Thanksgiving kicks off the Holidays, and although Los Angeles doesn’t seem like a town with tradition, there are plenty of holiday-themed activities and things to do in L.A.
Here are a few of my favorite LA during the holidays events:
Pershing Square ice skating, have you ever ice skated with T-shirts and shorts on, the sun shining, and weather in the 70’s? Ice skating in Pershing Square has become one of my favorite LA holiday activities and must see things to do in DTLA. Pretend its cold and head in to The Biltmore Gallery bar for an Irish coffee, and 1920’s glamour afterwards.
Hollywood Christmas Parade, the Sunday after Thanksgiving you’ll always find me at this Hollywood holiday tradition filled with kitch. Giant Kermit the Frog, Chinese acrobats and the Incredible Hulk all march a route down Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset. This is the local’s things to do in Los Angeles on Thanksgiving weekend. Here’s a little more info from a previous post.
Mission Inn Festival of Lights, about a 45 minute drive outside Los Angeles, its worth the trip to check out the millions of lights that decorate the 1800’s Mission Inn. Starting the weekend before Thanksgiving and running through the first week of January, any visitor to LA during the holidays can’t miss this LA experience. You might even see snowfall, or a reindeer.
While I grew up in Plymouth Massachusetts, arguably home of Thanksgiving, I’ve come to create my own holiday traditions in Los Angeles. As always, if you’re visiting Los Angeles during the holidays and are looking for activities and things to do in downtown LA, come on our Skyline Twilight Tour and check out the impressive holiday lights of DTLA.