Long Beach Christmas Lights 2024 in California

Long Beach is a perfect family-friendly destination for the holidays, with plenty of fun, Christmas-themed activities, parades, and dazzling holiday lights, setting the festive mood for the season. The city puts on a beautiful Christmas tree lighting display, festive illumination on Naples Island, and mesmerizing holiday light tours. Also, check out the Long Beach Christmas Tree Lane on Daisy Avenue, with over 20 decorated trees and the Christmas Village.

Long Beach Christmas Tree Lighting (December 4, 2024)

The Terrace Plaza is a holiday mecca in Long Beach thanks to a massive 67-foot Christmas Tree, one of the largest in Los Angeles County. The holiday season starts with the official lighting ceremony, featuring carol singing, dancing, and various performances. Festivities, including fireworks, live music, and train rides for children, last from 5 to 8 pm. Over 500,000 amazing holiday lights decorate the Terrace Plaza, making it a must-see during the holidays.

Photo ops include giant Christmas ornaments, Santa Claus, and much more. Food trucks with delicious holiday treats are available nearby. Children might enjoy the ride on a holiday Christmas train. The lights extravaganza in downtown Long Beach spans over 30 businesses, exceeding expectations in decorating their shops and restaurants with fantastic holiday displays.

Daisy Avenue Christmas Tree Lane Parade (December 14, 2024)

Every year, Daisy Avenue in the bustling Wrigley neighborhood comes alive with holiday decorations and delights both residents and guests with a vibrant Christmas parade. In addition to stunning holiday lights and whimsical sculptures of Lapland characters, parade participants throw on their best red attire and deck out their vehicles with festive ribbons, wreaths, and stockings. The route lies along Daisy Avenue, from Hill Street to Pacific Coast Highway. The day after the parade, visitors can enjoy the night of Christmas entertainment and merriment. The parade typically begins at 5 pm, while the post-parade celebrations run from 7 to 9 pm the next evening.

Naples Island Holiday Lights (early December–late December, 2024)

Naples Island is often called the most beautiful waterfront in Southern California during the Christmas season. Neighbors and neighborhoods compete for the most fairy-tale look, with hundreds of colorful lights everywhere. Dates vary each year, but usually, the lights are on from early December to Christmas.

Naples Island Boat Parade (December 21, 2024)

Amidst the dazzling Christmas lights, numerous boats will float down the canal near Naples Island, greeting spectators with intricate holiday adornments and light installations right on the boats. The parade usually begins at Long Beach Marine Stadium, travels through Alamitos Bay along Bay Shore Avenue, and then turns to canals surrounding Naples Island. The boats then leave the canals and end the procession near the Long Beach Yacht Club.

This annual spectacle begins at 6 pm, with large watercraft departing at 6 pm, followed by small boats at 6:30 pm. The best place to view the spectacle is along Bay Shore Avenue and the streets on Naples Island near the canals.

Holiday Light Tours (December 1–23, 2024)

Visitors can tour the best and the brightest locations on the Big Red Bus, a double-decker going along one of the most stunning coastlines in North America. Holiday Waterfront Tour of Lights features luxurious private homes, the famous floating Christmas trees in Alamitos Bay, and a Ferris Wheel. Another romantic option is to enjoy Christmas lights from a gondola with a cup of hot chocolate in your hand. Gondola Getaway Inc. provides gondola rides. You can also stroll around Naples Island by yourself, starting at the marine or Mothers’ Beach.

Schedule & Cost

The tours run from Sunday through Thursday from December 1st to December 19th, with the final night on December 23rd. The tours are scheduled at 5:30 pm, 6:45 pm, and 8 pm. Tickets to the tour generally cost $17.