About
The Tree Lighting & Holiday Bazaar is an annual tradition presented by the Crystal Cove Conservancy, the nonprofit that stewards the park. The Historic District is decked from the trails to the sea with holiday décor and lights, and a daytime Holiday Bazaar fills the cove with local artisans and makers selling gifts. Families can meet Santa for a beachside photo, sip cocoa and nibble cookies, and hear holiday music drift across the cottages, with one of the vintage cottages typically serving as a “Holiday House” showcasing artisan creations. The day builds to its signature moment: the lighting of the beach Christmas tree as the sun sets over the water. The vendor lineup and specific programming change year to year, but the sunset beach-tree lighting is the enduring centerpiece.
Event Tips
- Know the parking-and-shuttle routine before you arrive: there’s no direct parking at the historic district, so you’ll park at the Los Trancos lot up on Pacific Coast Highway and ride the shuttle down to the cove.
- Stay for sunset — the beach-tree lighting is timed to the close of day and is the moment worth waiting for.
- Wear shoes you can walk on sand in, and bring a layer; it cools quickly at the shoreline once the sun is down.
- Dates and bazaar details vary each year — confirm the current schedule at crystalcove.org before you go.
Frequently Asked Questions
At a Glance
When
A daytime bazaar building to a sunset beach-tree lighting, held on one day in early December each year.
Cost
Free admission, paid parking
Free to attend. A California State Parks day-use parking fee applies at the Los Trancos lot (covered by a State Parks annual pass); a shuttle carries visitors down to the cottages.
Event Type
Tree Lighting Ceremony, Holiday Market, Family Festival, Outdoor Activity
Location
Crystal Cove State Park Historic District, off Pacific Coast Hwy
Crystal Cove State Park stretches along roughly three miles of Orange County coastline between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. Its heart is the Crystal Cove Historic District — a cluster of vintage 1920s–1940s beach cottages tucked on the sand in a tide-pool cove, one of the last remaining examples of early Southern California coastal cottage culture and a National Register historic district. By day it’s a beloved spot for tide-pooling, beachcombing, and a meal at the historic Beachcomber café; in December it becomes the backdrop for the Conservancy’s tree lighting.
