Best Holiday Lights and Holiday Events for Kids in Los Angeles (2026)

Last updated: November 2, 2026 · By Heather Shorr

Glowing animal lanterns, a laser snowfall in the forest, a whole neighborhood of lights in the Valley and Santa on Hollywood Boulevard: the LA holiday outings that are actually worth bundling everyone into the car for.

Los Angeles doesn’t do snow, but it does the holidays better than people give it credit for. Between the botanical gardens that turn into light shows, the neighborhood displays that have been going for decades, parades, menorah lightings, train rides and a zoo full of glowing animals, there’s more to do between Thanksgiving and New Year’s than any family could fit in. The trick is choosing the right ones for your kids. A 3-year-old who melts down at 7:30 p.m. needs a different plan than a 10-year-old who wants to stay out late and see everything. So for each pick below, we’ve included the things parents actually need to know: dates, what it costs, how long you’ll realistically spend there, and how to avoid the classic mistakes, like showing up at peak time on the Saturday before Christmas. One quick note: holiday events change details every year. Dates and prices below were checked in October 2026, and where an organizer hadn’t announced 2026 details yet, we’ve said so. Always confirm on the official site before you go.

1. L.A. Zoo Lights

Best overall for younger kids

If you only do one ticketed holiday event with little kids, this is a strong choice. The Los Angeles Zoo turns its paths into an evening walk through glowing light sculptures of birds, butterflies, insects, flowers, sea creatures and even Ice Age animals. It works so well for younger kids because it’s a contained, manageable loop. The zoo says most guests spend 60 to 90 minutes, which is about right for a preschooler’s attention span after dark. There’s also a carousel, holiday treats and photo spots, and Santa appears on select nights for an additional fee. There’s also an artificial ice-skating rink, which requires a separate ticket. Decide before you arrive whether you’re doing it, or you’ll be having that negotiation in front of the rink.

• Dates: November 20, 2026 through January 10, 2027, on select evenings
• Closed: November 26 and 30; December 1, 7, 14, 15, 16, 24, 25 and 31; January 4 to 7
• Cost: Tickets start at $19. Zoo members get discounts, and buying early saves money.
• Parking: Free
• How long: About 60 to 90 minutes
• Best ages: Toddlers through about 10
• Location: Los Angeles Zoo, 5333 Zoo Drive, Griffith Park
• Website: lazoo.org

Our parent tip: The zoo is holding a Sensory-Inclusive Zoo Lights night on December 8, which is worth knowing about if your child does better with fewer crowds and less noise. Also, go on a weeknight early in the season if you can. Weekends in mid-December are a very different experience.

From our family: When we took Ford to L.A. Zoo Lights, he loved it. Being able to roam around and take in all the different lights, displays and sounds made him so happy. He does pretty well staying up a little later, so we waited until it was fully dark, which made it even more magical.

2. Enchanted: Forest of Light at Descanso Gardens

Most magical walk-through

This is the one that adults tend to love as much as kids do. Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge turns into a roughly one-mile nighttime walk through light installations set among the trees, gardens and water. 2026 is the event’s tenth anniversary season. This year’s highlights include a giant koi display in the Japanese Garden (celebrating that garden’s 60th anniversary), stained glass houses by artist Tom Fruin, a holiday market and a laser show that ends with a snowfall finale. Because it’s a mile on foot, this one is easier with kids who are past the “carry me” stage, or with a stroller or carrier for the little ones.

• Dates: November 22, 2026 through January 9, 2027
• Cost: Timed tickets are sold in advance, and Descanso offered “Anytime” tickets this year that let you lock in a price and pick your night later. Check the website for current prices.
• Distance: About one mile of walking
• Best ages: About 4 and up, or younger with a stroller or carrier
• Location: Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge
• Website: descansogardens.org

Our parent tip: This event regularly sells out on popular nights. If December weekends are the only time that works for your family, book early.

3. Candy Cane Lane, Woodland Hills

Best free lights in the Valley

Candy Cane Lane has been a Woodland Hills tradition since 1952, and it’s still one of the best free holiday outings in Los Angeles. Roughly eight square blocks of homes near Pierce College go all out with lights and decorations. You can drive through slowly with your headlights dimmed, or park and walk. With kids, walking is usually the better experience. They can stop, point and actually look at things instead of pressing their faces against a car window.

