Now is the time, dear readers, to pull out your planner (or phone calendar) and make endless plans to see loved ones and celebrate the holiday season. As you do that, use this nifty list we’ve compiled with every holiday event we could scrounge up in Long Beach.
Below you’ll find countless kickoffs, plentiful parades, several snowy celebrations, a Santa sighting or two, and of course, annual traditions like Kwanzaa and Hmong New Year. Also bountiful this year are specialty markets, so residents can fill their stockings and put gifts under the tree with nary a Walmart or Target receipt in sight.
Between the curated holiday markets, annual parades, kid-friendly Santa parties and tamale gatherings, residents have no shortage of fun and free ways to celebrate the season.
Need a helping hand? See our list of toy and grocery giveaways this month here. Want to lend a hand? Check out our list of toy drives and volunteer opportunities here.
Have an event for us? Send the details to Newspaper@SignalTribune.com to be added to this list.
Sunday, Dec. 7
CSULB Holiday Sale: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Fine arts students at Cal State Long Beach will kick off their 55th annual College of the Arts holiday art sale on the upper campus (1250 Bellflower Blvd.). The complex will be filled with works by students such as ceramics, fiber, illustrations, jewelry, printmaking, sculptures and more. The market will run through Thursday, Dec. 11 from noon to 5 p.m.
Winter in Willmore: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Willmore City Community Association invites the public to a festive evening of holiday cheer and a holiday market at the historic Bembridge House (953 N. Park Circle). Do your Christmas shopping while supporting local vendors and enjoying falling snow, children’s crafts, live music, food trucks, pictures with Santa and more. Four lucky visitors will receive a holiday Christmas tree package. Free.
Friday, Dec. 12
Santa’s Festive Forest: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Camp Fire Long Beach is hosting a holiday family event in their camp at 7070 E. Carson St. There will be games, crafts for kids, s’mores, coffee, hot chocolate, food trucks and Santa. Parking will be available at Camp Fire or next door at McBride High School. Entry is free, and activities cost 1-5 tickets with tickets priced at $1.
Saturday, Dec. 13
Hmong New Year: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Hmong community will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their New Year Festival on Saturday and Sunday at El Dorado Park, Golden Grove Section (7550 E. Spring St.). The festival begins with opening remarks and then a parade to honor the harvest of all good things in the past year, and the hopes for the year to come. There will be cultural foods, performances from local organizations, craft booths, traditional games and much more. The festival is free, but parking at the park is $8.
The Kwanzaa Experience: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Celebrate culture, community and creativity at this Kwanzaa experience at the Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.) Doris Topsy-Elvord Community Center. Families can enjoy crafts, music, refreshments and performers as they honor the seven principles of Kwanzaa: unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. Free.
Santa’s Workshop: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Children and families in West Long Beach can experience a winter wonderland at Silverado Park (1545 W. 31st St.), featuring face painting, balloon twisting, crafts, popcorn, carnival games, recreation games, cookie decorating, raffles and of course, Santa Claus! Free.
P.E.A.C.E. in the Park: Noon to 4 p.m. This grassroots space offers families and neighbors a chance to heal, connect and grow as a community at Ramona Park (3301 E. 65th St.). Attendees can learn about and practice breathwork, the art of intention, participate in a family peace circle where parents and children share affirmations and create a peace pledge, and children up to 5 years old will be able to build their own Montessori toy with their parents. Every child will be able to take a toy home through the free distribution. This day of peace is hosted by Project X LB and the Phoenix Rise Project. Free.
Daisy Lane Parade: 5 p.m. The city’s longest-running holiday parade returns to Daisy Lane. The parade will begin at 5 p.m. at Hill Street, then travel along Daisy Lane to Pacific Coast Highway and wrap back around. Hundreds of residents attend this tradition each year to celebrate local community groups, nonprofits and students. Free.
Tamales y Mas on Toledo: 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Craftsman Village invites the public to the fourth annual Tamales y Mas on Toledo on Seventh Street and Orange Avenue on Toledo Walk. enjoy music, crafts, champurrado, tamales and other sweets while you shop from local food and craft vendors. Parking will be available and free at Franklin Middle School. Free.
Sunday, Dec. 14
Abolitionist Book Fair: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Care Culture Collaborative is hosting this entirely free book fair where residents can “shop” for children’s books, teen books, fiction and non-fiction and stationary as well as participate in a craft table at Wood Coffee Co. (2728 10th St.).
Hanukkah Event and 714 Market: Noon to 6 p.m. Gather with community as Shul by the Shore kindles the lights of a menorah in celebration of Hanukkah at 2ND & PCH (6480 E. Pacific Coast Highway). Free.
Santa Con: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Experience an entire street of Santas, Mrs. Clauses and a flurry of elves at Bixby Knolls’ Santa Con event. Costumes are mandatory to this festive outing, which features a bar crawl with holiday-themed drinks, food and drink specials, live music at multiple venues, discounts for holiday shoppers and a scavenger hunt. The Big Red Bus will be taking Santas and elves to and from the various locations participating in the event. See the full details and purchase tickets here.
Holiday Concert: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Long Beach Community Band is playing a free holiday concert for residents at Bethany Church (2250 Clark Ave.).
Saturday, Dec. 20
Vintage Holiday Market: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Shop a curated lineup of local makers and vintage sellers at Prism Boutique and 6th & Detroit. Visitors can shop for jewelry, ceramics, handmade clothing and enjoy live portraits, food, refreshments and a gift wrapping booth.
Parol Lantern Festival: 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. KUBO Organizing Project and KUBO is hosting the 8th annual Long Beach Parol Lantern Festival, a beloved Filipino tradition where attendees create a star-shaped lantern signifying hope and joy. This year’s theme is Liwanagan ang Langit: Together We Light the Sky, and will take place at the Expo Arts Center (4321 Atlantic Ave.). The festival will showcase cultural performances, the opportunity to shop from small businesses and crafting workshops to create parol lanterns. Attendees who create a parol lantern can enter a competition at the event for a chance to earn prizes. Additional event hubs will be hosted at KUBO LB (3976 Atlantic Ave.) and Ambitious Ales (4019 Atlantic Ave.). For more information click here.
