A genuinely intimate Peninsula tradition — carolers, hot cocoa, food trucks, and the lighting of the city’s fir tree at the historic Spanish-style Malaga Cove Plaza, gathered around the iconic Neptune Fountain.
Each December, Palos Verdes Estates holds its annual Tree Lighting Ceremony at Malaga Cove Plaza — the city’s historic Spanish-style commercial plaza and the closest thing the Peninsula has to a town square. The plaza’s centerpiece Neptune Fountain and arcaded storefronts make the setting itself part of the appeal: this is the Peninsula at its most distinctive, lit for the holidays.
The ceremony itself is gentle by design — roaming carolers and handbell performers, holiday activities for kids, cookie decorating, letters to Santa, and the lighting of the city’s fir tree. Food trucks ring the plaza and hot cocoa flows. There are no fireworks or pop stars; the event is built around neighbors gathering on a Sunday afternoon-into-evening, which fits the community’s preference for genuine tradition over spectacle.
For families on the Peninsula, this is the December event — the one place where Lunada Bay, Margate, and Valmonte neighbors all show up at once.
At Malaga Cove Plaza in Palos Verdes Estates, the historic Spanish-style commercial plaza anchored by the Neptune Fountain. ZIP 90274.
Late afternoon into early evening, typically 4:00 to 6:00 PM, with the tree itself lit toward the end of the program. Roaming carolers usually start before the official ceremony.
Yes. The ceremony is small, calm, and short by design — cookie decorating, letters to Santa, carolers. Stroller-friendly. The plaza arcades can feel tight when the crowd is at peak.
Street parking around Malaga Cove Plaza fills fast; the surrounding residential streets are the overflow. Arrive a little early or walk in from a few blocks away to avoid the crunch.
Food trucks are the main on-site option during the event. The shops and restaurants ringing the plaza are also open, and several of the Peninsula’s Spanish-style restaurants are within a short walk for dinner before or after.
Malaga Cove Plaza is the original commercial plaza of Palos Verdes Estates — built in 1925 in the Spanish Colonial Revival style that the master-planned city committed to throughout. The Neptune Fountain at its center is a replica of Giovanni da Bologna’s Neptune Fountain in Bologna, Italy. The arcaded storefronts ringing the plaza house the Peninsula’s gallery, dining, and boutique corridor, and the Plaza serves as the city’s de facto town square. PV Estates itself is one of the earliest planned communities in Los Angeles County, dating to 1923.
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.
