Holiday Season Calendar

General Holiday Events

Queen Mary Chill

Returning for its second year, Chill turns the landmark dome at Queen Mary Port into a giant igloo containing larger-than-life ice sculptures. Adding to the arctic aura are a skating rink, ice tubing (essentially slides made out of ice) and a holiday village.

Nov. 22 to Jan. 5, 6 p.m.

1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach. General admission pricing begins at $30 for adults and $5 for children. Ice skating and tubing tickets start at $13. (Skate rental is $3.)

Renegade Craft Fair Winter Market

Whether you have hard-to-buy-for loved ones or you simply want to wow friends with ultra-original gifts, Renegade Craft Fair has ideas. This fascinating indie-craft marketplace is carefully curated to highlight an eclectic array of one-of-a-kind and limited-edition creations from both established and up-and-coming designers.

Dec. 14 and 15, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Los Angeles State Historic Park, 1245 N. Spring St.,

Los Angeles. Free admission; free parking.

Downtown on Ice

L.A.’s biggest outdoor skating rink and a cherished Southland tradition, Downtown on Ice allows Angelenos to celebrate the season on skates amidst stunning skyscrapers. This winter wonderland also features free concerts, the Winter Holiday Festival (Dec. 14) and championship skating exhibitions.

Nov. 14 to Jan. 20 (hours vary)

Pershing Square, 532 South Olive St., L.A. Admission $8; one-hour skating session skate rental: $2.

Holiday Lamplight Celebration at Heritage Square Museum

The past charmingly becomes the present in the glow of genuine Victorian homes at this unique living museum. Take a tour back to a time when the holidays were cozier.

Dec. 7 and 8, tours begin at 4 p.m.

3800 Homer St., L.A. Adults $30, children over 6 years $15 (not suitable for children under 6 years). Reservations required, call (323) 225-2700, ext 223.

Downtown Culver City Holiday Happy Hour

The third annual installment of this neighborhood-wide Holiday Happy Hour celebrates the spirit of the season beneath sparkling street decorations and the huge Culver City Christmas Tree. Along with a sleighful of beer specials at area bars and eateries, there will be free samples and discounts at many downtown shops. Beat traffic by using the new Expo Line Culver City Station.

Dec. 18, 5 to 9 p.m.

Downtown Culver City

Dickens Day Celebration at the International Printing Museum

A traditional start to the Christmas season for many, the Dickens Day celebration takes visitors inside the imagination of legendary author Charles Dickens. The museum is transformed into Fezziwig’s warehouse, where celebrated Dickens characters like Micawber and Fagin mingle with guests, who can also participate in an interactive play based on “A Christmas Carol.”

Dec. 14 and 15, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

315 Torrance Blvd., Carson. Admission $18, $60 group rate (up to four people). Reservations required for play.

HANUKKAH

Hanukkah Family Festival at Skirball Cultural Center

For the first time ever, the first day of Hanukkah falls on Thanksgiving — an anomaly that won’t recur for 80,000 years! Marking this once-in-an-eon overlap, Skirball Cultural Center’s annual Hanukkah Family Festival takes inspiration from Thanksgiving, featuring storytelling, performances, art workshops and roaming klezmorim.

Nov. 24, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A. $10 general admission; $7 seniors and full-time students; $5 children 2 to 12.

An Evening of Hanukkah Celebration in West Hollywood

This unique Hanukkah celebration is performed by West Hollywood’s upbeat Kol Sephardic Choir and Flamenco Dancers. One-of-a-kind in California, this ensemble sings Sephardic romanceros in Ladino (Castilian Spanish) and liturgical songs in Hebrew (with Sephardic melodies). Magnificent and memorable.

Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m.

Plummer Park’s Fiesta Hall, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood. Suggested minimum donation $10.

THANKSGIVING

Hot to (Turkey) Trot in Long Beach

Trot up an appetite for your Thanksgiving bird with a 5K or 10K run or walk along a flat, scenic beach bike path. There’s even a half-mile “Wingding” for kids. Race proceeds benefit an array of worthy causes.

Nov. 28, start times: 7, 8, 9 & 10 a.m.

