Several holiday celebrations will light up the Santa Monica area this week, offering residents multiple opportunities to embrace the season with tree lightings, visits with Santa Claus and festive activities.
The festivities begin Wednesday with Santa Monica's official tree lighting, followed by weekend celebrations featuring the return of a decades-old nativity display and the police department's annual candy cane distribution.
The City of Santa Monica's official tree lighting ceremony will take place Wednesday, Dec. 4, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the 1300 block of Third Street Promenade, between Santa Monica Boulevard and Arizona Avenue. Special holiday programming begins at 5 p.m.
The event, organized by Downtown Santa Monica Inc., will feature Santa Claus lighting the tree and offering free photos with attendees. Live performances include local choirs and a special Nutcracker presentation, followed by artificial snow on the promenade.
Activities include holiday-themed crafts, hot cocoa, a holiday market, a photo opportunity with Big Blue Bus's wrapped bus and a DJ-hosted holiday dance party. All activities are free and open to all ages.
Santa Claus will join Santa Monica police officers and firefighters on Saturday, Dec. 6, for the 33rd Annual Candy Cane Drive, distributing thousands of candy canes throughout the city.
The event, sponsored by the Santa Monica Police Officers Association and Santa Monica Firefighters Local 1109, will make stops at one location per police beat.
Santa's schedule includes Douglas Park at 2400 California Ave. from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., Christine Reed Park at California Avenue and Seventh Street from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Virginia Avenue Park at 2200 Virginia Ave. from 1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., and Clover Park at Ocean Park Boulevard and 25th Street from 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Children are encouraged to watch and listen for the lights and sirens of public safety vehicles, while parents should bring cameras.
Palisades Village will host its annual Christmas tree lighting Saturday, Dec. 6, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 15225 Palisades Village Lane in Pacific Palisades.
Santa Claus will light the 50-foot white fir from Mt. Shasta at 5:30 p.m., followed by artificial snowfall. The tree is decorated with 3,000 lights and more than 1,500 ornaments.
The event continues despite the property's temporary closure, maintaining a community tradition. Activities include live musical entertainment, ornament making, children's holiday crafts, face painting and balloon twisting. Hot cocoa, coffee, food from the Sunset Smash food truck and treats from King Cone will be available. Community partners including Steadfast LA will participate.
The California Heritage Museum will host Miracle on Main Street on Sunday, Dec. 7, from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 2311 Main Street.
The event features children's activities, Santa Claus and a tree lighting on the Heritage Museum lawn, along with carolers and street-wide festivities extending into the evening.
Santa Monica's 70-year-old nativity scene tradition returns Sunday, Dec. 7, to 2311 Main Street. The nonprofit Santa Monica Nativity Scenes will display five of its 14 life-size biblical dioramas depicting Jesus's birth story.
Founded in 1953 by businessman Herb Spurgeon and local churches, the displays were once central to Santa Monica's identity, with police wearing "City of the Christmas Story" patches. The vintage scenes traditionally appeared in Palisades Park alongside Wilshire Boulevard parades.
A 2003 city ordinance restricting overnight park displays created challenges for the tradition. In 2011, following complaints, only three scenes were permitted in Palisades Park. A 2012 lawsuit seeking to restore the display failed, forcing the organization to relocate to various sites including Ocean Park Boulevard, Mount Olive Lutheran Church and Calvary Baptist Church.
No scenes appeared in 2023 due to funding shortages, but the event returned to Main Street in 2024. The displays maintain their understated, vintage character rather than competing with modern light shows.
