Holiday Lights at the Venice Canals
Venice, CA
Venice’s hidden canals — modeled on Venice, Italy — dress up for the holidays with twinkling lights on every bridge and home, plus a first-weekend-of-December boat parade, all free to walk.
Venice’s hidden canals — modeled on Venice, Italy — dress up for the holidays with twinkling lights on every bridge and home, plus a first-weekend-of-December boat parade, all free to walk.
Tucked just blocks from Venice Beach, the Venice Canals are one of L.A.’s most magical hidden holiday destinations. The historic canal walkways — inspired by Venice, Italy — light up each December with thousands of strings of lights, decorated bridges, and elaborately decked-out homes along the waterways.
The annual Venice Canals Holiday Boat Parade, a beloved neighborhood tradition since 1983, has typically taken place on the first Saturday or Sunday of December, with decorated paddleboards, kayaks, and small boats setting off in the late afternoon at the intersection of Eastern and Carroll Canals.
Even outside the parade weekend, walking the canal walkways on any December evening is a uniquely charming free L.A. holiday experience — quieter, more intimate, and more romantic than the city’s bigger destinations. Confirm this season’s parade date and time with local lifestyle coverage (the canals are resident-organized; there’s no central event website).
Yes — walking the canal walkways and watching the boat parade are completely free. Only parking and any food costs extra.
The Venice Canals Holiday Boat Parade has typically been held on the first Saturday or Sunday of December, with decorated paddleboards, kayaks, and small boats setting off in the late afternoon at the intersection of Eastern and Carroll Canals. The canals are resident-organized; confirm the year’s date through local lifestyle coverage.
Homes along the canals typically begin decorating in early December and keep the lights up through the first week of January. Mid-to-late December is the peak.
The paid lot at the end of Venice Boulevard near Pacific Avenue is the closest option. Side streets in the surrounding Venice neighborhoods have free parking with time limits, but they fill quickly. Many visitors park near Venice Beach and walk in.
Yes — the slow walking pace and gentle lighting are lovely for kids. Be mindful that canal walkways are narrow and have bridges with steps; small children may prefer a sling or compact stroller over a wide carriage.
The Venice Canals are the surviving remnant of Abbot Kinney’s “Venice of America,” opened in 1905 to recreate the look of Venice, Italy along the Los Angeles coast. Most of the original canal system was filled in during the 1920s for automobile streets, but five canals — Carroll, Linnie, Howland, Sherman, and Eastern — remain, lined by some 350 homes and crossed by footbridges. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Venice’s official holiday lighting tradition — the historic Venice Sign changes from white to red and green for the season, with live music, photos with Santa, and the surrounding Windward Avenue activation.
Brian J. Cook
Marina del Rey’s Holiday Tree Lighting at Burton Chace Park — the marina-front tree lighting paired with the Marina Lights display and the annual Holiday Boat Parade.
Brian J. Cook
Decorated yachts, kayaks, and paddleboards parade through Marina del Rey on a single Saturday evening in December — free shoreline viewing for families. Confirm the season’s date and start time at mdrboatparade.org.
Brian J. Cook
Marina Del Rey’s New England-style waterfront village — Fisherman’s Village — runs free weekend holiday programming through December each year: live music every weekend, photos with Santa and his elf, a Letters-to-Santa station, holiday décor along the boardwalk, and prime free viewing of the Marina del Rey Holiday Boat Parade. Free, family-friendly, and harbor-walkable.
Brian J. Cook
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.
Check Availability
Have a date in mind? Tell us when and where, and we’ll let you know whether Santa is open. House of Kringle brings a real-bearded Santa Claus to Live Visits and Group Experiences across Southern California, and December fills quickly, so the sooner you check, the better your odds of locking in your first choice.
This is a quick availability check, not a booking. Nothing is reserved and nothing is owed until we’ve confirmed your date and you’ve placed your retainer.