members, a hot cocoa bar, storytelling and a cast member meet-and-greet.

Looking for unique handmade gifts this holiday season? Artists, designers, creatives and makers will set up shop for this holiday fair outside Hugo’s Tacos in Atwater Village (3300 Glendale Blvd). If it’s anything like past markets, you’ll get to shop everything from artisan jewelry and apothecary goods to ceramics, prints, candles and even handcrafted aprons for the cook in your life. Interact with the makers themselves (third-party sellers are not allowed), while crossing family and friends off your holiday gift-giving list. 

This Christmas-themed Costa Mesa event is celebrating 10 years of turning Orange County into a winter wonderland. Expect a North Pole walk-through, snow play, ice tubing and photo ops, plus an all-new holiday light show twinkling with more than 2 million lights. Upgrade your experience with an expanded carnival, ice skating, VIP arctic cabanas, “polar putt putt” golf, and fireside igloos. Hot cocoa and seasonal treats will help keep things cozy. Winter Fest OC’s extensive hours make it one of the rare holiday events you can enjoy on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day themselves.

Be transported to a European Christmas market by way of ROW DTLA this holiday season at this alfresco addition to the city’s gift-shopping landscape. The ticketed shopping experience promises handmade goods by local artisans, festive food and drink (think soft pretzels, crispy schnitzel and hot cocoa), photo ops and wholesome holiday activities like listening to carolers and decorating cookies.

Judging by the fussing toddlers we see at just about every performance of The Nutcracker, it might not be quite as magical for kids as parents expect. So why not pair the iconic holiday ballet with something a little more hands-on? The Los Angeles Ballet will take excerpts of its Nutcracker show to teatime at the Waldorf Astoria. The Beverly Hills hotel will host morning and afternoon sessions of high tea that include holiday crafts, dancing with Clara and her doll friends, and photo ops with Santa. Meanwhile, grown-ups can get some shopping done, thanks to the on-site boutique and its luxury pop-ups. Tickets support the ballet company’s outreach and education programs, so you’ll need to pay fundraiser prices to attend.

For a darker take on holiday cheer, look no further than this underworld-inspired drinking den from the team behind Halloween pop-up bar the Black Lagoon. The creepy Alpine legend himself will lead you to your table in the back of Cole’s French Dip (RIP the Varnish). After a complimentary welcome drink, you can sip on chilling remixes of classic holiday cocktails amid black Christmas trees and evil snowmen. The ticketed experience lasts approximately 90 minutes, but seats at the bar will be open for walk-ins.

Calling all vintage lovers! Shop dozens of the top vintage retailers (local and national) and private dealers at this market. A Current Affair is a major source for stylists, designers and anyone in search of one-of-a-kind vintage ranging from perfectly worn-in jeans to rare and collectible designer pieces. Shop an array of vintage clothing, accessories and jewelry dating all the way back to the Victorian era at the market’s new West Hollywood Design District location.

Long Beach Ballet’s The Nutcracker is one of the only area productions of the holiday classic that includes not only a live full orchestra, but a horse, a flying sleigh and pyrotechnics. Sure, the story may be the same, but this production pulls out all the stops to entertain audiences year after year.

You've seen her on TV shows like Glee and onstage in Broadway’s Wicked, but now Kristin Chenoweth is taking the stage at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The multitalented actress—not to mention Tony and Emmy winner—will be singing both holiday favorites and “Popular” stage classics accompanied by the LA Opera Orchestra.

If you’re shopping in Orange County and dreaming of a white Christmas, the open-air Irvine Spectrum Center is your answer. Located in Giant Wheel Court by Nordstrom, this rink offers an opportune time out from a busy shopping day. Following each 90-minute skating session, the rink is closed for resurfacing, so you’ll never have to skate on slush. Head to the adjacent Ferris wheel during the half-hour the rink is closed for nonstop fun. Tickets—$25 with skate rental, $22 if you bring your own—are available at the rink, but if you want “jump the line” tickets, you can buy them online ahead of time for $45.

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Westlake Village re-creates a traditional European Christmas market with Holidays in the Village, where you’ll find 60 artisan vendors selling gift-worthy goods, as well as bakers, chocolatiers, carolers and live music. You can shop into the evening, when the stalls come alive with holiday lights. And kids can mingle with Kris Kringle and the Grinch, take a train or Ferris wheel ride, and hunt down teddy bears in a scavenger hunt. Refuel with a freshly baked croissant or Aebleskiver paired with a mug of Glühwein, hot cocoa or Kinderpunsch.

Shop Etsy goods IRL at these local markets, which pop up at malls and shopping centers across Southern California throughout the holiday season. Shop both handmade and vintage treasures, plus artisanal food. You’ll also find DIY activities, live art and giveaways.