Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. It’s a time for families to get together and spend time with each other. They get to eat delicious food, open presents, and play games. This is the best time of the year for Los Angeles locals to have fun!
Whether you’re going to be at home with your family or on vacation, there are plenty of places in Los Angeles to celebrate Christmas. If you’re planning on being at home, you should definitely check out the decorations. There are Christmas lights everywhere in the city. The most popular place to see Christmas lights is on Hollywood Boulevard, and it’s the perfect place to visit with your family.
If you’re going to be on vacation, you should definitely check out some of the other popular holiday activities. Here are some of the best holiday events in Los Angeles.
Holiday Time at Disneyland
Christmas is a magical time of year for theme parks in both parks. During December, Disney California Adventure Park will host the annual Festival of the Holidays and Viva Navidad, with many delicious treats for guests. Santa Claus visits the park during this time, too. Disneyland hosts the annual It’s a Small World holiday event, and there are lots of magical fireworks displays in the park.
When the pumpkins from Halloween go away on Main Street, the Disneyland Resort begins to celebrate the holidays. Disneyland transforms into the happiest place on earth for a full two months during the holiday season, with holiday decorations and shows on nearly every day. From the holiday lights that sparkle in Cars Land to the icicles that decorate Sleeping Beauty Castle, there are plenty of different decorations to enjoy in the theme parks.
Melrose Rooftop Theater
Melrose Rooftop Theatre is putting on a great movie series, featuring classic films like Home Alone, The Grinch, and Die Hard, which will be showing all through Christmas Eve. Heat lamps will be on hand to help you warm up as you wait for your film to start, and you can get a meal and a drink from the newly opened E.P. Restaurant, or go casual with snacks and specialty cocktails. After-dark screenings of holiday movies give guests a wonderful view of the city from the rooftop of the Melrose Theater.
Street Food Cinema will be at the city’s iconic Heritage Square Museum to host Yuletide Cinemaland, a holiday festival that includes classic movies and a winter village. You’ll walk through a tunnel lit up with more than 20,000 lights, before seeing an enchanting village filled with beautifully decorated homes from the Victorian era. Stop by the Tinsel Tavern Bar and enjoy a special Christmas drink, as well as food trucks to get some more food on the go.
Knott’s Merry Farm
Enjoy even more magical moments at Knott’s Merry Farm this holiday season, which runs from November 19th through January 2nd. You’ll see miles of twinkling lights and Christmas decorations, plus activities for families to enjoy while they are here. There are several special holiday events throughout the park, including a show that features the famous Beagle, plus world-class ice skaters in Merry Christmas, Snoopy!
You can take in the spectacular ceremony that lights the Christmas tree and decorates it to make it look magical. You can also enjoy the magical Snow and Glow experience, a Christmas light show at Camp Snoopy, and so much more.
Tinseltown
Jingle 5 Carolers, a group that performs pop-a-cappella music, will perform from 2 to 6 pm on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. There will be stilt walkers to walk on the tops of candy canes, a sweet-smelling Christmas show with animated soldiers and dancers, and live music by a holiday jazz band.
Santa Claus and his helpers will be available on Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 4 pm to allow guests to socialize and take photos with the Santa Claus family. It’s a great way to prepare yourself before going to see the Los Angeles Ballet perform The Nutcracker at the Dolby Theater.
Wizarding World of Harry Potter
The quaint village of Hogsmeade is transformed into a magical Christmas village for visitors to enjoy. You can stroll along the streets of Hogsmeade while enjoying a delicious hot drink or a meal at Three Broomsticks. Shop for unique gifts, like personalized ornaments, decorations, scarves and stockings. Frogs sing some of your favorite holiday favorites in this delightful concert.
Starting at dusk each night, The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle inspires visitors with stunning images and animated characters that give visitors a holiday experience like no other experience in the world.
Little Tokyo
This holiday season, don’t just shop, but show that you love Little Tokyo by supporting one of Los Angeles’ most iconic and historic neighborhoods. There are many different ways you can show your love for Little Tokyo by shopping in its charming shops and restaurants and enjoying the beautiful Christmas decorations that decorate Japanese Village Plaza.
Dodgers Stadium
The Los Angeles Dodgers are hosting a Holiday Festival at their stadium! The festival will take place in the new Centerfield Plaza, in the bullpen, and in the designated areas behind the bases. Open every night at 9 p.m. The festival features performances, ice skating, a Santa Claus photo op, a variety of food and beverages, and a parade.
Tickets start at $16 each and are available in advance online. Tickets are available for Santa photo opportunities in the bullpen and for ice skating in the outfield (rentals are allowed). Tickets are available online at the Dodgers Holiday Festival website. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
Reindeer Road
You may be one of the people who secretly loved the fact that things changed to a drive-thru format last year, allowing you to enjoy authentic holiday joy from the comfort of your car and have very little social interaction. Reindeer Road is open rain or shine, and if you buy a ticket, you can take your whole family along for the ride.