The holiday season is a busy one in Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties. Here are a variety of fun family-friendly events for 2024.
CITY OF WATSONVILLE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING
- November 22 at 5:00 Pm to 7:00 pm
- Watsonville City Plaza
The Christmas Tree has been delivered to the city plaza and is waiting on the yearly celebration to light. Join the celebration for a welcome by the mayor, performances, and visit from Santa.
DEL MONTE SHOPPING CENTER CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING
- November 23 at 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
- Del Monte Shopping Center
- 1410 Del Monte Center, Monterey
This family-favorite event kicks off the holiday season and culminates with the lighting of the Del Monte Christmas Tree by Santa & Mrs. Claus. Free refreshments will be served and free reindeer antlers will be offered to children. Donations of three cans of food for the Food Bank of Monterey County can be exchanged for raffle tickets.
WINTER WONDERLAND AT SC BEACH BOARDWALK
- November 28 – January 5
Festive holiday decorations and lights, photos with Santa. Special events planned.
ROARING CAMP HOLIDAY LIGHTS TRAIN
November 29 – 30, December 7 – 8, December 14 – 23
Vintage excursion cars, adorned with thousands of colorful lights, roll through city streets past homes of Santa Cruz. Each car is uniquely themed, and hot apple cider will be available to keep you toasty as you sing along to Christmas carols and await Santa Claus.
- November 29 at 5:00 – 7:00 pm
- Steinbeck Plaza
- 700 Cannery Row, Monterey
This free holiday event is a fun tradition for the whole family featuring Christmas Carolers and of course, Santa Claus.
SEABRIGHT: FARLEY’S CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND
- November 29 – January 1, 2025
- 5:30 – 8:30 pm
This is a walk-in Christmas display located in midtown Santa Cruz. Their exhibit is very traditional: lots of Christmas trees, garlands, sleighs, an elf village, miniature village’s, and a log cabin that Santa uses for his rest stops. Being Irish, where you have elves you have fairies, so there is a fairy grotto with 2 waterfalls and fairies that can be viewed on special nights. Also, on those special nights, there is a special California version of snow.
- December 1 | 6:00-8:00 pm
The Salinas Holiday Parade of Lights is a free community event where families, neighborhood groups and businesses come together to provide an outstanding, holiday themed lighted parade that is enjoyed by local families each year. Parade starts at Acacia & S. Main St. and travels up Main Street towards the Salinas City Center.
PACIFIC GROVE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING
- December 2 at 4:30 – 7:00 pm
- Jewell Park, Grand and Forest Avenues, Pacific Grove
Festivities include live entertainment by school bands and choruses beginning at 4:30 pm, followed by caroling and refreshments at Jewell Park. The tree lighting is at 6:00 pm followed by Santa’s visit at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History.
PACIFIC GROVE HOLIDAY PARADE OF LIGHTS
- December 5 at 6:00- 8:00 pm
- Lighthouse Avenue, Pacific Grove
The lighted parade on Lighthouse Avenue will feature marching bands, holiday floats, dance teams, equestrian groups, and of course, Santa Claus.
HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING AND CARMEL PLAZA PARTY
- December 6 at 3:00 – 7:00 pm
- Devendorf Park, Ocean Avenue and Mission Street, Carmel
The City Holiday Tree Lighting is held at Devendorf Park on Ocean Avenue between Junipero and Mission, where the Monterey Fire Department will deliver Santa Claus. Events start at 3pm until 5:30pm, with a short music program and pictures by the Holiday tree. Santa will arrive to Devendorf Park and greets children at 3pm then at 4pm a menorah is lit. At 4:30pm, the music and dance program begins and ends at 5:30pm when Santa Claus makes an appearance.
HOLIDAY LIGHTS
- December 6 – 7
- Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds
Walk thru lights will come on at 5:30 pm each evening. There will be a Holiday Craft & Gift Fair both days from noon to 9 pm.
DOWNTOWN MONTEREY TREE LIGHTING
- December 6 at 5:00 – 6:00 pm
- Colton Hall, 570 Pacific St., Monterey
Monterey’s traditional Community Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration takes place on on the lawn in front of historic Colton Hall, featuring carols, candles, cookies, cider, and music.
MARINA CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY
- December 6 at 6:00 pm
- Vince DiMaggio Park, Marina
Co-hosted with the City of Marina, the tree lighting is an annual tradition that brings the community together.
CHRISTMAS ON OLD FISHERMAN’S WHARF
- December 6 – 22
- 10:00 am – 9:30 pm
Free weekend live entertainment including holiday musical performances such as choirs, youth dancers, a variety of singers, and Santa visits at his Santa House on the Wharf.
SEASIDE’S WINTER WONDERLAND
- December 6 | 6:00 – 9:00 pm
- 440 Harcourt Avenue, Seaside
Ice skating, art & crafts, carnival games, jump houses, horse-drawn hay rides, and a visit from Santa.
DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ HOLIDAY PARADE
- December 7
- 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
The traditional holiday parade is the official kickoff for the winter holidays celebration. The parade route starts at the intersection of Laurel Street and Pacific Avenue and ends at the intersection of Pacific Avenue and Water Street.
ANNUAL STILLWELL’S FUN IN THE PARK
- December 7 | 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Caledonia Park, Pacific Grove
Santa will arrive at noon on a shiny Pacific Grove fire truck, joining Frosty the Snowman and Snow Queen. This event features complimentary rides, bounce houses, a petting zoo, and entertainment.
BRIGHTEN THE HARBOR LIGHTED BOAT SHOW
- December 8 | 5:15 – 7:30 pm
- Old Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey
Enjoy the beautiful lights on the boats that pass by the Wharf at 5:15 pm with return at 6:15 pm.
- December 12 | 5:00 – 8:00 pm
- Salinas Sports Complex
The event is free and hosted by the California Rodeo Salinas. Includes a tree lighting, free cocoa and candy canes, pictures with Santa and more.
- December 13 – 14 | 5:00 – 9:00 pm
- Various Adobes in Monterey
Return to the days of Alta California and see Monterey’s historic adobes splendidly decorated for the season with welcoming, candle-lit luminarias at each entrance. Enjoy festive music, living history portrayers, and the warm spirit of this year’s annual celebration that has become a family favorite during the holidays.
YOUTH ORCHESTRA SALINAS WINTER CONCERT
- December 13 – 14 | 7:00 – 9:00 pm
- Sherwood Hall, Salinas
Support our area’s talented young musicians as they take the stage to kick off the holiday season. Free event, tickets available online.
- December 14, 9 -11 am
- Oldemeyer Center, Seaside
Enjoy breakfast with Santa at this special event.
- December 14 | 10:00 am-2:00 pm
- Monterey Bay Charter School, Pacific Grove
Crafts, marketplace, and food at this special holiday fundraiser for Monterey bay Chartter School.
- December 14, 2 – 5 pm
- Santa Cruz Wharf
Enjoy holiday decorations and see Santa arrive on the Wharf by a vintage fire engine. Take photos with Santa from 2:30-4:30 pm, play in the snow area with Elsa and Anna and enjoy custom balloon designs.
FIRST NIGHT MONTEREY
- December 31 | 3:00 pm to 12:00 am
- Downtown Monterey
Family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration with entertainment, Mardi-Gras-style walking parade, and special Kids’ Night Out activities.