— Photo by Sara Hall ©
There are a number of ways to get in the spirit and celebrate the holidays in Newport Beach this month.
Santa will be making the rounds at numerous events this weekend, including arriving via an electric boat to the Deck the Halls event at Lido Marina Village on Saturday.
— Photo courtesy Lido Marina Village ©
The festivities will commence with old St. Nick’s arrival at the Village at 11 a.m. He will then spend the day on the Lido Deck greeting revelers of all ages. The event also includes a petting zoo, holiday music, balloon animals, face paint, and more.
Locals can also dine with jolly Claus while he’s visiting from the North Pole at several restaurants around town, including brunch with him at Back Bay Bistro on Saturday. Prices range and reservations are required for some events.
For residents still in need of a tree, pick the perfect pine at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort Christmas Tree Lot.
Sip complimentary coffee and hot chocolate while browsing hundreds of trees. Newport Dunes receives fresh shipments weekly and offers delivery as well as free parking for Christmas tree shoppers. Open daily until Dec. 23 (or until supplies last) from 10 a.m.–9 p.m.
If just one tree isn’t enough, a few tree lighting events are lighting up this weekend.
See the coast transformed into a holiday wonderland at Crystal Cove’s 23rd Annual Tree Lighting & Holiday Bazaar on Saturday evening, including vintage ornaments, twinkling lights, and a beautiful, majestic tree on the beach.
As Santa and strolling carolers join the event, complimentary hot chocolate, apple cider and home-baked goodies will be provided by The Beachcomber Café. The bazaar starts at 10 a.m. and runs until 5:30 p.m., the tree lighting ceremony begins at dusk. Parking is $5.
— Photo courtesy Expo-4-Life
Later in the week, celebrate and be charitable at the annual OC Santa Crawl.
The event is dedicated to helping put a stop to child abuse by supporting The Eli Home. Each year the OC Santa Crawl gets bigger and bigger, raising more and more money and toys for local children. This year will be the largest Santa Crawl to date: More than 1,000 Santas are expected, with expectations to raise nearly $20,000.
This year’s crawl will start at Woody’s Wharf. Be there at 1 p.m. sharp to pick up a wristband.
For more information, visit lidomarinavillage.com, NewportDunes.com/Bistro or call (949) 729-1144, NewportDunes.com, CrystalCove.org, and OCSantaCrawl.com
