6 ways Los Angeles gets in the holiday spirit

If you’re headed to Los Angeles during the holiday season, there’s plenty to put you in good spirits (even if a white Christmas isn’t in the forecast). The climate is famously more temperate than other parts of the country in December, traffic is generally lighter than usual thanks to transitory residents heading home for the holidays, and—as might be expected in a town that knows a thing or two about putting on a show—there are plenty of local spots that turn seasonal cheer into a full-on spectacle.

Read on to find out where to get merry and bright in and around L.A. this holiday.

Cozy downtown bar Here and Now transforms into a festive pop-up called Blitzen’s on select nights during the holiday season. You’ll find rooms decked out with Christmas and Hanukkah trimmings, a front porch featuring intermittent “snow flurries,” and nightly entertainment ranging from carolers to holiday drag queen bingo. Enjoy the festivities while sipping on a seasonal cocktail—the menu spans the Home Alone-inspired “Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal,” a twist on eggnog with spiced rum, sherry, and cream, and the “Butternut Cry, Butternut Pout” with brandy, butternut squash, and fragrant thyme.

Discover a technicolor winter wonderland at Holiday Road. This massive light show is held in the tony enclave of Calabasas, about 30 miles northwest of downtown L.A., through December 30. The family-friendly affair boasts larger-than-life gingerbread men, peppermint sticks, swans, polar bears, and other Insta-ready scenery. Santa photo ops, face painting, carolers, and some of L.A.’s best food trucks are also on-site for when you’re done taking in the sights—not to mention a holiday market if you need to fit some last-minute shopping in.

Snow might be hard to come by in sunny, southern California, but you can still get your ice skating fix at the beloved outdoor rink, Ice At Santa Monica. The rink is open through mid-January and located at the corner of Fifth Street and Montana, just steps from the shopping and dining smorgasbord at the Third Street Promenade. This prime location near Venice Beach makes it a perfect pit stop to check a number of things off your must-see list while getting in a seasonal skate.

For over seven decades, the residents of what’s now referred to as “Candy Cane Lane” in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Woodland Hills have maintained a cherished, nearly unanimous holiday display. On winter evenings through Christmas Day, locals put on a truly eye-popping display of holiday lights and decorations. Take it all in either from your car or on foot—visitors are even invited to walk through some of the displays, and may even be lucky enough to exchange season’s greetings with homeowners serving up hot chocolate, coffee, and pastries outside their homes.

More artsy and less overtly Christmas-themed than some of the other major light displays in the city, Enchanted: Forest Of Light is worth a visit for the location alone. The exhibit can be found at the Descanso Gardens, a gorgeous 150-acre botanical garden dedicated to SoCal’s lush greenery tucked in the hilly La Cañada Flintridge neighborhood. Much of that horticulture is on display during Enchanted, an installation featuring hundreds of illuminated tulips to an interactive exhibit that encourages visitors to move colored lights among massive trees.

It’s worth the roughly hour-long drive to Orange County to check out Newport Boat Parade, a floating extravaganza held December 14th-18th in 2022. Boats of all shapes and sizes—from massive luxury yachts to tiny skiffs—go all-out each year and parade around Newport Beach’s Newport Harbor illuminated with seasonal decorations. The parade is easily viewable from parks, restaurants, and hotel rooms near the waterfront, which helps the event to serve up a hearty dose of community spirit along with its holiday cheer.