Angelenos go all out for the holiday season, stringing up so many twinkly holiday lights that you might mistake it for Las Vegas. Oddly for such a big city, many of these activities have a small-town flavor, making them all the more charming and to make it even better, most of them are free.
- DWP Light Festival in Griffith Park features tens of thousands of lights. It runs from just before Thanksgiving through the end of the year, with a few nights set aside just for bicyclists and walkers. The rest of the time, this is a drive-through activity.
- Candy Cane Lane in the San Fernando Valley community of Woodland Hills is a local favorite worth the drive (Lubao Avenue and Oxnard Street, exit US 101 at Winnetka Ave).
- Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena is another local favorite, a mile-long stretch of road lined with more than a hundred light-filled cedar trees (Santa Rosa Avenue between Woodbury and Altadena Drive).
- Robert Road in the South Bay becomes a holiday wonderland, with trees draped in strings of white lights and neighbors vying for the most cheerful display. This is a great place to just park your car and walk. Take Pacific Coast Hwy to Robert Rd (near the Redondo Beach Hollywood Riviera area, between Calle Mayor and Prospect).
- Naples Island is a canal-filled section of Long Beach where people take a lot of pride in decorating their homes. You can stroll along the canals or take a romantic gondola ride and see them in style. Naples also has an annual holiday boat parade.
- The Hollywood Santa Parade is a long-time tradition, held on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Dropped by its sponsor (Hollywood Chamber of Commerce), the LA City Council has stepped up and it's on for 2007 at least.
- Las Posadas on Olvera Street Celebrate a Mexican Christmas tradition on downtown's Olvera Street. A festive nightly procession commemorates Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem. It runs for 9 days beginning December 16.
- Downtown on Ice is like Rockefeller Center west, only bigger. It's held downtown at Pershing Square from mid-November through the end of the year.
Neighboring Orange County has so many fun Christmas activities that we've given it a page all to itself, but they're all easily accessible from Los Angeles, too.
