LA Examiner

Tag: holiday season

  • Christmas Events to Enjoy in Los Angeles During This Holiday Season

    Christmas Events to Enjoy in Los Angeles During This Holiday Season

    Image credit: Unsplash

    While it probably won’t snow in Los Angeles, there are plenty of Christmas events and other holiday activities to enjoy. From Christmas light displays to parades, theme parks to movies, Los Angeles isn’t lacking in holiday spirit. The following is a list of the best events you can participate in this season.

    The LA Zoo Lights

    The Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park is inviting visitors to take part in an immersive landscape of lights and lantern sculptures this Christmas season. The zoo has a long tradition of lights on the holidays, but the “Animals Aglow” event is entirely new. The seasonal celebration features larger-than-life lantern animal sculptures along a colorful trail of lights. The event lasts until January 5, 2025, but be sure to visit the zoo’s website for details and to buy tickets.

    “A Christmas Carol”

    Has showings until December 23 at A Noise Within’s classic theater in Pasadena, so you don’t want to miss out on this classic. “A Christmas Carol” is Charles Dickens’ tale of becoming a better person through holiday spirit, directed in this case by Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott. The play stars Elliott and other resident artists of the theater company, all of whom are among Los Angeles’ best classical actors. Visit the theater’s website for more information and tickets.

    Christmas at Santa’s Village

    Lasting until January 5, 2025, Lake Arrowhead’s Santa’s Village is one place where you might find snow. The village features light displays, a train ride, and a nighttime walk through the forest. There’s ice skating, snacks, and plenty of things to do. You can even enjoy breakfast with Santa or tea with Mrs. Claus with a separate ticket. Visit the village’s website for details and ticket information.

    The Marina Del Rey Boat Parade

    Whether you gather at Fisherman’s Village or Burton Chace Park, the view of the Marina Del Rey Boat Parade is undoubtedly a unique experience. Boats compete to win in categories including Best Theme, Best Animation, Best Lights, and more. Seventy boats will pass you in the marina, boasting holiday lights and other decorations. The event takes place on December 14, beginning at 5:55 pm with a fireworks show, and the boat parade starts at 6 pm.

    Yuletide Cinemaland

    Until December 23, Street Food Cinema is hosting a series of outdoor activities. With a cup of hot chocolate, you can enjoy a stroll through a light tunnel, take part in a piano sing-along, or even go on a Victorian home tour before stopping to watch an outdoor holiday screening. With classic films like Elf, Home Alone, The Muppet Christmas Carol, and more, Yuletide Cinemaland is full of holiday cheer. To learn more or to purchase tickets, visit Street Food Cinema’s website.

    “The Nutcracker”

    The Los Angeles Ballet is performing “The Nutcracker” with a distinct SoCal twist in Westwood, Pasadena, and Hollywood theaters until December 28 this holiday season. The ballet is a classic show filled with excitement and dance for the whole family. The show will have ten performances in Hollywood, with an orchestra accompanying it. Visit the Los Angeles Ballet website for more information.

    The Los Angeles Christmas Market

    Situated in the Downtown Arts District at ROW DTLA, the Los Angeles Christmas Market aims to bring you the experience of a European Christmas market. The event features festive food and drink, ranging from schnitzel to eggnog, and plenty of opportunities for Christmas shopping, photos, and holiday activities. Visit the Eventbrite page for more information on tickets.

    Christmas in LA

    All in all, Los Angeles looks like a festive place during Christmas. From classic shows to modern takes on the holidays, there is plenty to do in the city.

  • Artist Transforms Descanso Gardens Into Enchanted Forest of Light

    Artist Transforms Descanso Gardens Into Enchanted Forest of Light

    Image credit: Unsplash

    Artists have transformed Descanso Gardens into an enchanted forest of light for the holiday season. Descanso’s annual event, Enchanted, is running from November 19, 2023, to January 7, 2024.

    Enchanted features a nighttime stroll through the botanical gardens, glowing with fantastical, festive light sculptures. The mile-long path takes visitors through popular areas of the gardens decorated with special light features. Returning favorites include the town of magical stained glass houses on the main lawn by contemporary sculptor Tom Fruin and the thousands of lighted tulips that make up the “Flower Power” display on the Promenade. The oak trees in the garden’s Ancient Forest create the Symphony of Oaks, where visitors can create their own music by stepping across lit platforms around the trees to trigger different sounds. Red lanterns illuminate the Japanese Garden, turning it into Enchanted’s Garden of Good Fortune. 

    Those who frequent Descanso Gardens will be excited to learn that a new attraction has been added to Enchanted this year. The Rose Garden is now open during the event, with beautiful, twirling sculptures created by Los Angeles artist HYBYCOZO. The ornate, geometric shapes cast spirals of pink light across the garden. The arbor has been transformed into an entryway to the “Starlight Garden,” with large, sparkling stars hanging from above. Strings of moving lights that appear to follow those on the pathway complete the Rose Garden’s decor.

    Jennifer Errico, marketing manager for Descanso Gardens, explained to Los Angeles Daily News that the decision to open the Rose Garden during Enchanted hinged on construction planned for the garden’s lake in the upcoming year. “Enchanted is all about us showing off the gardens at night, and we’ve never really been in the Rose Garden, and that is one of our most beloved places,” Errico commented.

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    Enchanted also offers food and drinks that can be brought into the walking path. Descanso recommends that visitors bundle up, as temperatures can drop into the 40s at night. Advance tickets are required for entry and are timed for every half-hour between 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. seven days a week until January 7, 2024, with the exception of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Member tickets are $30-$40 each and non-member tickets are $35-$45.

    Descanso Gardens is a botanical garden with a living museum located in La Canada Flintridge, approximately twenty minutes away from downtown Los Angeles. The 150-acre property is nestled between mountains, allowing visitors to escape the urban landscape and enjoy an oasis in nature. Their Rose Garden and Camellia Forest are famous for their beautiful blooms that showcase years of history. The Stuart Haaga Gallery is an onsite museum that rotates exhibitions and is free to explore with admission to the gardens. The Boddy House, home of Descanso’s founder, is also on the property. The estate was designed by prominent Los Angeles architect James E. Dolena in the 1930s. 

    Aside from the Enchanted Forest of Lights, Descanso also puts on an annual event for the month of October called Carved, featuring spooky lights and jack-o-lanterns on the garden path.