How to Enjoy the Holidays While Ballin’ on a Budget – charlotte einstein, ‘26

The best affordable activities to enjoy during the most wonderful time of year!

Lights of the Los Angeles California Temple

10777 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Free

While this may be the second-largest temple operated by the Church of the Latter-day Saints, you don’t have to belong to the faith to go and enjoy the sights. Every year they deck out the outside of the temple in holiday lights and a visit provides an amazing opportunity to get in the holiday spirit.

This is a perfect place to take the whole family with lots of places for younger siblings to run around on the grass. On average, it takes around one hour to walk around the grounds and see everything, but timing can vary based on your walking speed and how often you stop to take in the beautiful lights.

The best time to visit is between 4 and 5 pm, due to the end of daylight saving time, it gets dark early in the evening. At that point, it’s still a little bit light out (so you can see where you’re walking), but dark enough to see the lights: allowing the stunning decorations to truly shine.

Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade

309 Palm St, Newport Beach, CA 92661

Free-$32

Image from Always5Star.com

The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade is a tradition that has been going on for over one-hundred years. According to the their website, “the boat parade in Newport Beach began as a nine boat affair during the turn of the 20th century and has grown into hundreds of ships and homes in full décor with over two million [viewers] each year.”

Beginning on December 14th and continuing every night until the 18th, the parade starts at 6:30pm and is about 75 minutes long.

While beautiful, this activity does become a little complicated when it comes to pricing. You can view the parade almost anywhere along the route for free (map below), but if you would like to elevate your experience you can ride on one of the smaller boats for $32.

According to visitcalifornia.com, some recommended viewing locations are the Balboa Fun Zone and Balboa Village. And if you’d like to “dine and watch,” eateries such as Harborside Restaurant and The Rusty Pelican are the places to be. You can park in city parking lots or take advantage of offered curbside parking and enjoy!

Exploring Rodeo Dr.

Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills 90210

Free

While we’re all familiar with star-studded Rodeo Drive, its status is truly elevated during the winter months. Driving down the street, taking in all of the lights and decorations is both a fun and free way to get into the holiday spirit.

Banners are hung from lampposts, lights are wound around the iconic palm trees and the high-end shops that attract the attention of A-list stars go all out, decking their storefronts in elaborate, festive decorations. Louis Vuitton, for example, always puts its own Christmas trees outside, accented by beautiful lights and ornaments.

Plus, if you tire of driving and fancy some window shopping or food, there are plenty of options. The Cheesecake Factory, 208 Rodeo, Gucci, Cartier: the options are endless. So whether you’re looking for a nice, holiday drive or a longer day out on the town, this is a perfect place to go.

Candy Cane Lane vs. Christmas Tree Lane

1200 E Acacia Ave, El Segundo, CA 90245

Christmas Tree Ln, Altadena, CA 91001

Both free

Images from desertsun.com and latimes.com

Christmas Tree Lane and Candy Cane Lane are similar places but both locations are staples on people’s holiday bucket list.

More commonly known Candy Cane Lane offers houses that stretch two blocks each way, completely decked out in lights and decorations. According to elsegundo.org, “Festive houses, displays and holiday music bring the season’s cheer to this magical corner of El Segundo!”

Its opening night is December 10, and it continues every night until December 24 from 7-9pm. This has been a neighborhood tradition since 1949 and is, thankfully, still going strong.

Christmas Tree Lane is further away from New Roads School, but the trek is worth it. The street even has its own origin story as, according to its website, it began “in 1920 with a single tree that was decorated to honor a child who had passed away.” Since then, the event has become so popular that it continues from November through December.

Sadly, this year’s night walks have been canceled due to Covid-19 but you are still able to drive through and appreciate the decorations from the comfort of your own car.

Both roads offer beautiful views that are sure to put you in a cheery mood!

Christmas at Underwood Family Farms

3370 Sunset Valley Rd, Moorpark, CA 93021

$10.00 during the week and $14 on weekends that are non-event days

While Underwood Family Farms is a great place for families to go all year round, it is an especially magical destination during the holidays. Christmas on the Farm starts on November 25 and goes through till December 24 and is open every day from 9am-5pm, with the exception of Christmas Eve, when it closes at 12pm.

At just $10 during the week and $14 on weekends that are non-event days, this is a wonderfully affordable experience. Plus, both children under 2 and parking are free!

Included with your entry ticket are the Holiday Photo Ops, tractor-drawn wagon ride, holiday store, letters for Santa, animal shows (on weekends at 11:30am, 1:30pm, 3:30 pm) and visits with Santa (weekends through December 18, 11am – 4pm only).

If you want even more to do, the Farm offers a variety of activities for an additional charge. Using tickets purchased at the entrance, you can participate in holiday-themed arts and crafts, the ring toss, gem mining, temporary tattoos and more. You can even go picking in the fields — combining the farm feel with the holiday energy!

All in all, Underwood Family Farms: Christmas at the Farm is a great, affordable place for families and kids of all ages to go and enjoy the holidays.