The holidays are a great time to get out with your family and experience some fantastic events and attractions you can only see this time. Whether it's a show, musical, or festive theme park, it's bound to invoke the holiday spirit and bring some great memories along with it.
SO where do you find these events? Right HERE!
We have (and continue to) do all the research for you. Below is a list of local and semi-local ticketed events in and around our area this holiday season. If you follow us on our social media, you can also read our personal reviews for some of these events. No matter who you are or what your holidays look like, it's important to keep the spirit high and the days merry and bright, fun experiences for everyone.
☕ Macaroni Mom Tips:
- For more information on the events below, click the link attached to the event name listed.
- Looking for something to do for a specific date or weekend? Check our event calendar HERE
The Young Americans - The Magic of Christmas Holiday Highlights (Claremont) - A special and intimate version of The Young Americans annual Christmas show, featuring singing, dancing, and comedy, all in the traditional spirit of the season. This year, they've added some fun new twists to some holiday favorites, so you won't want to miss out! Fun for the whole family! Whether you're looking to get in the holiday mood or enjoy some fun entertainment with family and friends, this show is the perfect way to do it! The Young Americans are a nonprofit performing arts group that has entertained and inspired audiences around the world since 1962. Performances run December 15-16.
Disney On Ice (Ontario - Anaheim - Los Angeles - Long Beach) - Celebrate the love of family in the new show everyone will be talking about! Experience Disney’s Encanto brought to life like never before. Sing and dance with Mirabel, her sisters, Isabela and Luisa, and more! But that's not all! Join the race to find Elsa, stop the eternal winter, dream about summer with Olaf, and sing along with Kristoff and Sven. Ontario's performance runs from December 21- 24
Imaginarium — What Dreams Are Made Of (Pomona Fairplex) - Imaginarium is back by popular demand! Experience an all-new Fantasyland Holiday Light Show, the largest in America! Venture into an electrifying adventure for all ages. One and a half miles of holiday cheer and millions of lights, Free 3x daily circus (included with admission), Christmas trees, illuminated stars, & balloon drops, Nightly synchronized music & lights show, On-site food & beverages, featuring holiday treats And there’s so much more! Infinity mirror rooms, game experiences, life-like interactive creatures… You need to see it to believe it. November 17 - January 7
Holiday Express Train (Rancho Cucamonga) - Get ready for holiday magic aboard Metrolink's 2023 Holiday Express Train experience! This year, they're doubling the joy with eight trains running Saturdays from November 25 to December 16. Experience a festive wonderland on every train with decorations, entertainment from holiday carolers, Santa and Mrs. Claus, song leader elves, and character performers. Join the pre-event excitement at the origin station for smooth check-in, kids' craft tables, musical entertainment and a charity drive. Saturday, December 2 (two times, 12:30 pm & 3:30 pm)
The Nutcracker (Rancho Cucamonga - Claremont - Riverside) - Experience the magic of the holidays with family and friends at southern California’s most spectacular production of The Nutcracker from critically acclaimed Inland Pacific Ballet. This annual production tells the story of a young girl named Clara who receives a magical nutcracker doll on Christmas Eve and sets out on a wondrous journey to the Land of the Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets. The Nutcracker comes to life in this magnificent ballet with beautiful sets, dazzling costumes, Tchaikovsky’s classic score, and over 80 dancers on stage. Toy soldiers, life-sized dancing dolls, falling snow, a fantastic dream with battling mice, dancing snowflakes, waltzing flowers, gingerbread characters, and the delightful Sugar Plum Fairy stir the imagination. This is family entertainment at its best! (Playing at Lewis Family Playhouse, Bridges Auditorium and Fox Performing Arts Center - December 2-10, 16,17, 22-23)
Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade (Newport Beach) - The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade of Lights 2023 has it all. Elaborate Christmas light displays of Bayfront estates with their Ring of Lights competition and one of the largest decorated boat parades in the country. Hundreds of decorated ships of all sizes compete for top awards in over a half dozen categories. The Newport Beach Boat Parade is viewed by over 1.5 million people each season and is one of the largest boat parades you will likely ever see. Millions of holiday lights are a part of the Newport Beach Boat Parade and Ring Of Lights decorations, making Newport Bay a "must-see” for the holiday season. Multiple Cruise Times Nightly - Dec 1 - Dec 31