• When: Traditionally from the first Saturday in December through the first Saturday after New Year’s Day (in 2026, that would put the start on December 5)
• Hours: Lights are typically on from about 6 to 10 p.m. Residents ask visitors to come through by 10 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. on weekends.
• Cost: Free
• Where: Around Lubao Avenue and Oxnard Street, just across from Pierce College. From the 101, take Winnetka Avenue north and turn right on Oxnard Street.
• Best ages: Everyone
• More info: Woodland Hills Chamber of Commerce

Our parent tip: Remember these are people’s homes. Keep voices down, stay off lawns, and if traffic is backed up, park a few blocks away and walk in. It’s faster and much more fun.

Planning a visit? Our Candy Cane Lane Woodland Hills guide has this year’s expected dates, parking and tips for going with kids.

4. Tinker Bell’s Neverland at South Coast Botanic Garden

Best for Peter Pan fans

New for 2026, South Coast Botanic Garden on the Palos Verdes Peninsula is hosting “Tinker Bell’s Neverland: An Illuminated Adventure,” an outdoor walk-through light trail based on the Peter Pan story. The trail passes through a London skyline, the Lost Boys’ hideout and Crocodile Creek. For kids who know the story, this is a fun twist on the usual holiday lights: it’s an adventure to follow rather than just displays to look at.

• Dates: November 13, 2026 through January 3, 2027, evenings starting at 5 p.m.
• Cost: Ticketed in advance. Check the garden’s website for current prices.
• Best ages: Preschool through elementary
• Location: South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Boulevard, Palos Verdes Peninsula
• Website: southcoastbotanicgarden.org

5. Christmas on the Farm at Underwood Family Farms

Best daytime holiday outing

Not every holiday outing has to happen after bedtime. Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark, an easy drive from the West Valley, runs Christmas on the Farm during the day, with animal visits, a baby goat experience, tractor wagon rides, animal shows, slides and holiday photo spots. Santa’s reindeer appear on select dates. For toddlers and preschoolers especially, a daytime farm visit can be a much happier holiday memory than a crowded light show at 8 p.m.

• Dates: November 27 through December 24, 2026, opening at 9 a.m.
• Tickets: On sale November 1, 2026
• Best ages: Toddlers through early elementary
• Location: Underwood Family Farms, 3370 Sunset Valley Road, Moorpark
• Website: underwoodfamilyfarms.com

6. The Hollywood Christmas Parade

Best free big event

The Hollywood Christmas Parade is a genuinely big-deal LA tradition: marching bands, floats, celebrities and Santa, rolling down Hollywood Boulevard on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Curbside viewing is free. It’s also a big crowd. With young kids, the experience depends almost entirely on where you’re standing and how early you got there.

• Date: Sunday, November 29, 2026 (start time to be announced; it has started around 6 p.m. in past years)
• Cost: Free curbside viewing; reserved grandstand seating is sold separately
• Where: Hollywood Boulevard, starting near Orange Drive
• Best ages: About 5 and up, unless your little one is fine with crowds

Our parent tip: Bring something to sit on, snacks, layers and a plan for the bathroom. Arrive early to claim a curb spot, and agree on a meeting point with older kids in case anyone gets separated.

7. Bob Baker’s Nutcracker

Best holiday show for little kids

Bob Baker Marionette Theater has been performing its version of The Nutcracker since 1969, and it remains one of the sweetest holiday shows in Los Angeles for young children. The marionettes come close to the audience, the show is a manageable length, and in classic Bob Baker tradition, it ends with ice cream. The show is currently performed at the Sierra Madre Playhouse.

• Dates: November 28, 2026 through January 3, 2027
• Cost: Ticketed; check the theater’s website for prices
• Best ages: About 2 to 8
• Location: Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 West Sierra Madre Boulevard, Sierra Madre
• Website: bobbakermarionettetheater.com

8. The Grove: Tree Lighting and Nightly Snowfall

Best quick dose of holiday magic in the city

The Grove’s giant Christmas tree and its nightly “snowfall” are about as close to a snow globe as Los Angeles gets. The official tree lighting ceremony is a big, crowded event that has typically happened in mid-November, but you don’t need to go that night. The decorations and nightly snowfall run throughout the season. For kids, a weeknight visit to see the tree and catch the snowfall is a short, easy outing, especially if you pair it with dinner at the Original Farmers Market next door.

