Thousands of red-suited Santas take over The Strand in Hermosa Beach for the California Great Santa Stroll — a 5K fun run/walk that benefits Mychal’s Learning Place.

The California Great Santa Stroll is one of South Bay’s most distinctive holiday traditions: a 5K fun run/walk where every registered participant receives a Santa suit (while supplies last) and the entire field strolls from the Hermosa Beach Pier Plaza along The Strand to the Manhattan Beach Pier and back.
The result is a sea of red — typically more than a thousand participants making one of the largest gatherings of costumed Santas in California.
All ages and abilities are welcome, including strollers, kids on scooters, and leashed dogs. The stroll benefits Mychal’s Learning Place, a Hermosa Beach–based nonprofit serving young people with developmental disabilities. Confirm this season’s date and registration at mychals.org.
Register in advance at mychals.org — registration includes your Santa suit and benefits Mychal’s Learning Place. Early registration is recommended; Santa suits are first-come, first-served (“while supplies last”).
Yes — spectating from The Strand and the Hermosa Beach Pier Plaza is free. Sea-of-Santas photos are best from the Hermosa Beach or Manhattan Beach pier turnarounds.
A Hermosa Beach–based nonprofit that serves youth and young adults with developmental disabilities through programs supporting independence, skills development, and community participation. Registration fees directly benefit Mychal’s programs.
Very — all ages and abilities are welcome. Strollers, scooters, leashed dogs are all welcome. The pace is slow and family-leaning. Kids get a kick out of seeing thousands of Santas all together.
5K total — from the Hermosa Beach Pier Plaza along The Strand to the Manhattan Beach Pier and back. Plan about an hour at a stroll pace; runners finish faster.

Pier Avenue is the pedestrian spine of downtown Hermosa Beach, running west from Hermosa Avenue to Pier Plaza and the Hermosa Beach Pier. The current concrete pier was built in 1965, extending 1,140 feet into the Pacific from the Strand, and succeeded earlier wooden and concrete piers dating to 1904. The avenue and its plaza form the South Bay beach community’s main shopping, dining, and entertainment district, with shops and restaurants leading right up to the sand.
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.
Brian J. Cook
Hermosa Beach’s coastal twist on a winter classic — families gather at 15th Street and the shoreline each early December to build sand snowmen with shovels, scarves, and imagination. Judged in categories from Most Traditional to Funniest.
Brian J. Cook
Decorated boats sail through King Harbor as part of a full afternoon-into-evening holiday festival — marketplace, paddle parade, concert, and Redondo’s signature illuminated procession.
Brian J. Cook
Redondo Beach’s 45-year-strong civic Holiday Music & Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Civic Center — holiday music, student performances, and the official tree lighting.
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.