Magic of Lights (Indio) - Magic of Lights, a unique and dazzling drive-through holiday lights experience, is bigger and brighter than ever, with more than a mile of spectacular light displays that bring to life your favorite holiday scenes and characters. Don’t miss the larger-than-life sparkling Holiday Barbie™ display, the supersized Bigfoot® Monster Truck, and the life-sized dinosaurs of Prehistoric Christmas! Pile everyone into the car and experience more at the same low price! One carload, one price for the entire family. November 17 - December 31
Hikari - A Festival Of Lights (Irvine)- Join us for a celebration filled with joy and light! Loosely translated, Hikari means “shine” in Japanese, and this holiday season we have really made Tanaka Farms shine with over a million twinkling lights! Grab a hot cocoa and take a cozy Wagon Ride around the festively lit farm that will take you to the “Land of a Thousand Lanterns!” Once off the wagon, you will wander through the light displays, with photo opportunities throughout. After the wagon ride, make your way down to the Festival Grounds where you can visit with the Barnyard Animals, grab some food from the Tanaka Grill, take advantage of lots of photo-ops, games, Arts & Crafts, meet Santa for a photo, and, of course, more holiday lights! Enjoy live music on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights! November 24 - December 30
Holiday Road (Calabasas) - Larger-than-life holiday installations, tons of Christmas lights, Santa, Mrs. Claus, Elves, countless candy canes, and all your favorite holiday cheer! November 24 - December 27
Nights of Lights OC by Winter Fest OC(Costa Mesa) - Southern California's largest winter festival, returns to Costa Mesa from November 24th through January 7th on select dates, bringing winter fun for all ages! Winter Fest OC transforms OC Fair & Event Center into a magical winter wonderland with the region's one and only outdoor ice skating trail, ice tubing slide, and a real snow play area filled with endless delights. From free play to snowball throwing zones, sledding for the little ones, and a mesmerizing snow carousel, Winter Fest OC offers a winter wonderland like no other. November 24 - January 7
Enchanted Forest Of Light at Descanso - (La Cañada Flintridge) Descanso Gardens is famed for its daytime beauty all year round, but when the holiday season approaches, it brings a special treat. It's a whole new experience to see this SoCal treasure illuminated in glorious light. As the sun sets, the gardens transform into an enchanted forest, and your ticket is an invitation to venture in and discover the magical world that waits under the glowing foliage. During this colorful and interactive experience, you can stroll through a mile of Descanso Gardens' most popular areas while marveling at the gorgeous lighted displays. November 19 - January 7
Luminaria Nights (Claremont) - Be enchanted by this Claremont tradition, where the California Botanic Garden glows with light for the holidays. Special holiday installations, live music, and beverages/snacks are for sale. December 8, 9, 10 15 & 16
LA Zoo Lights (Los Angeles) - The Los Angeles Zoo and Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) are thrilled to announce the return of its highly anticipated holiday lights festival L.A. Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow, Presented by U.S. Bank. This enchanting all-new spectacle will run from Nov. 17, 2023, through Jan. 7, 2024, with stunning lantern sculptures, vibrant interactive displays, roaming live entertainment, and festive holiday photo ops, creating a wonderland of lights under the stars. L.A. Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow is a festive, dazzling celebration of nature, wildlife, and the winter holiday season. November 17 - January 7
Lightscape @ Los Angeles County Arboretum (Los Angeles) - Experience a winter walk on the dark side of the garden and let your imagination soar with the new sights and sounds along the Serpent Trail and Forest Path. Lightscape Reimagined for 2023, presented by US Bank merges nature and art in the mesmerizing Fire Garden, awesome Arch of Light, eye-catching Feast of Light, exotic Dancing Palms, and other spectacular installations. A fan favorite, the magnificent Winter Cathedral, returns! Food trucks and a full bar too from 5:30-10pm. Pssst–Santa is coming to Lightscape on select nights. November 17 - January 2, 2023
Duke's Verry Merry Village @ Castle Park (Riverside) -The most "fun-derful" time of the year at Castle Park is more wonderful than ever! Celebrate the season at Castle Park with an all-new Duke’s Very Merry Village. Enjoy festive decorations, holiday treats and our famous snow and light shows. New this year, see Duke’s Holiday Wish, our live musical holiday show, feast on Brunch with Duke, Santa and friends or take a ride on Antique Cars rethemed for the season as Holiday Lane. Plus, come back for special events, including scavenger hunts, a Noon Year’s Eve celebration and much more. It’s our best holiday event ever! November 18 - January 7.
