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Best Holiday Events in Southern California

Kim Orlando

Updated

December 13, 2024

Lighted boat in the Newport Beach boat parade. decorated for the holidays. Photo credit: Newport & Company

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Southern California is brimming with festive cheer this holiday season! SheBuysTravel founder, Kim Orlando, shared this festive list during Good Day LA’s ‘Home for the Holidays’ segment. From snowball fights to dazzling boat parades, there’s something for everyone—so save the dates!

Kids aboard a holiday train ride — Winter Fest Train Ride. Credit: Winter Fest OC

Conductor with microphone telling Christmas stories to train riders. — Conductor sharing stories aboard the Polar Express Train. Photo credit: Polar Express Train website gallery.

Southern California Polar Express – Perris, CA

All aboard the magic! The Southern California Railway Museum hosts an immersive Polar Express train ride where families can create lasting holiday memories.

What’s Special:
- For kids: a golden ticket, hot chocolate, story time (“The Polar Express”), Santa meeting and a gift: a silver sleigh bell!
Dates: November & December (exact dates vary, check the website)
Location: Southern California Railway Museum
Pricing: Varies by date and time, starts at $50 for adults, $43 for children 2-11, free for children under 2 if sitting on a lap
Reservations: Required, book in advance as tickets often sell out

Winter Fest OC – Costa Mesa, CA

Winter lights walking tunnel. — Winter Fest OC North Pole Journey of lights. Photo credit: Winter Fest OC

Experience a dazzling display of holiday cheer at Winter Fest OC. This enchanting event features over 2 million twinkling lights, a huge snow play area, and a thrilling 150-foot tube slide.

What’s Special:
- The snow play area where kids can make snowmen and snowballs (even in Southern California!)
- 150-foot ice tubing slide…fun for kids of all ages
- Over 2 MILLION twinkling lights
Dates: Select dates through January 5, 2025
Location: Orange County Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa, CA
Pricing: Varies by date and time, starting at $50 for adults, $40 for children 3-11, free for children under 2. Parking: $12 per vehicle.
Reservations: Required, book in advance for guaranteed entry

Mission Inn Festival of Lights – Riverside, CA

Mission Inn Hotel alight with holiday lights — Thousands of white twinkly lights cover the Mission Inn Hotel. Photo credit: Julian V. Jolliffe

The historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside’s downtown Arts and Culture District, transforms into a winter wonderland during its annual Festival of Lights.

What’s Special:
- Free: Santa Claus meeting, live holiday music, including Caroling
- Fun paid activities, including ice skating, riding a carousel, holiday shopping at the Merry Art Market, a carnival (rides and games) and more
Dates: Through January 6, 2025
Location: Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, Riverside, CA
Pricing: The Mission Inn is open to the public. Some activities like ice skating, carousel rides and the carnival have fees per person or per game. Tickets can be purchased in person.
Reservations: Not required.

Animals Aglow – Los Angeles Zoo

lighted toucan display at the LA Zoo — Lighted tucan at the LA Zoo Animals Aglow holiday event. Photo credit: Jamie Pham

Experience the magic of the holidays at the Los Angeles Zoo with Animals Aglow. This enchanting nighttime event features a dazzling light show, interactive exhibits, and festive animal encounters.

What’s Special:
- A vibrant light display that is 90 feet long and features an interactive area where the lights respond to your voice.
- Hanging out and learning about animals from around the world.
Dates: Through January 5, 2025
Location: Los Angeles Zoo, Los Angeles, CA
Pricing:
- General admission to the zoo + a special Animals Aglow surcharge.
- Pricing information can be found on the Los Angeles Zoo website.
Reservations: Recommended, especially for weekends.

Skiing Santa – Big Bear Lake, CA

Santa skiing down Big Bear Mountain. — Santa skiing at Big Bear Mountain. Photo credit: Big Bear Mountain

Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino National Forest is known for fishing, snowboarding and skiing, and now, a fun place to meet up with Santa! Located in the heart of SoCal and not so far from Phoenix or Las Vegas, this mountain town is a great place to get your snow fix and holiday entertainment.

What’s Special:
- Meet Santa in a natural winter wonderland
- Mountain views, lots of lakeside and winter sport activities
Dates:
- Snow Summit: December 21, 11am-3pm
- Alpine Slide at Magic Mountain: December 14, 11am-3pm
Location: Big Bear Lake, California
Pricing: Free photos with Santa
Reservations: Arrive early so you don’t miss out!

DTLA Ice Skating – Los Angeles, CA

Woman in fancy ice skating wardrobe posing on skates — You don’t need to be a pro like these women to skate at Pershing Square this season! Photo credit: Opening Day Gallery on the Holiday Ice Rink Downtown Los Angeles’s Facebook post.

Lace up your skates and enjoy the festive atmosphere at LA’s largest outdoor ice rink in Downtown Los Angeles

What’s Special:
- Ice skating…outside…in LA!
- Penguin and Polar Bear Ice Helpers available for kids at least 48” tall
Dates: Through January 12, 2025
Location: South Olive Street, Los Angeles, CA
Pricing: Admission starts at just over $21. Admission, lockers, socks and Ice Helpers sold separately.
Reservations: Recommended, especially for peak hours and weekends.

Boat Parades – Various Locations

Boat in San Diego decorated with Christmas lights — The San Diego Bay Parade of Lights is a time-honored holiday tradition brought to San Diego by the boating community. Photo credit: Sandiego.org

There is a boat parade near you! San Diego, Dana Point, Newport, Marina Del Rey, Oceanside. All parades include at least 50 boats, boats range from dinghies to yachts and you could even be in the Newport Beach boat parade if you book a Holiday Boat Parade!

