Verified October 2, 2026. Every date below was checked against the organizer or the city. Where a 2026 date has not been announced yet, we say so instead of guessing, and we update this page as dates post. Confirm before you go, because holiday schedules shift.
The holidays at the beach look a little different. Palm trees in lights, a Ferris wheel over the sand, Santa arriving by boat, and boats outlined in lights gliding through King Harbor. Here is the whole South Bay season in one place, from the first pier lighting in November to the last neighborhood light display in January.
What are the dates to know this holiday season?
- Wednesday, November 18: Manhattan Beach Pier Lighting and Downtown Holiday Open House.
- Friday to Sunday, November 20 to 22: Hermosa for the Holidays, with the tree lighting on Sunday evening.
- Thursday, December 3: El Segundo’s Joy Around the World tree lighting (held the first Thursday of December).
- Saturday and Sunday, December 5 and 6: Holiday Crafts with Santa and the Family Gingerbread House Workshop in Manhattan Beach (pre-registration required).
- Sunday, December 6: San Pedro Spirit of the Holidays Parade.
- Saturday, December 12: Redondo Beach Pier Holiday Celebration, the King Harbor Holiday Boat Parade, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula Holiday Parade of Lights at 6pm.
- Sunday, December 13: Manhattan Beach Holiday Fireworks.
- Early December through early January: the Sleepy Hollow light display in Torrance.
Where do the South Bay holiday tree lightings happen?
Manhattan Beach Pier Lighting, Wednesday, November 18, 6pm to 9pm. The pier gets its holiday lights and downtown Manhattan Beach throws its Holiday Open House the same night, so the shops are open late and the streets are full. It is one of the prettiest nights of the year to walk down to the water. City of Manhattan Beach
Hermosa for the Holidays, November 20 to 22. A full weekend on Pier Plaza: a Ferris wheel with ocean views ($8 a ride, card only), pop-up holiday shopping on Saturday, Letters to Santa on Saturday, storytime, photos with Santa on Sunday from 10am to 4pm (pets welcome in the photos), a nonprofit Giving Village, a community concert, the Rock for Tots concert, and the tree lighting with Santa’s arrival on Sunday at 5:45pm. Hermosa Beach Chamber
El Segundo Joy Around the World, Thursday, December 3. The city’s Festival of Holidays and tree lighting, with crafts, entertainment and a holiday boutique. El Segundo holds it on the first Thursday of December. El Segundo Recreation and Parks
On the Peninsula. Palos Verdes Estates lights its tree at Malaga Cove Plaza on an early December evening, with carolers, cookie decorating, Letters to Santa and free hot chocolate. A few days later, Santa tours the city with a police and fire escort, starting in Lunada Bay, stopping for a meet and greet at Malaga Cove Plaza and finishing at the Civic Center. Rancho Palos Verdes holds its own tree lighting at the Ken Dyda Civic Center. All three are annual, and none has posted a 2026 date yet, so watch Holidays in PVE and we will add them here when they post.
Where are the holiday parades?
San Pedro Spirit of the Holidays Parade, Sunday, December 6, 1pm to 3pm. The 46th year of a true hometown parade, with marching bands, scouts, little league teams and equestrian units. The route starts at 13th Street and Pacific Avenue, turns onto 6th Street and finishes at 6th and Palos Verdes Street. It goes on rain or shine, and it is free. San Pedro Chamber
Palos Verdes Peninsula Holiday Parade of Lights, Saturday, December 12, 6pm. A new date this year: the City of Rolling Hills Estates has moved its parade to the second Saturday of December. Expect floats, marching bands, community partners and Santa. The route starts at Silver Spur Road and Drybank Drive and runs along Deep Valley Drive through the Promenade on the Peninsula. Free parking is at the Town and Country Center, the Peninsula Shopping Center and Promenade PV. Details at rhe.city/parade. City of Rolling Hills Estates
What is happening on the water?
Saturday, December 12 is the big day in Redondo Beach, and you can do all of it.
- Redondo Beach Pier Holiday Celebration, 1pm to 4pm. A free afternoon at the west end of the pier with a holiday concert, carolers, arts and crafts, a photo station, and Candy Cane Lane on the pier and boardwalk from 1pm to 2pm while supplies last. Weather permitting. Redondo Beach Pier
- King Harbor Holiday Boat Parade, 5:30pm to 7pm. Boats decked out in lights cruise through King Harbor. The best views are from Moonstone Park and along the Splash Wall on Mole D. The King Harbor Yacht Club is not open to the public that night. King Harbor Boat Parade
Manhattan Beach Holiday Fireworks, Sunday, December 13, 3pm to 8pm. The 38th year of the South Bay’s biggest holiday night, with live music on the pier stage, a Santa float, a snow park for kids and the fireworks show over the pier at 7pm. Around 20,000 people come, so bring a blanket and a picnic, plan to walk or rideshare, and expect downtown parking to fill early. It goes on rain or shine, barring severe weather. Manhattan Beach Holiday Fireworks
Holiday crafts and gingerbread houses, December 5 and 6. Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation runs two holiday classics at Manhattan Heights Park, 1600 Manhattan Beach Boulevard: the 40th Holiday Crafts with Santa (Saturday 4pm to 6pm or Sunday 9am to 11am, $15 resident, $16 nonresident, with a spaghetti dinner and a visit from Santa) and the Family Gingerbread House Decorating Workshop (Saturday 9am to 11am, $60 resident, $65 nonresident for up to four people, pancake breakfast included). Both require pre-registration. City of Manhattan Beach
Where are the best holiday lights in the South Bay?
Sleepy Hollow, Torrance. Also called Candy Cane Lane. For more than 40 years, the homes in this neighborhood of Torrance’s Seaside Ranchos area have gone all out, and it has become one of the largest holiday light displays in the country. Robert Road off Pacific Coast Highway is the heart of it, with nearly every house lit up. It usually runs from the first full weekend of December through the first week of January, roughly 6pm to 10pm. Discover Torrance
This is a neighborhood display, not a city event, and it draws big crowds. The City of Torrance posts parking restrictions for it each year, so check the city’s Seaside Holiday Lights page before you go. Park legally, walk the streets instead of driving them, keep to the sidewalk, and remember these are people’s homes.
South Coast Botanic Garden. The garden has turned into a nighttime light walk for the past several holiday seasons, most recently Astra Lumina. The 2026 holiday program has not been announced yet. We will add it here when it is.
Riviera Village Holiday Stroll, Redondo Beach. Usually held on an early December evening, with car-free streets, shops open late, Santa and holiday treats. The 2026 date has not been posted yet.
Where else should you look?
Every Thursday we post what is happening that week on This Week in the South Bay, and the holiday season gets its own entries as dates are announced. For the rest of the year’s calendar, see South Bay Annual Events. Our Thanksgiving guide, with where to order dinner and where to eat out, goes live on November 2.
Have a question about this? Neil answers personally.