• When: Throughout the holiday season. The 2026 tree lighting date hadn’t been announced as of October.
• Cost: Free to walk around and watch the snowfall
• Location: The Grove, 189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles
• Best ages: Everyone

Hanukkah Celebrations and Menorah Lightings

Hanukkah 2026 begins at sundown on Friday, December 4 and ends at nightfall on Saturday, December 12. Several free community celebrations happen around Los Angeles. Kids especially love the giant menorah lightings.

• Original Farmers Market: Chanukah celebration on Sunday, December 6, 2026, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., with the menorah lighting at 5 p.m. (6333 West 3rd Street)
• Santa Monica: Nightly menorah lightings around sundown on the 1400 block of the Third Street Promenade (2026 schedule to be announced)
• Beverly Hills: A community menorah lighting at Beverly Gardens Park (2026 date to be announced)

More Holiday Ideas Around LA

• Long Beach: The Belmont Shore Christmas Parade is on Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 6 to 9 p.m. on East 2nd Street. The Naples Holiday Boat Parade, with decorated boats cruising the canals, is traditionally held the Saturday before Christmas. It pairs perfectly with a walk through the Naples canals, which we cover in our Long Beach guide.
• Kidspace Children’s Museum (Pasadena): Its Winter Frolic season starts November 6, 2026. Check the museum’s site for details.
• Your own neighborhood: Some of the best lights are the ones on a random street ten minutes from your house. A family “lights walk” after dinner with hot chocolate in a thermos is free, easy and very hard to beat.

How to Plan a Holiday Night Out With Kids

The difference between a magical holiday outing and a meltdown in a parking lot usually comes down to a few simple decisions. Go early in the season. The week after Thanksgiving and the first week of December are far calmer than the weekend before Christmas. Go early in the evening. Most light events start around sunset. The first hour is usually the least crowded, and it’s when younger kids still have something left in the tank. Weeknights beat weekends. If your kids can handle a weeknight outing, you’ll get shorter lines, easier parking and more space to actually enjoy it. Dress for the cold. LA winter nights get surprisingly chilly, especially in the Valley and in places like Descanso. Bring layers and hats for kids. Eat first. Event food is expensive, the lines are long, and a hungry kid will not care about the light tunnel. Plan for a stroller even if you think you don’t need one. A 5-year-old who walked happily at 5:30 often needs a ride by 7:30. Pick one big thing. Trying to fit the parade, the lights and dinner into one night usually means nobody enjoys any of it.

More guides for LA parents: kid-friendly restaurants in LA, things to do with autistic kids and best parks in LA for kids.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best free Christmas lights in Los Angeles?

Candy Cane Lane in Woodland Hills is one of the best-known free displays, running from early December through the first Saturday after New Year’s. The Grove’s tree and nightly snowfall are also free to see, and the Hollywood Christmas Parade (November 29, 2026) is free for curbside viewing.

When does L.A. Zoo Lights open in 2026?

L.A. Zoo Lights runs from November 20, 2026 to January 10, 2027 on select evenings, with tickets starting at $19 and free parking. It’s closed on several dates, including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, so check the calendar before you go.

Which LA holiday events are best for toddlers?

L.A. Zoo Lights (a manageable 60 to 90 minutes), Christmas on the Farm at Underwood Family Farms (daytime, with animals) and Bob Baker’s Nutcracker (a short marionette show that ends with ice cream) are all great for little ones.

Do LA holiday light events sell out?

Popular ticketed events, especially Enchanted: Forest of Light at Descanso Gardens and weekend nights at L.A. Zoo Lights, can sell out, particularly in mid-December. Booking early also tends to be cheaper.

Find More Holiday Fun Near You

Every December, LA parents end up searching dozens of websites, event calendars and parent groups to figure out what’s happening near them and what’s actually worth it with kids. That’s exactly the problem we’re building AfterschoolSearch to solve: one place to find kids’ activities, events, classes and camps around Los Angeles County.

Dates, prices and schedules were checked in October 2026 and can change. Always confirm details directly with the event organizer before you go.