With the holiday season right around the corner, what better way to celebrate than with all your favorite holiday classics, like Christmas tree lightings and caroling with the family? This season, California is offering a unique take on classic holiday celebrations with events going on throughout the state.
Newport Beach Boat Parade | Newport Beach, CA
Celebrating its 110th year, the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade will take place December 19th to 23rd for a massive parade of boats along the Newport waterfront. However, these are not ordinary boats; these boats are fully decked out with holiday lights and crazy themes like you have never seen. Additionally, waterfront homes are encouraged to join in the fun and decorate with lights. Boats and homes can enter to win awards for the best decorations for the ultimate bragging rights around town. This city-wide celebration extends outside the boats, with restaurants and bars offering viewings for the parade as the whole community comes together to participate. We all love looking at holiday lights, but Newport Beach takes it to a whole new level.
Julefest | Solvang, CA
Solvang, a Danish town north of Santa Barbara, is known to be one of the top towns for Christmas celebrations in America. Their annual “Julefest” celebration runs throughout the entire month of December. This celebration includes candlelight tours learning Solvang history, Christmas carols, and looking at holiday lights. Julefest also features meet and greets with Santa and Mrs. Claus, a tree lighting ceremony, a parade, the Santa Spring run, holiday shopping event, a nativity pageant, wine and beer walks, and so much more. For an entire month, visitors get in the Christmas spirit the way the Danish do!
Santa Train | Napa Valley, CA
The famous Napa Valley Wine Train takes a holiday detour to the North Pole, transforming into the Santa Train from the end of November until the end of December during select times. During the hour and a half long show, the train becomes holiday-themed, fully decorated with wreaths and lights. It also comes complete with cookies and hot chocolate, a photo booth, letter writing to Santa, holiday music and games. The show on the train is about Jolly the Bear who needs to make it to the North Pole to become the official Santa Train Conductor. This family-friendly activity includes visits with holiday favorites like Santa and his elf, as well as a take-home ornament for children.
Global Winter Wonderland | Sacramento, CA
Global Winter Wonderland is a holiday extravaganza and multi-cultural celebration in Sacramento from November 16th until January 6th. The Winter Wonderland features various themed light displays for holidays around the world, a full carnival, ice skating, Chinese circus performances, photos with Santa, holiday shopping, and international cuisine. This festival is more than just a Christmas celebration, as it celebrates cultures all over the world and the holidays that make each one unique.
Winter Fest | Costa Mesa, CA
Winter magic comes to sunny SoCal at this annual family-friendly celebration. In its fourth year at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, Winter Fest provides an immersive experience complete with two million holiday lights, an outdoor ice rink, arts and crafts, a play park featuring real snow, the world’s largest rocking horse, strolling carolers and visits with Santa. Make sure to get a run on the Snowflake Summit ice slide before the nightly tree lighting ceremony!
