Hermosa Beach Tree Lighting
Hermosa Beach, CA
Hermosa Beach’s three-day holiday weekend at Pier Plaza — tree lighting, Santa arrival, Ferris wheel, scavenger hunt, photos with Santa, and a Family Fun Fest.
Hermosa Beach’s three-day holiday weekend at Pier Plaza — tree lighting, Santa arrival, Ferris wheel, scavenger hunt, photos with Santa, and a Family Fun Fest.
Hermosa for the Holidays turns Pier Plaza in Hermosa Beach into an open-air winter wonderland for three days each late November — the South Bay’s pier-front kickoff to the holiday season. The Chamber-organized weekend blends the city’s Holiday Open House with its Tree Lighting Ceremony into a single Pier Plaza takeover.
The tree lighting is the weekend’s anchor: the ceremony begins at 5:45 PM, with Santa arriving and the tree lit around 6:00 PM, on Pier Plaza closer to Schumacher Plaza. The weekend also features a Ferris wheel on Pier Plaza, an Elf on a Shelf Scavenger Hunt, Letters to Santa, retail pop-ups, the Kids Creationz Market, a Family Fun Fest, photos with Santa, a Nonprofit Giving Village, a community concert by South Bay Music Connection, and a Rock for Tots Concert.
For families in Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, and the broader South Bay, this is the weekend the season officially turns on — a deliberately community-built, pier-front holiday experience.
At the base of the Hermosa Beach Pier where Pier Avenue meets the Strand — the open plaza at the end of downtown’s pedestrian retail corridor.
The opening-night tree lighting ceremony begins at 5:45 PM, with Santa arriving and the tree lit around 6:00 PM, on Pier Plaza closer to Schumacher Plaza.
Three days (typically a Friday–Sunday in late November). The tree lighting is on the opening evening; the Ferris wheel, scavenger hunt, market, and other activities run all three days.
Most of the activities (the tree lighting, scavenger hunt, letters to Santa, photos with Santa, concerts) are free. Some attractions like the Ferris wheel or market items may have a per-ride or per-item charge.
Pier Avenue lots and the structure at 13th Street fill first. Surrounding residential side streets and Hermosa Avenue meters are the spillover options; expect to walk a few blocks to Pier Plaza.
Pier Plaza is the open civic plaza at the base of the Hermosa Beach Pier, where Pier Avenue meets the Strand — the city’s defining waterfront gathering space. Pier Avenue itself runs inland as Hermosa Beach’s main pedestrian retail corridor, with restaurants, bars, and boutiques in the few walkable blocks east of the pier. The pier (built in 1965) anchors the plaza visually; the Hermosa Beach Strand runs north and south along the sand, making the plaza one of the most accessible South Bay beach corners for foot traffic.
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.