Polar Express at Southern California Railway Museum, Perris

Sunday, December 27, 2026

 

 

Past events

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ALAMEDA: Christmas Tree Lane returns December 1-31. An annual favorite holiday tradition for 85 years, is a community gift to the public. Free to see and experience.

ALTADENA: Christmas Tree Lane 2026-2027 Season. The free to see event is produced by volunteer citizens carrying the 105-year tradition.

ALPINE: Viejas Casino Resort Ice Rink 2026-2027 Season at Viejas Casino & Resort. Southern California's largest outdoor ice rink. Location: 5003 Willows Road, Alpine, California $20-25 approx. for 90 minute session rental skates included, viejasoutletcenter.com/skating-rink/

ANAHEIM: Disneyland Festival of Holidays. Christmas Fantasy Parade is back along with Haunted Mansion's Nightmare Before Christmas, and It's a Small World holiday transformation. Location: 1313 S. Harbor Blvd. Anaheim, CA. $Tickets, disneyland.com

ARCADIA: Enchant Christmas at Santa Anita Park / Racetrack. Holiday attraction includes "World's Largest Christmas Maze," ice slides, ice skating rink, Santa Village, Marketplace shops and foods & beverages. $29-up!

ATWATER: Old Town Atwater Ice Skating Center returns for its 2026-2027 Season, promising affordable holiday fun.

BIG BEAR LAKE: Big Bear Alpine Zoo Wild Lights 5-9 p.m. Wed-Sun. New event shines one million holiday lights on the treasured zoo where injured wildlife is cared for. $20, bigbearzoo.org

BRIDGEPORT: Bridgeport Winter Ice Rink late November-March. Free admission (bring your own skates) and enjoy! Location: US 395 and Hwy 182, Bridgeport, CA. Free, monocounty.org

FRESNO: Christmas at Kearney: Beyond Santa, Delivering Holiday Magic, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays $12, valleyhistory.org

GILROY: North Pole Nights at Gilroy Gardens theme park includes Ice Skating, Santa's Workshop, Train, Lighting Displays, stage shows and more. $65-80, gilroygardens.org

HOLLYWOOD:  Los Angeles Ballet - The Nutcracker with Los Angeles Ballet Orchestra at Dolby Theatre. Location: 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA. $, losangelesballet.org

INDIO: Coachella Valley Magic of Lights Drive Thru at Empire Polo Club. Holiday scenes and characters of the season using the latest LED technology and digital animations. Location: 81800 Avenue 51, Indio, CA. $, magicoflights.com

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE: Enchanted Forest of Light features an after-dark, mile-long walkthrough of holiday lights in Descanso Gardens, a unique Southern California botanic garden that's magical during the day, and mesmerizing at night. $27-45, descansogardens.org

LAKE ELSINORE: Electric Light Festival Drive-Thru , 5:30-10:30 p.m. at Lake Elsinore Outlet Mall. Over a million lights in fun, fantasy scenes and shapes. Drive through or ride the train. $15-up, electriclightfestival.com

LOS ANGELES: LA Zoo Lights, Animals Aglow, 6-10 p.m. at Los Angeles Zoo. Nighttime display with lit lantern sculptures of animals among blooming flowers, glowing rivers, and a magical Holiday Forest with majestic pine trees and the return of Santa himself. Location: 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA, $29-35, lazoo.org

LOS GATOS: Fantasy of Lights Drive Through. Extremely popular drive-through holiday display at Vasona Lake Park sells quickly. $30/car with online sales only, parks.sccgov.org

OAKLAND: Fairy Winterland December 13-14, 20-21 & 27-28, 2025, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Children's Fairyland. Snow Queen, Black Santa and many more surprises. $22 general admission, fairyland.org

OLYMPIC VALLEY: Everline Resort Winter Ice Skating Rink November 28, 2025-March 28, 2026, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. With direct lift service to Palisades Tahoe, site of the historic 1960 Winter Olympics, Everline Resort's ice skating rink adds to the fun. The resort offers snowshoe rentals, as well, plus perks to locals. Location: Everline Resort at Squaw Creek, 400 Squaw Creek Road, Olympic Valley, CA. $30 includes skate rental and 60 minutes of ice skating, everlineresort.com

ONTARIO: Disney on Ice "Let's Dance" December 25-28, 2025 at Toyota Arena. Mickey Mouse is rocking the DJ table, Asha's on a journey to save the Kingdom of Rosas and Ariel is grooving under the sea - some of the magic moments of Disney. Location: 4000 Ontario Center Parkway, Ontario, CA. $, disneyonice.com

