EVENTS

Compiled by Jason Gelt Historic Hollywood Boulevard Walking Tour Hollywood Heritage presents this two-hour, weekly trek through classic Tinseltown from a preservationist point of view. Convenient to MetroRail. Weather permitting. Hollywood Area. Today, next Sun. 9 a.m. $5-$10. (323) 465-6716.

Melrose Trading Post Over 200 eclectic vendors hawk a wide array of things, including records, furniture and arts and crafts in the Fairfax High parking lot. Also features food vendors and live entertainment. www.melrosetradingpost.org. Fairfax High School, 7850 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles. Today, next Sun. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Adults, $2; children, $1.

Christmas Tree Holiday Train All aboard for holiday fun. Hitch a festive ride on the Fillmore & Western Railway to the Christmas Tree Farm, where the perfect tree can be selected and cut. Santa will be on board to visit with children of all ages. www.fwry.com. Fillmore & Western Railway, 250 Central Ave., Fillmore. Today, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Adults, $24; children 4-12, $14; ages 2-3, $10. (800) 773-8724.

L.A. Downtown on Ice Take your mittens and scarves out of the closet, strap on your skates and prepare to glide into winter. Downtown transforms into a winter wonderland as L.A.’s biggest outdoor skating rink ices over for the holiday season. www.laparks.org. Pershing Square Park, 532 S. Olive St., L.A. Today, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Mon.-Fri., noon-10 p.m.; Sat.-next Sun., 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Skating session, $6; skate rental, $2. (213) 847-4970.

Seaside Ice Dust off your winter sports gear and head to Redondo Beach for ice skating action. Special events throughout the season. Season passes, classes and lessons are available. (An free arts and crafts fair with holiday lights, food and drinks and live entertainment also takes place today.) www.seasideice.com. Seaside Lagoon, 200 Portofino Way, Redondo Beach. Today and next Sun., 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Mon.-Tue., 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Wed., 2:30-9:30 p.m.; Thu., 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Fri., 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-11:45 p.m. Adults, $14; children, $12. Includes skate rental. (310) 318-6300.

Silver Lake Craft Fair Dive into the Ghettogloss-sponsored craft fair that features vintage clothing, tarot readings, plants, pet couture and more. www.ghettogloss.com. Citibank parking lot, 2450 Glendale Blvd., L.A. Today, next Sun. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. (323) 912-0008.

Venice Flea Market This new flea market features artwork, clothing, furniture and more. Venice Flea Market , 2121 Lincoln Blvd., Venice. Sat.-next Sun., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. (310) 663-3945.

2009 Pan-Asia Expo Chinese Yellow Pages Co. and ABC Channel 7 co-sponsor this festive family shindig, featuring holiday gift ideas from a wide variety of Far-East retailers, Asian food and cultural performances and drawings for prizes. Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St., L.A. Today, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Advance tickets, $4.99; at the door, $9. (213) 741-1151.

Crystal Ice Skating Bring the whole family to Long Beach for a taste of chilly winter fun. Skating lessons and birthday party packages are available. www.crystaliceskating.com. Crystal Ice Skating, 155 S. Pine St., Los Angeles. Today, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-midnight; next Sun., 11 a.m.-8 p.m. One-hour skating session, including skate rental, $12. (714) 758-1767.

Holiday Heritage: A Southern California Christmas The last 40 years of holiday festivities at this historic museum of Victorian homes are lovingly documented by the museum’s rich photographic archive. www.heritagesquare.org. Heritage Square Museum, 3800 Homer St., L.A. Fri.-next Sun., noon-5 p.m. Adults, $10; children, $5. (323) 225-2700.

Irvine Park Railroad Annual Christmas Train Take an enchanting night ride through historic Irvine Regional Park to meet and have your picture taken with Santa Claus. Additional activities include story time with Mrs. Claus, Christmas cookie decorating, a Santa Claus moon bounce and carnival games. www.irvineparkrailroad.com. Irvine Regional Park, 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange. Today, 2-8 p.m.; Mon.-Wed., 5-8 p.m. Rides, $8; parking, $3 on weekdays, $5 on weekends, free after 5 p.m. (714) 997-3968.

Rodeo Holiday Hunt Learn about the long history of this storied shopping district at this festive holiday scavenger hunt. Prizes are awarded to the winning team. Comfortable shoes are recommended. www.outoftheboxevents.net. Rodeo Drive, between Santa Monica and Wilshire boulevards, Beverly Hills. Today, 2-5 p.m. $25. (323) 799-1374.

Festival of Lights The historic Mission Inn and Spa lights up the night sky with more than 3.5 million holiday lights and over 400 animated elves, angels and polar bears. Other highlights include horse-drawn carriage rides through downtown Riverside, live entertainment and special appearances by Santa Claus. missioninn.com. Mission Inn, 3649 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside. Today-next Sun., 5 p.m. Free. (951) 784-0300.

Las Posadas Join in the nine-night candlelight procession reenacting Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. This annual Mexican Christmas tradition celebrated on Olvera Street includes seasonal entertainment, complementary refreshments and a children’s piñata-breaking each night. Olvera Street Plaza, 845 N. Alameda St., L.A. Today-Thu., 6-9 p.m. Free. (213) 625-7074.

WildLights Holiday Festival Celebrate the yuletide season with a festive light display, featuring more than 350,000 twinkling lights that illuminate the park after dark. The desert turns into a holiday winter wonderland with visits from Santa Claus, live music, wood-burning fireplaces, hot apple cider, hot chocolate and s’mores. www.livingdesert.org. Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, 47900 Portola Ave., Palm Desert. Today-Wed., 6-9 p.m. Adults, $7.75; children, $5.50. (760) 346-5694, Ext. 2000.

Newport Beach Boat Parade Yachts, boats, kayaks and canoes sail along the Newport harbor, lighting up the night sky with hundreds of holiday lights and creative animated displays. A special fireworks display closes the 101st annual parade of holiday boats. www.christmasboatparade.com. Newport Landing, 503 E. Edgewater Ave., Newport Beach. Today, 6:30-9 p.m. Free. (949) 729-4400.

Griffith Park Night Hike The Sierra Club leads fun and instructive two-hour hikes through Griffith Park. Wear comfortable shoes and meet at the upper merry-go-round parking lot. Griffith Park, 4800 Carousel Drive, L.A. Tue.-Thu., 6:45 p.m. (213) 387-4287.

L.A. County Holiday Celebration Celebrate the yuletide season at this six-hour, Emmy-nominated cultural extravaganza. Multicultural music and dance, Japanese taiko drumming, performances from Opera California Youth Choir, Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles and the Salvation Army Tabernacle Children’s Chorus and over 30 other groups present the gift of seasonal song and good will to the city. www.holidaycelebration.org. Music Center, 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A. Thu., 3-9 p.m. Free. (213) 972-3099.

Twilight Hikes Hike along the trails in the Santa Monica Mountains. Meet at the east end of the center’s parking lot. Stoner Recreation Center, 1835 Stoner Ave., Westwood. Fri., 6:30 p.m. Free. (310) 253-9840.

Santa Monica Airport Outdoor Antique & Collectibles Market Furniture, rugs, paintings, clothing and more on the first and fourth Sundays of each month. Santa Monica Airport, 3223 Donald Douglas Loop South, Santa Monica. Next Sun., 6-8 a.m., 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. $3-$7. (323) 922-2511.