Hermosa Beach Lights Its Tree Before Thanksgiving, Then Local Groups Run December

Hermosa Beach's holiday season starts this Sunday, Nov. 22, at about 6 p.m. on Pier Plaza, when Santa arrives and the tree goes on. That is four days before Thanksgiving.

The 6th Annual Hermosa for the Holidays packs the town's big holiday production into one weekend, Nov. 21 and 22. The Hermosa Beach Chamber Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, produces it in partnership with the City of Hermosa Beach. After that weekend, a Kiwanis tree lot, a JCC menorah lighting, a Santa walk to Manhattan Beach, library craft afternoons and a contest on the sand fill the weeks that follow, and most of them are run by nonprofits and community groups.

Sunday on Pier Plaza, hour by hour

The Chamber's Hermosa for the Holidays page lists the Sunday schedule. It builds toward the lighting:

1. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pics with Santa at Loreto Plaza on Pier Plaza. Pets are welcome, and the free digital photos go up a week after the event.
2. 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Live music at Java Man, 157 Pier Ave., opening with Michael Gourzis.
3. Noon to 9 p.m. The Ferris wheel near the Pier Head, sponsored by the Skechers Foundation. Tickets are $9 at the on-site booth, and it takes cards only.
4. 1 to 6 p.m. The Nonprofit Giving Village, with hot cocoa and cookies.
5. 2 to 4 p.m. South Bay Music Connection, then Coast Music, then Jeremy Buck & The Bang.
6. 5:45 to 6:15 p.m. The tree lighting ceremony and Santa's arrival, near Schumacher Plaza.
7. 6:30 to 8 p.m. The Rock for Tots concert. The Chamber says Jeremy Buck's show is now in its 20th year.

The Chamber suggests arriving early for a good spot at the lighting. Dogs are welcome at the outdoor event, though each shop sets its own pet policy. The weekend is smaller than the first edition. That one, the Daily Breeze reported in 2021, ran three days and had an artificial ice rink. This year's centerpiece is the Ferris wheel.

Saturday belongs to the shops on Pier Avenue

Saturday, Nov. 21, is the shopping day. The Holiday Pop-Up Market and the Letters to Santa station both run on Pier Plaza from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Beach Cities Health District sponsors the letter station, and kids drop their letters in a red mailbox with no stamp needed. The market's first announced vendors are A&M Hat Bar, Colleen Berg Jewelry, Farm Fresh To You, Handmade in CA and Maui Treasures Boutique.

Up the hill, several shops are running their own events that day. In order of address:

• Sol Baby, 124 Pier Ave. Festive bubbles and bites both days, 20% off all gift certificates, and a kids' craft tent on Saturday only.
• Gum Tree Shop & Cafe, 238 Pier Ave. Complimentary sips and treats both days, a free tote with any shop purchase on Saturday, and free mini muffins with any cafe purchase. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday the shop is also selling tickets for the Sandpipers Holiday Homes Tour and hosting the Sugar Plum Tree fundraiser.
• Uncorked, 302 Pier Ave. Paws & Claus, free professional photos of you and your pet with Santa, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Donations go to Bark for a Park.
• Made by Inch, 321 Pier Ave. A wreath-making workshop from noon to 3 p.m., with materials from Sunflower Farmers Nursery.

Back on the plaza, South Bay Music Connection's Rock the Plaza concert runs from 2 to 7 p.m. with young local musicians, and Java Man has Evyn Charles at 11 a.m. and Brian Sheil at 1:30 p.m.

There is one deadline before the weekend ends. The Elf on the Shelf Scavenger Hunt has been running at participating businesses since Nov. 13, and postcards are due at the Chamber office, 120 Pier Ave., by Sunday, Nov. 22. Adults can win prizes too. The Chamber plans to post the winners on Instagram and Facebook around Monday, Nov. 23.

