El Segundo Tree Lighting
El Segundo, CA
El Segundo’s official multicultural tree lighting at City Hall Plaza and Main Street — Santa’s Village, candy cane kid zone, multicultural dance performances, kids’ train rides, and food trucks.
El Segundo’s official multicultural tree lighting at City Hall Plaza and Main Street — Santa’s Village, candy cane kid zone, multicultural dance performances, kids’ train rides, and food trucks.
Joy Around the World: Festival of Holidays and Tree Lighting is El Segundo‘s official civic kickoff to the holiday season — a multicultural community evening at City Hall Plaza and the 300 block of Main Street. The event reflects the city’s character: small, neighborly, and deliberately built around community participation rather than spectacle.
The afternoon-into-evening program runs 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM, with the tree lighting ceremony at 5:30 PM. Musical performances and cultural dance performances fill City Hall Plaza, and a Candy Cane Kid Zone offers free activities, face painting, arts and crafts, and games. Santa’s Village lets kids visit Santa Claus and pick up a gift; kids’ train rides circle through the venue; food trucks line Main Street with multicultural cuisine; craft-making stations run throughout.
For families in El Segundo, Manhattan Beach’s east edge, and the broader South Bay, this is the season’s official opening — the kind of small-city civic event where everyone knows everyone, and the holiday calendar truly begins.
At El Segundo City Hall Plaza (350 Main Street) and the 300 block of Main Street, in downtown El Segundo.
The festival runs from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM. The tree lighting ceremony takes place at 5:30 PM.
Yes — the festival is free. Musical and cultural performances, Santa’s Village, the kid zone, train rides, and craft stations are all complimentary. Food trucks are paid on-site.
Yes — Santa visits and gift giveaways are part of Santa’s Village throughout the festival hours.
El Segundo’s downtown lots and the surrounding residential streets are the most reliable. Main Street itself is partially closed; expect to walk in a few blocks.
El Segundo City Hall Plaza stands at 350 Main Street — the civic anchor of downtown El Segundo, a beach-edge South Bay city with a population of about 17,000. The 300 block of Main Street that runs in front of City Hall is the city’s compact, walkable downtown corridor, with locally-owned restaurants, boutiques, and the historic Old Town Music Hall a short walk away. The city itself is famously “unlike a beach city” — a small-town pocket between LAX and Manhattan Beach.
Southern California’s holiday lights and festive outings are pure magic — but nothing compares to Santa Claus himself stepping through your own front door. House of Kringle brings a real-bearded, professionally trained Santa to homes and gatherings across SoCal for an intimate live visit your family will treasure for years.