Weekday Picks: 8 Crazy Nights and Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, December 7-11

12/7/15 - By Jacqueline Stansbury

The holidays are here. Regardless of how or what your family celebrates, I think we can all agree that festivities are bountiful in Los Angeles in December. It’s hard to choose just one thing to do each day, because there is so much going on. Every night this week is Hanukkah, which means tree lightings are outnumbered by menorah lighting ceremonies around town this week, mostly in convenient shopping locations like Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade or the infamous Sherman Oaks Galleria—handy for grabbing a last minute toy or holiday batch of socks and underwear.

A few major shows are opening, including Cirque du Soleil's KURIOS at Dodger Stadium, two different Lythgoe Family Pantos (Peter Pan and Tinkerbell in Pasadena and Snow White in Laguna), and Disney on Ice finally brings its Frozen tour to LA. And we are not even close to running out of Nutcrackers yet.

For those dissatisfied Angelenos dreaming of a white Christmas, I say go with what you got. How cool is it that we can ride an open air train in Griffith Park or see a drive-in double feature in the middle of December? It’s a festive time of year with myriad opportunities for merriment, including one super wacky chance to be included in the world’s biggest baby portrait. Best to keep up with these shenanigans and more by checking our Daily Events Calendar, December Go List and Holiday Guide.

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1. Menorah Lighting – Monday
Malls across the Southland have menorahs, and they light them for Hanukkah.
See all Monday events

2. Holiday Light Festival Train Ride – Tuesday
Not to be confused with the Live Steamers whose preferred holiday is Halloween, the Griffith Park Railroad enjoys celebrating Christmas.
See all Tuesday events

3. Hanukkah Celebration with Fireworks – Wednesday
It's not for nothing they call this the Festival of Light; Calabasas lights the menorah and then some.
See all Wednesday events

4. Milk and Cookies with Santa – Thursday
It’s not even Christmas yet and Santa is passing out some treats in Santa Anita. The event is free, but a donation to St. Jude Research Hospital would be most appreciated. It’s always good to remind our kids about the giving before they get too obsessed with the getting.
See all Thursday events

5. Holiday Drive In Movie Series – Friday
Two Christmas classics, The Polar Express and Elf screen for free in Valencia. If that's too far to drive, though, the Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo is screening some Laurel and Hardy fun.
See all Friday events

There are always plenty more activities on our Daily Events Calendar and in our monthly GoList. And if you don’t receive our newsletters full of suggestions for family fun, you really should subscribe…it’s free!