The Giving Village shows who runs December

The Sunday Giving Village is small on purpose. The Chamber caps it at eight nonprofits because the event's footprint is small, and the 2026 slots are full. This year's eight are St Cross Episcopal Church, Hermosa Beach Sister City Association, Ambassador Christian School, Woman's Club of Hermosa Beach, RimoVision Group, Hermosa Beach Pride, Leadership Hermosa Beach and Hermosa Beach Friends of the Library.

Two of those tables come back in December with events of their own, Hermosa Beach Pride and the Friends of the Library. After this weekend, the season's calendar is mostly groups like these.

From Nov. 27, the tree lot on the Community Center lawn

The day after Thanksgiving, the Hermosa Beach Kiwanis tree lot moves onto the Community Center's east lawn at 710 Pier Ave. A 2026 listing from VR Promotions puts it there from Nov. 27 through Dec. 23. The City's license agreement with Kiwanis covers that lawn for the season and sends the event's revenue to Kiwanis philanthropy. According to the club's holiday tree lot page, 100% of the lot's profits go back into the community, to local organizations, students and other recipients.

The first weekend of December, group by group

The busiest stretch after the plaza weekend runs from Wednesday, Dec. 2, through Sunday, Dec. 6. Each day has a different host:

• Wednesday, Dec. 2, 3 to 4 p.m. Gingerbread house decorating for ages 5 to 12 at the Hermosa Beach Library, sponsored by Hermosa Beach Friends of the Library.
• Wednesday, Dec. 2, 6 to 7:15 p.m. A performance of A Christmas Carol at the library for ages 5 and up, also sponsored by the Friends.
• Friday, Dec. 4, 8 to 10 p.m. Hermosa Beach Pride's HoliGAYs Party at The Studio, 636 Cypress Ave., with an outfit contest, bingo, a raffle, snacks and crafts.
• Friday, Dec. 4, through Sunday, Dec. 6. The Sandpipers' 34th Annual Holiday Homes Tour visits five decorated homes around the South Bay. It runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. The free-to-enter Holiday Market is at the Neptunian Woman's Club, 920 Highland Ave. in Manhattan Beach, and stays open until 3 p.m. on Sunday.
• Saturday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m. to noon. The City's Sand Snowman Contest at 15th Street and the shoreline. Registration opens at 9 a.m. and judging starts at 11:15 a.m. Prizes go to Hermosa Beach favorite, most unique, most traditional, best dressed and funniest. The City invites everyone to bring shovels, scarves and mittens.
• Sunday, Dec. 6, 3 to 5 p.m. The Jewish Community Center's annual Community Chanukah Celebration on Pier Plaza, with entertainment, activities and the menorah lighting.

Of everything that week, the Sand Snowman Contest is the only event the City runs. The rest come from the library's Friends group, Pride, the Sandpipers and the JCC.

Dec. 12 heads north, and Dec. 31 ends at the Lighthouse

On Saturday, Dec. 12, Mychal's Learning Place holds its annual fundraiser, the California Great Santa Stroll. It starts at Pier Plaza and walks from the Hermosa Pier to the Manhattan Beach Pier between 9 a.m. and noon. The same morning, the Friends of the Library sponsor two fuse bead ornament sessions for adults at the Hermosa Beach Library, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

For an evening out, the newest place on the strip is on Hermosa Avenue. Kasai Records, at 1332 Hermosa Ave., is a restaurant and vinyl listening room based on the Tokyo music cafes called kissas. Easy Reader News reported in October that co-owners Ryan Stock and Skylar Tourigny, both Hermosa residents, take turns in the DJ booth, and that talking is allowed, unlike at the strictest Tokyo listening rooms.

On Thursday, Dec. 31, The Lighthouse Cafe's schedule has Pet The Dog at 5 p.m., Randy Coleman at 8 p.m., and Dick The Citizen as the New Year's Eve band from 10 p.m. to close. The 8 p.m. show is ticketed through Eventbrite.

Gary has spent decades in the South Bay and has seen local groups like these carry Hermosa's holidays from one season to the next. If you'd like to talk about your place in this town, or about what comes after the tree comes down, The Art of Beach Real Estate is happy to listen. Schedule a private consultation with Gary.