Santa's Village (Skyforest/Lake Arrowhead) - SkyPark at Santa’s Village is an Outdoor Adventure Park with year-round mountain biking, hiking, fly fishing and open air activities in the Skyforest section of Lake Arrowhead, California. The Park resides on 230 expansive acres of natural forest with meadowlands, ponds and an apple orchard. At the core of SkyPark is The Village, which includes historic log cabin restaurants and shops, seasonal entertainment, and open-air activities. SkyPark’s nearly 10 miles of year-round mountain bike trails, hiking trails, fly fishing, archery, zip lines, seasonal ice skating or roller skating rink, rock climbing, and more are available to the public for the price of admission. During November and December, they transform the entire park into Santa’s Village – The ultimate Christmas experience! Train rides, village of lights, interactive nighttime walk-through, ice skating, visit Santa's house, meet the Northwoods characters and MORE! November 16 - January 7
Wild Holidays (Escondido) - See the Safari Park in a whole new light! Take a holiday expedition of light and travel through places that glow and twinkle with holiday cheer. Holiday tunes set the mood, and seasonal food treats tempt you throughout your journey. Wild Holidays is included with all admission tickets and memberships. November 24 - December 31
Winter Fantasy (Laguna Beach) - Sawdust Art Festival’s Winter Fantasy is a one-of-a-kind holiday art and craft festival that offers a festive shopping experience. The festival is highlighted by original artwork handcrafted by 160 international artists who create, showcase and sell their unique gifts of art in an enchanting winter wonderland that has been transformed with thousands of lights and decorations, and falling snow. An annual community tree lighting ceremony kicks off the holiday season with a jolly selection of holiday music and live entertainment, including community performers, Christmas carolers, puppeteers, and daily visits with Santa Claus. Open Weekends starting November 17 - December 17
Polar Express Train Ride (Perris) - Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, passengers will relive the magic of the classic story as they are whisked away on THE POLAR EXPRESS™ for a magical one-hour trip to the North Pole. Once onboard, your car hosts will work their way through the coach and punch your golden ticket before hot chocolate and delicious Walkers Shortbread are served by dancing chefs. Passengers then read along with the classic children’s book, The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg. Santa and his helpers board the train to greet passengers and each guest is given the first gift of Christmas – a silver sleigh bell. During the trip, characters on each car lead passengers in caroling and onboard entertainment just like in the film! Each guest will take home a keepsake sleigh bell and the wonderful memories made on this magical trip. Now - December 30
Knotts Merry Farm (Buena Park) - The holiday spirit shines even brighter at Knott’s Merry Farm this year. Experience Knott’s largest Christmas celebration with winter wonderland-inspired décor transforming the entire park into a classic holiday festival, featuring a landscape of thousands of twinkling lights, miles of themed garland, jumbo snowflakes, and a variety of picturesque seasonal settings. Knott’s Merry Farm offers family Christmas activities and joyful experiences inspired by the spirit of the holidays. November 17 through January 7
Holidays at Universal Studios (Universal City) Universal Studios Hollywood is the perfect destination for creating new holiday traditions with the whole family. Enjoy Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ where you can see Hogsmeade™ transformed with enchanting spirit, festive décor and holiday-themed food, beverages and entertainment. Experience The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts™ Castle, a holiday spectacle of dazzling lights and music. Spread the cheer and join in on the fun of Who-tacular festivities with The Grinch™, Max and Who-ville with the return of Grinchmas™. End your day at Universal CityWalk, where you can enjoy our spectacular Christmas tree, sumptuous outdoor dining, and fun holiday shopping.
November 24 - January 1
Jungle Bells - Aurora @ The San Diego Zoo (San Diego) This year's Jungle Bells brings the return of Aurora—a magical and spectacular experience with lights, 3D projections, and music. Experience the magic and spirit of the holiday season at the world-famous San Diego Zoo! Join us for Jungle Bells as we light up the night until 8 p.m. (*except December 24) with amazing entertainment—including the end-of-the-evening spectacular Aurora. Bring the whole family, and enjoy all the fun and warmth of this joyous annual celebration.'Tis the season to celebrate—join us for holiday cheer! Jungle Bells is included with all admission tickets and memberships. December 9 - January 1
Holiday Train Light Show @ Tom's Farms (Corona) Come and join Tom's Farms as we ring this holiday season with our annual Christmas Train and Light Show! The train will be running from December 2 to December 23. Tickets are $8.00. Santa Photos from 12/2 - 12/19 Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm. December 2 - December 23
Looking for something to do on a specific day or weekend?
CLICK HERE to visit our event calendar to find events by date
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