PALO ALTO: Winter Lodge Seasonal Ice Rink October 18, 2025-April 12, 2026, is back with public skating sessions, lessons and more. $20 session, $6 skate rental, winterlodge.com

PERRIS: Southern California Railway Polar Express. Family adventure on a magical train ride complete with dancing chefs, caroling, cookies and cocoa, re-creates the classic children’s story. $49-56, socalrailway.org

PETALUMA: Luma Ice at Petaluma Fairgrounds. New ice rink attraction include REAL ice skating, themed days and great entertainment. Location: 175 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma, CA. $20 includes skate rental, lumaice.com

RIVERSIDE: Mission Inn Festival of Lights. The National Historic Landmark dazzles with millions of holiday lights in Christmas displays called one of the best in the U.S. Free, missioninn.com

SAN LUIS OBISPO: Nature Nights, 5-8 p.m., at San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden. Stunning lighting exhibitions and art throughout eight acres of gardens, live music each night, local culinary treats, plus regional wine and beer for sale. Location: 3450 Dairy Creek Rd. San Luis Obispo, CA. $28, slobg.org

SANTA BARBARA: ZooLights, 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Santa Barbara Zoo. See thousands of handcrafted silk-covered lanterns aglow with more than 50,000 LED bulbs, depicting wild places and animals from around the globe. Location: 500 Niños Drive, Santa Barbara, CA. $21-35, sbzoo.org

SAN DIEGO: Rady Children's Ice Rink, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily (except holidays) at Liberty Station. Have fun while skating fees support cancer program for kids. $25 includes skate rentals, rchicerink.org

SAN FRANCISCO: Union Square Ice Rink. Themed days and special events add to the fun. $22 session includes skate rental.

OAKLEY: Oakley on Ice across from Oakley City Hall with parking at Main Street & Norcoss Lane. $, oakleyonice.com

BUENA PARK: Knott's Berry Farm Christmas. Enjoy Christmas Crafts Village, Snoopy's Night Before Christmas Ice Show, Santa's Christmas Cabin photos, Home for the Holidays musical production and seasonal foods, plus all the great rides in one awesome day & night. Location: 8039 Beach Blvd., Buena Park, CA. $, sixflags.com/knotts

BUENA PARK: Medieval Times Middle Ages Dinner Show includes knights, horses, jousting, and swordplay while enjoying a "hands-on" four-course feast as the story of bravery and love unfolds before you in this unique entertainment experience.

BUENA PARK: Pirate's Dinner Adventure sets sail with an 18th Century Spanish galleon adrift in a 250,000-gallon lagoon. Aerial artistry, swashbuckling swordplay, and dynamic duels while you munch on a 4-course feast

CARLSBAD: Holidays at Legoland California. Meet Lego characters, see the Lego Christmas Tree made of 360,000 Lego & Duplo bricks, life-size Lego reindeer & Santa, hear the Brass Band, and enjoy the fun. Location: One Legoland Drive Carlsbad, CA $, legoland.com/california

CHICO: Chico Ice Rink in the Plaza in City Plaza. $12-15, chicorec.gov/chico-ice-rink

COARSEGOLD: Winter Wonderland Ice Rink, 12-10 p.m. at Chukchansi Gold Resort Casino. Seasonal outdoor ice skating, all ages. $, chukchansigold.com

CONCORD: Ice at the Veranda November 7, 2025-February 15, 2026 at The Veranda shopping mall. Come glide on Ice at the Veranda, shoptheveranda.com

CORONADO: Skating by the Sea at Hotel del Coronado, 1500 Orange Ave. is one of the most scenic seaside ice skating rinks in the U.S. Public invited. $, hoteldel.com

COSTA MESA: Winter Fest OC (Thursday-Sunday) at Orange County Fair & Event Center. Snow, ice tubing, ice skating, rides, fire pits and more. Location: 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA. $, winterfestoc.com

ENCINITAS: Lightscape , 5-8:30 p.m. at San Diego Botanic Garden includes over one million lights in artistic installations along a one-mile, easily walkable garden path. $, sdbg.org

ESCONDIDO: Wild Holidays at San Diego Safari Park. Festive decorations, incredible light displays and holiday entertainment await. Location: 15500 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido, CA. $, sdzsafaripark.org

FRESNO: IllumiNature at Fresno Chaffee Zoo, is a special holiday event featuring lighted lantern displays that entertain and amaze! $, fcz.org

HANFORD: Winter Wonderland Ice Skating at Civic Park, Downtown Hanford. Make it a date with family and friends for fun holiday ice skating. $, hanfordwinterwonderland.com