Dates (Visit the website for times and pricing):

Ventura Harbor Village Santa Paddle – Ventura, CA

Paddle boards filled with holiday paddlers dressed as Santa, Elves and other characters — Ventura Santa Paddle group dressed in vibrant holiday costumes. Photo credit: Ventura Harbor Village

Get ready for a truly unique holiday experience! Join Santa and fellow festive paddlers for a scenic one-hour procession through the beautiful Ventura Harbor. After your paddle (or anytime until January 1, 2025), you can shop and dine in the waterfront-inspired holiday decorations of the harbor district.

What’s Special:
- Everybody dresses up as elves, reindeer or even tiny Santas!
- The “Best Dressed” in holiday spirit will win a gift card for a waterfront dining experience at Ventura Harbor Village.
Dates: 1 day only, Saturday, December 21, 2024, 11am-12pm
Location: Ventura Harbor Village, Ventura, CA
Pricing: Varies by vendor, depending on rental or participation (bring your own or rent kayaks, SUPs, or pedal boats).
Reservations: May be required for rentals, check with participating vendors.

12 Days of Christmas at the Queen Mary – Long Beach, CA

Santa waving to the kids as he steers the Queen Mary. — Santa aboard the Queen Mary. Photo credit: The Queen Mary

Step aboard the historic Queen Mary for a magical holiday experience. Enjoy festive performances, meet Santa, indulge in holiday treats, and dance the night away.

What’s Special:
- Santa meeting, cookie decorating, gingerbread house building and story time with Mrs. Claus
- The “Lighting of the Stacks Ceremony”
- Krampus After Dark for a spooky (but fun!) twist on holiday traditions
- Adults only events like the Brushes and Bubbly Holiday Edition, the Holiday Ball featuring Jazz and the New Year’s Eve Gala
Dates: December 12th – 23rd, 2024, with the Holiday Market open daily from 5-9pm
Location: Queen Mary, Long Beach, CA
Pricing: Varies depending on the event and ticket type. Check the website for options.
Reservations: Recommended for most events.

Kim Orlando

Kim Orlando, founder of SheBuysTravel, is a lifelong traveler, an entrepreneur and a sought-after social media and marketing consultant. She has made hundreds of appearances on TV and in digital and print media, sharing advice and tips built on decades of travel experiences. Hailing from the hills of Kentucky and taking her story to New York, Los Angeles, and beyond, Kim built an online platform, the original TravelingMom, that has reached millions of moms and empowered them to explore the world with their families. Today, TravelingMom has evolved into SheBuysTravel. Kim has been featured on “News Nation,” “Today,” “Good Morning America” and on numerous satellite media tours. She has contributed travel guidance to outlets including The Washington Post, Good Housekeeping, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal and more. (Read more about Kim’s media appearances here) Her travel mantra is simple: All travel counts. “You don’t have to go far. Leaving your home is travel,” Kim says. “Wherever you go, even just to the next town over, you can learn something new, see someone and something you haven’t seen before. “It’s good for the brain and good for the soul.” An epiphany in early parenthood started Kim on the journey that led to SheBuysTravel. She’d been a fan of a newsletter for women travelers, and she saw an opportunity. “I thought something like that for moms could be extraordinarily helpful,” she said. “I was traveling for work, traveling for fun, and I was looking for support.” That seed grew into the award-winning website TravelingMom, created as a resource for traveling families of all stripes. Today, TravelingMom has evolved into SheBuysTravel, with an expanded mission to serve women travelers at any stage of life. Millions of readers have visited the site for trip planning help, travel secrets, destination information and gear recommendations. What sets SheBuysTravel’s content apart, Kim says, is its foundation in real-world experience. “Our writers and editors have actually gone out there and done this stuff,” she says. “They’ve booked the flights, tried the tour, tested travel clothing, visited that new hot spot to see if it’s worth the hype. It’s all real.” Memorable Adventures A 2022 tour Kim guided to Bhutan was a particularly standout experience. “Bhutan sounds so exotic, of course,” she said. “But the part where my heart just glows and warms is thinking of the people we met – amazing women doing amazing things in Bhutan.” Their ranks included a former police officer whose ventures into food science helped mitigate food insecurity for residents of Bhutan’s highlands. Top Tips Planning for travel can be daunting, Kim acknowledges. “I always say: Go anyway. No trip is going to be perfect. There’s always going to be something you didn’t expect, something that doesn’t go the way you pictured or planned it. And that something is what’s going to make it a great trip.” And on a practical note: “Go early! Getting to the airport or hitting the road just an hour earlier relieves so much stress.” Kim’s Background Kim, a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management, holds degrees in finance and entrepreneurship and has deep experience in developing and running businesses. Her previous work includes developing and running communications workshops and overseeing document management for corporations. SheBuysTravel hits a sweet spot where Kim’s two loves of travel and entrepreneurship meet. “The longer I work in this field, I only want to do more,” she says. “I find the travel world so exciting – not just the trips, but the whole online world of travel. There are still so many opportunities.” The World Awaits “The ‘best trip ever’ probably won’t be the same for an empty-nester or mom of three versus a single woman celebrating a bachelorette party with her friends,” Kim says. “We want to keep it real for traveling women, no matter what their age, life stage, where they came from or where they’re going. “We want to inspire women to travel in any shape or form.” In her free time, Kim enjoys visiting her adult kids, creating trips and traveling with her BFFs to explore the world. Her most recent adventures can be found on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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