Celebrate the Holidays in santa ana, ca
Fresh-baked cookies, eggnog, and dazzling light displays are only a few of the great things waiting for you this holiday season in Lakewood, CA! Being so close to Los Angeles and the Southern California Coast means residents and visitors in Lakewood can take advantage of Christmas parties, holiday runs, coastal light displays, and so much more.
Spending the end of the year in Lakewood, CA? Here are some of the great things waiting for you this holiday season!
Activities
Shows and Performances
Shopping
Opportunities to Share
Safe Celebration
Activities
The holidays are the time of the year when most people stay indoors curled up on the couch with a cup of hot cocoa, but Lakewood residents have a different option: get outside! The relatively warm winter weather of Southern California means that events such as races, parades, and outdoor activities are not only possible, but even comfortable. Here are some of the best activities going on in and around Lakewood, CA, this season.
Disney Merriest Nites: This limited-time event takes place on select nights from November 11 to December 9. Regular visitors to Disney will still see the Christmas fantasy parade, snow on Main Street, and seasonal makeovers of It’s a Small World and the Haunted Mansion. What makes this event special is beloved Disney characters dressed up in holiday costumes, Muppets singing on Main Street, and plenty of themed backdrops for the perfect family photo. Plenty of cookies and hot chocolate will be available too!
Ugly Sweater Day 5K/10K: Celebrate National Ugly Sweater Day this year by racing in your ugliest Christmas sweater. Don’t consider yourself an amazing runner? Don’t worry: You can sign up for one-mile, 5k, 10k, 13.1-mile, or a full marathon length of 26.2 miles! Participants will earn the coveted ugly sweater medal! It’s the perfect way to burn off those holiday sugar cookies.
The Hollywood Christmas Parade: This event is one of the most awaited of the year around Southern California. In true California fashion, the parade includes massive floats of popular characters such as Kermit the frog, the Grinch, and a host of holiday floats like candy canes and gingerbread men. Equestrian groups and marching bands are also part of the parade, of course, and local and national celebrities might also join in. The parade takes place on November 28 at 6 PM PST. If you can’t make it in person, be sure to watch it on TV.
Shows and Performances
Get dressed up, hit the town, and see a live theatrical performance this holiday season! It makes for a great date but can also be fun for the whole family. This season you’ll have a wide variety of performances to choose from. Here are some of the stunning performances coming to a stage near you.
Irving Berlin’s White Christmas: This performance will make you long for the good old days as you watch the performers dressed in old-fashioned clothes performing mesmerizing musical numbers and dances. This beloved Christmas classic is a holiday tradition for many, so if you’d like to enjoy this performance, make sure to get your tickets early!
The Magic of Christmas: The Magic of Christmas features state-of-the-art, 45-foot LED walls that take the audience from the polar ice caps of the North Pole to the streets of London and from Toyland to the sugar plum fairies we all dream about—and this is just the beginning! This holiday variety show includes singing, dancing, and performances of your favorite holiday classics! Tickets won’t last long for this magical holiday performance.
The Nutcracker: Is there any holiday performance more well-known than The Nutcracker? The San Pedro City Ballet has been performing The Nutcracker in the South Bay communities of Los Angeles since 1994 and consistently brings energy and professionalism to the stage. Support this local ballet company by attending their performance of The Nutcracker on Friday, December 10, at 7 PM.
Shopping
Who doesn’t love a good holiday shopping spree? Even better is the moment when you see your loved one’s face light up when they open your gift. If you want to find something truly special to gift to someone this season, you should consider shopping at one of the local boutiques or fairs. Here are some of our top picks.
Swedish Christmas Fair: Celebrate the holidays at the Swedish Christmas Fair, even if you aren’t Swedish! There will be traditional food and treats alongside traditional handmade Swedish art, crafts, decor, and more. Check out this Swedish Christmas Fair on November 21 from 10:30 AM to 4 PM.
Belmont Shore Winter Village: This shopping center is decked out for the holidays each year and is full of venues for Christmas shopping, dining, and having fun. If you’re looking for a place to grab dinner or do your holiday shopping, Belmont Shore’s Winter Village is a great place to go!
Christmas Holiday Boutique + Day of the Horse: Celebrate the holidays at this Christmas boutique put together by the Free Rein Foundation, a group that rescues and rehabilitates neglected horses. All profits generated by the proceeds from the Christmas Boutique will go towards helping horses in need. Visitors to this boutique will find exceptional handmade goods such as clothing, jewelry, home decor, and a large selection of treats and food. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to find some great gifts and help horses in need!
Opportunities to Share
Thousands of Children won’t be celebrating the holidays this year, at least not without your help. Local organizations are doing their best to help those in need, both children and families, this year, but they need your help. Here are a few organizations that would really benefit from donations of time or money.
Children’s Christmas Store: New Image, an organization dedicated to helping individuals and children living in poverty, has been putting on the Children’s Christmas Store since 1995. This store allows children to come and pick out a toy they’d like for Christmas that year. There are bikes, scooters, balls, and plenty of other toys for children to choose from. The store also has gift cards for local grocery stores that are given out to families in need so they can buy food for a nice holiday dinner. There are never enough toys or gift cards to go around, so please consider donating to help those in need!
Heart of Christmas Food, Toy, and Book Donation Drive: Bring your kids to this inspirational event with storytelling, musical performances, and book and toy giveaways. This drive takes place at Aaron Community Cultural Center on Saturday, December 18, from 9:30 AM to 12 PM. This event cannot happen without community support, so consider donating your time or money to help this event become a success.
Safe Celebration
Candles are a fun holiday staple, but up to 7,500 fires are started each year because of this scented household item. Pay special attention to where you place candles in your apartment, especially if you plan on having them in your bedroom. Battery-powered candles can be a fun and safe alternative, and they don’t run out of wax! Whatever you do, never leave your holiday candles unattended, and don’t fall asleep with lit candles in the house!
Christmas trees can be another fire hazard you need to be aware of. If you’ve brought a real Christmas tree into your apartment during this holiday season, make sure you keep it watered so it isn’t quite as dangerous. But even a regularly watered Christmas tree will dry out. Keep all open flames, especially candles, away from the needles and branches, and make sure you turn all lights off and unplug any strand lights when you’re not at home. You never know when unexpected electrical issues might cause fires.
It’s nearly impossible to take advantage of all the great holiday activities going on this year in and around Lakewood, CA, but hopefully our holiday guide can help you out! There are tons of great activities, performances, and shopping locations to discover and explore.
From all of us at The 5800 Apartments in Lakewood, CA,
Happy Holidays!
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