IRVINE: Dream Glow Lights Festival , Wednesday-Sunday at Wild Rivers Waterpark. West Coast debut of the newest lights spectacular for the holidays! Location: 10000 Great Park Blvd., Irvine, CA. $37-53, dreamglowfestival.com

IRVINE: Irvine Spectrum Holiday Ice Rink next to the Giant Wheel. Skating! Location: 71 Fortune Drive, Irvine, CA. $24-27 general admission, irvinespectrumcenter.com

LOS ANGELES: Pershing Square Holiday Ice Skating Rink . Sharpen your blades and skills or just go to chill with themed events and great music. $, holidayicerinkdowntownla.com

LOS ANGELES: LA Kings Holiday Ice at LA Live , 5 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Location: 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA. $27 general admission, lalive.com

LOS ANGELES: LA Kings Holiday Ice to be announced. . Located in the heart of LA's entertainment district (LA Kings, LA Lakers, concerts and shows at Crypto Arena,) there's an exciting, big city vibe to this urban complex where skating tickets are only sold on site. Location: 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA. $25 general admission includes skate rental, lalive.com/ la-kings-holiday-ice-la-live

LOS ANGELES: LA LIVE Ice Rink. Entertainment complex features concerts, movies, shopping, dining, hotels and this seasonal holiday delight.

MAMMOTH LAKES: Holiday Ice Rink through winter. Nothing says winter in the Sierra Nevada mountains better than an invigorating ice skating session after a day on the ski slopes.

MONTEREY: Skating by the Bay at Custom House Plaza. $21.10 includes skate rental,  iceskatingbythebay.com

MORENO VALLEY: Electric Light Festival Drive-thru , 5:30-10:30 p.m. at Moreno Valley Mall. Over a million dazzling lights! Location: 22631 Town Circle, Moreno Valley, CA. $, electriclightfestival.com

MT. SHASTA: Siskiyou Ice Rink November 15, 2025-February 22, 2026 in Shastice Park is an ice skater's dream at 85 feet wide and 200 feet long. $15 sessions, skate rental included, msrec.org

NAPA: Meritage Ice Skating Rink is open to public. $21.42 sessions, meritageresort.com

NAPLES: Trees in the Bay illuminate the bay nightly from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day.

NEWPORT BEACH: Newport Dunes Lighting of the Bay  

OAKLAND: Fairy Winterland December 13-14, 20-21 & 27-28, 2025, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Children's Fairyland. Snow Queen, Black Santa and many more surprises. $22 general admission, fairyland.org

OAKLAND: Temple Hill Days of Christmas. A beacon for spectacular holiday lights, Christmas concerts, theatrical performances, nativity and creche presentations on panoramic Temple Hill. Free, templehill.org

OAKLAND: Oakland Zoo Glowfari, 4:30-9 p.m. The Wildly Illuminating Lantern Festival features wading wildlife along Africa's Nile River, ancient Egyptian structures, dinosaurs, barnyard animals and Avian Odyssey train ride. Advanced ticket purchase required: $26-41 adult, oaklandzoo.org

PALOS VERDES PENINSULA: Astra Lumina, An Enchanted Night Walk Amongst The Stars at South Coast Botanic Garden, 5-10 p.m. Celestial, multisensory experience features out-of-this-world light sculptures in 9 themed areas. $30-65, astralumina.com

REDDING: Garden of Lights at McConnell Arboretum. Walk on the world-famous Sundial Bridge to the the Arboretum where over one million animated lights are on display select nights. $, reddinggardenoflights.org

SAN DIEGO: SeaWorld San Diego Christmas Celebration , 10 a.m. daily. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, musical Tunnel of Lights, themed rides and shows, shopping, food and fun for all ages. Location: 500 Sea World Drive, San Diego, CA. $Tickets, seaworld.com

SAN DIEGO: Jungle Bells at San Diego Zoo includes light shows, reindeer games, brass band music, jugglers & acrobats, and forest pathways through holiday, lighted trees to visit polar bears, arctic foxes and reindeer. $ ticket, approx. sandiegozoo.org

SAN JOSE: Christmas in the Park, 12-10 p.m. daily. The two-acre park features a holiday fantasy with over 40 musical and animated exhibits, glimmering lights and a 65-foot illuminated Christmas Tree. This free attraction for the child in all of us is a holiday tradition beloved by all. Location: Plaza De Cesar Chavez, 194 S. Market St., San Jose, CA. Free, christmasinthepark.com

SAN JOSE: Blinky's Holiday Lights Drive Thru, 5 p.m. at Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. More than one mile of  magical scenes and displays synced to favorite holiday tunes.  $25-31, approx., christmasinthepark.com

