Now in its 30th year — a daylong Christmas Market at the historic Orange Circle, capped by a candlelight choir procession, an orchestra, carols, and the ceremonial lighting of the grand Christmas tree at Plaza Square.
Each early December, the Old Towne Orange Plaza — known locally as The Orange Circle, where Chapman Avenue meets Glassell Street — hosts its 30-year-strong Tree Lighting Ceremony & Christmas Market. The event takes over the historic circular plaza from morning into the evening, with the musical program beginning in the early evening and the lighting itself capping the night.
The musical program is genuinely distinctive: carols, an orchestra, and the Candlelight Choir Procession that’s been part of Orange’s December tradition for decades. The market runs through the day with local vendors, food, and seasonal goods around the circle. Admission is free; food and some activities have a cost.
For families in Orange, Villa Park, and across central OC, this is the season’s most architecturally beautiful holiday event — the plaza itself, ringed by intact Victorian-era storefronts, is the setting and the appeal. It’s one of the most genuinely place-rooted holiday traditions in OC.
At Old Towne Orange Plaza, also called The Orange Circle, at 1 Plaza Square (where Chapman Avenue meets Glassell Street).
The Christmas Market runs all day. The musical program begins in the early evening with carols, an orchestra, and the Candlelight Choir Procession, with the tree lighting as the cap.
A long-standing Orange tradition where a choir processes through the Plaza by candlelight singing carols. It’s a defining part of the city’s holiday character and one of the more visually striking small-city traditions in OC.
Yes — the Metrolink Orange station is about a half-mile north of the Plaza along Lemon Street, served by the Orange County and Inland Empire–Orange County lines. The walk south to the Plaza takes about 10 minutes through downtown Orange’s historic streets. It’s a real option if you’d rather skip the parking crunch around the Circle.
Yes — the restaurants ringing the Plaza stay open through and after the event. A dinner reservation around the candlelight procession is the local move.
The Old Towne Orange Plaza — known locally as The Orange Circle — is a one-acre circular plaza at the intersection of Chapman Avenue and Glassell Street. The Plaza is the centerpiece of the Old Towne Orange Historic District, a National Register district with the most intact concentration of pre-1940 commercial and residential architecture in Orange County. Antique shops, restaurants, and the original commercial buildings dating from the 1880s through the 1920s ring the circle. Chapman University is two blocks east; the Metrolink Orange station sits about a half-mile north along Lemon Street.
Each winter, Discovery Cube Orange County — the landmark science museum housed in the giant tilted cube beside Interstate 5 in Santa Ana — transforms into an indoor holiday gingerbread experience for families. Known in recent years as Gingerbread Wonderland, it folds the museum’s hands-on, kid-focused style into a season of sweet-themed fun: a holiday sing-along, a sleigh ride, an indoor slide, candy-flavored science, and visits with Santa. Because it’s all indoors, it’s a dependable Orange County holiday outing whatever the weather.
Brian J. Cook
Floral Park is one of Santa Ana’s most beloved historic neighborhoods — a National Historic District of vintage 1920s-through-1950s homes on wide, tree-shaded streets in Orange County. Each December, the all-volunteer neighborhood association presents a holiday Walk of Lights, when homes dress up for the season and families come to enjoy the decorations on foot or by car. It’s a free, low-key way to soak up holiday atmosphere in a genuinely historic Santa Ana setting.
Brian J. Cook
Each holiday season, the City of Santa Ana lights a Christmas tree in the heart of its downtown at Plaza Navideña — a free, family-friendly celebration in the historic Calle Cuatro district of Santa Ana, the Orange County seat. It’s the kind of warm, walkable evening that opens the season for the whole city: lights, music, and a visit from Santa, right in the middle of downtown.
Brian J. Cook
Old Town Tustin’s annual community holiday evening — a Snow Village, stage performances, photos with Santa, kids’ activities, food trucks, and the city tree lighting along the historic El Camino Real commercial corridor.
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.
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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.