1 Granada Ave., Long Beach. Entry fees: $38 5K/10K if received by Nov. 24; $40 thereafter. Kids’ Wingding $30 if received by Nov. 24; $40 thereafter.

Marina del Rey Thanksgiving Day Dinner Cruise

Do Thanksgiving a little differently this year — and leave the cooking and cleaning-up to someone else — with a relaxing sunset cruise featuring a traditional buffet. Enjoy a complimentary glass of champagne upon boarding, live entertainment, festive decorations and idyllic harbor views.

Nov. 28, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. (boarding at 3 p.m.)

Fisherman’s Village, 13755 Fiji Way, Marina del Rey. $84 adult; $75.60 senior or active military; $50.40 children ages 4 to 12 (kids under 3 free). For more info, contact Hornblower Cruises and Events: (888) 467-6256.

Burbank Community YMCA Turkey Trot

Join 2,500 fellow runners, joggers, walkers and stroller-pushers, many in turkey or pilgrim-themed costumes, for this Burbank holiday tradition. For kids 7 and under, there’s a 1K Fun Run. $250 cash is up for grabs for top finishers, and proceeds benefit the Burbank Community YMCA.

Nov. 28, start times: 8, 8:10 & 9:15 a.m.

Burbank Community YMCA, 321 E. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank. $40; Kiddie 1K Fun Run, $15.

CHRISTMAS

32nd Annual Los Angeles Holiday

Caroling Festivities

Give something back while having a blast as a volunteer caroler visiting Canoga Park and West Hills senior care centers. This seasonal show of compassion, now in its 32nd year, attracts a who’s who of L.A.’s entertainment community. Volunteers are invited to an after-party at the local HomeTown Buffet.

Dec. 8, 4 to 7:30 p.m.

Six Canoga Park and West Hills locations.
www.holidaymusicmakingadifference.com

SWEA Christmas Fair 2013

Presented by the Swedish Women’s Educational Assn., this annual old-fashioned Christmas bazaar fills downtown’s Shrine Expo Hall with Scandinavian vendors offering regional wares and fare, from candles and clogs to food and interior décor. At noon and 3 p.m., an evocative pageant will honor Saint Lucia’s Day, a traditional Scandinavian feast day.

Dec. 15, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Shrine Expo Hall, 665 W. Jefferson Blvd., L.A. Entrance fee $10; children under 12 free.

L.A. County Bike Coalition Annual Holiday Caroling Ride

Reconnect with the joys of caroling and community spirit with this bike-borne Larchmont tradition. Singing outside suitably decorated homes in this famously beautiful L.A. neighborhood, riders are rewarded with appreciative audiences and, if in good voice, treats too! (Helmets and front and back lights are required; rain cancels).

Dec. 15, meet at 4:30 p.m. (ride at 5 p.m.)
Rotary Club Christmas Tree Lot at 568 N. Larchmont Blvd., L.A. RSVP to Carol Feucht at carol@la-bike.org.

NEW YEAR’S EVE

NYE L.A. in Grand Park

With music, dancing and larger-than-life art installations, NYE L.A. is a New Year celebration for folks of all ages, including a kid-friendly early countdown to 9 p.m. (in sync with midnight on the East Coast). Stretching from downtown’s Music Center Plaza to City Hall, it culminates at (West Coast) midnight with a video montage of a “human” clock featuring images from all over L.A.

Dec. 31, 6 p.m. to midnight

Free admission.

New Year’s Eve with Sergio Mendes and Sheila E. at Walt Disney Concert Hall

Dec. 31, 7 and 10:30 p.m.

Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., L.A. Tickets start at $70.50.

5th Annual Cleopatra’s New Year’s Eve Ball

Celebrate New Year’s on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame in glamorous and escapist style at the Egyptian Theatre Courtyard. While L.A.’s best deejays spin beneath dazzling hieroglyphic animations, sexy Cleopatras and Pharaohs will mix your fave drinks from five open bars as a spectacular midnight countdown approaches.

Dec. 31, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Egyptian Theater, enter on 1625 N. Las Palmas Ave., L.A. Tickets start at $69 plus $7.90 fee from TicketVibe.com/cleo (early bird and group rates available).

—Paul Rogers, Brand Publishing Writer