SAN JOSE: Downtown Ice in the iconic Circle of Palms Plaza on Market Street. $, sjdowntownice.com

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO: Capistrano Lights at Historic Mission San Juan Capistrano. All-ages, family event includes nightly musical tree lighting and decorative light displays. Admission allows you to spend the day starting at 9 a.m. and stay for the holiday programming starting at 4 p.m. and ending at 7 p.m. Location: 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, CA. $20, missionsjc.com

SAN MATEO: IlluminOdyssey at CuriOdyssey, a zoo and learning center containing native, non-releasable animals such as river otter, bobcat, gray fox and more. Location: 1651 Coyote Point Drive, San Mateo, CA. $, curiodyssey.org

SAN MATEO: San Mateo on Ice in Central Park.  Largest outdoor ice rink in the Bay Area features 11,000 square feet of REAL ice to skate on in sunny San Mateo - nice! $, onicerinks.com

SAN RAMON: Kristi Yamaguchi Holiday Ice Skating Rink at City Center Bishop Ranch. Many special events include Elsa, Santa Claus, Barbie and Kristi's skating clinic. $26, citycenterbishopranch.com

SACRAMENTO: Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink at the Square on 7th & K Street. A tradition for over 30 years, the affordable holiday attraction only charges $15, skate rental included! godowntownsac.com

SAN FRANCISCO: San Francisco Ballet Nutcracker at War Memorial Opera House. Helgi Tomasson's Nutcracker with Artistic Director Tamara Rojo  and accompaniment by SF Ballet Orchestra. Location: 301 Van Ness Ave. San Francisco, CA $49-395, approx., sfballet.org

SANTA CRUZ- FELTON:  New Year's Holiday Lights Train Dec.27-31, at Roaring Camp Railroads, roaringcamp.com

SANTA MONICA: ICE 2026-2027 Season at 5th & Arizona. 8,000 square feet of skating ice, including a kids zone for little ones. $22 admission & skate rental, iceatsantamonica.com

SAUSALITO: Sausalito Gingerbread House Tour through Dec.31, features nearly 20 unique displays in a walking tour. Free to see, sausalito.org/gingerbread-house-tour

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE: Heavenly Village Ice Rink November 1, 2025-March 31, 2026, subject to change. Ice Skating at the outdoor rink at The Shops at Heavenly Village features central location near shopping, dining and skiing.

TEMECULA: Peltzer Ice Rink at Peltzer Farm & Winery. Location: 39925 Calle Contento, Temecula, CA. $23.05 for 75 minute skate session, rental skates included, peltzerfarms.com

TWAIN HARTE / LONG BARN: The Long Barn Lodge Ice Skating November 2025 mid-March 2026. Tucked in the Sierra Nevada mountains at around 5,000 feet elevation, Long Barn Lodge has the only ice skating rink in the area. Location: 25957 Long Barn Rd., Long Barn, CA facebook.com/ thelongbarnlodge $15, skate rental is $5. Closed Monday & Tuesday

UKIAH: Ukiah on Ice next to Alex R. Thomas Plaza on School Street. Seasonal holiday ice rink open daily for holiday fun! Location: 310 S. State St., Ukiah, CA. $12, cityofukiah.com/ukiahonice

UNIVERSAL CITY: Universal Studios Hollywood Christmas, showcasing the holiday makeover of three major attractions: Super Nintendo World, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Grinchmas with costumes, colors and decor. The thrills remain true to form! $95-up, tickets

VALENCIA: Six Flags Magic Mountain Holiday in the Park, 5 p.m. rocks each night with 2 million lights in 7 themed areas featuring dance, music & light shows, cocktail bars, holiday sweets, s'more fire pits & Santa Claus. Location: 26101 Magic Mountain Parkway, Valencia, CA. $49-75, sixflags.com/magicmountain

VALLEJO: Six Flags Discovery Kingdom WinterFest , 12-7 p.m. most days. Special holiday guests, entertainment, foods, rides & attractions like Arctic Penguins. Location: 1001 Fairgrounds Dr. Vallejo, CA 94589 $35-39, sixflags.com/discoverykingdom

WALNUT CREEK: Walnut Creek on Ice. Skate 90 minutes for $20, ice skate rental included or $20 Ice Slide. Location: Civic Park, Walnut Creek, CA. walnutcreekonice.com

WOODSIDE: Filoli Holiday Lights , 4-9 p.m. Georgian revival-style mansion's 16 acres of exquisite English Renaissance gardens are transformed into a radiant wonderland of light and color at the historic 654-acre estate (seen in Falcon Crest). $49-55, filoli.org

Events are not guaranteed. It is your responsibility to confirm before going.