In 1989, Pete and Gwen Moffett decided Manhattan Beach needed a community celebration for the holidays, one that brought local businesses and residents together. Their idea was to hold fireworks in December instead of July, both to open the season and to thank the town for supporting its shops and restaurants. About 500 people came to the first show. The Manhattan Beach Holiday Fireworks now draws an estimated 20,000 people a year.
The town's holiday season has always belonged to its merchants. The fireworks began as a shopkeeper's thank-you. The Downtown Holiday Open House is the business association's way of "welcoming you into our house." The 2026 season is the first one hosted by a downtown that took on a new set of occupants during the year. The open house on Wednesday, Nov. 18 is the first night most residents will walk the whole route and see all the changes in one evening.
The open house route, stop by stop
The Downtown Manhattan Beach Holiday Open House schedule starts at Metlox Plaza and works its way down to the pier. Here it is in order:
- 5 p.m., Metlox Plaza. Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive, and Karl Meyer Photography takes the photos. Mychal's Cafe serves hot cocoa and cookies, Frontier Kettle Corn sets up, and Nicole Face Paints and Balloon Art Entertainment works the crowd. Michael Holmes plays music and the Strolling Harmony Carolers make their rounds.
- 6 to 9 p.m., Manhattan Avenue. Real reindeer arrive near {pages} a bookstore. The Lucky Ones Band plays at 10th Street, jazz saxophonist Matt Kalin performs in front of SLAY at 12th Street, and Larry the Taco Guy sets up at 13th and Manhattan Avenue.
- 6 to 9 p.m., Highland Avenue. Dallas Green sings at 12th and Highland, carolers stroll the street, and Danger Dogs sets up at MB Watch at 13th and Highland.
- 6 to 9 p.m., Manhattan Beach Boulevard. Strolling and Dickens-style carolers, plus Buddy the Elf somewhere in town.
- The pier. The MBMS Choir sings at 6 p.m. and the MCHS Choir at 6:30. The pier lighting is at 7 p.m. The schedule's own advice is "don't blink." After that, the pier's 80 living Christmas trees stay lit for the stroll, with the association thanking the Zebrowski Family.
Several of the storefronts along that route opened in 2026, and others are still under construction.
Metlox, where Santa arrives, is mid-turnover
Metlox Plaza at 451 Manhattan Beach Boulevard shows the change most clearly. Bacio di Latte opened there in June, and MB News reported it open in July. In late August, Easy Reader reported that Petros had announced it would close its Metlox location and that Bacari would take the space.
That replacement is further off than the announcement suggested. According to What Now Los Angeles, public filings place Bacari at Suite B110 of 451 Manhattan Beach Boulevard. Co-founder Danny Kronfli told the outlet the timeline was not final and the restaurant was targeting June 2027. Bacari serves shareable, Mediterranean-inspired small plates. The concept comes from brothers Danny and Robert Kronfli and Chef Lior Hillel. Danny Kronfli told What Now that he and his brother spent many summers in the area growing up.
Another Metlox space is still in progress. Patch reported in January that Italian goods importer Sogno Toscano planned a café in the former Lemonade space, aiming for summer 2026. By July, MB News reported that the Planning Commission had approved the buildout. No opening has been announced since then.
So when Santa arrives at 5 p.m., the plaza around him will hold one shop that opened this summer, one dining room waiting on a 2027 tenant, and one buildout still underway.
Down the boulevard, three new addresses in one stretch
Walk west from Metlox and Manhattan Beach Boulevard shows the biggest change of the year. Three new storefronts sit within about a hundred street numbers of each other:
| Address | New tenant | Former tenant | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 401 Manhattan Beach Blvd | Great White | Pitfire | Open, taking reservations |
| 324 Manhattan Beach Blvd | Beyond Yoga | Gum Tree | Open since Aug. 13 |
| 308 Manhattan Beach Blvd | Velvet by Graham & Spencer | Gelato & Angels | Open |
Great White's location page lists daily hours and reservations at 401 Manhattan Beach Blvd. Beyond Yoga's store locator lists 324 Manhattan Beach Blvd, and the Mira Costa student paper reported that the store opened Aug. 13. Velvet's store locator lists its Manhattan Beach shop at 308 Manhattan Beach Blvd, with store hours. In early July, MB News still described Great White and Velvet as opening soon.
The open house sends its Dickens-style carolers down this boulevard. On Dec. 13, 25 days later, the fireworks crowd fills it.
Manhattan Avenue: one new opening and one neighbor still to come
On Manhattan Avenue, where the reindeer and the bands set up, the changes are smaller and spread out. Coucou opened in the former Nando space at 1131 Manhattan Ave and was open by July.
In the 1000 block, a local owner opened in a longtime storefront. Jen Baick's Ounce of Salt moved into the former Rolling Hills Flower Mart space at 1016 Manhattan Ave. It is a gallery for custom engagement rings and fine jewelry, including titanium pieces, and appointments can be booked through its site. Next door at 1014 Manhattan Ave, the former Kate Lester Home space is listed on Framebridge's Manhattan Beach page as coming soon.
The two coffee counters arriving after the season
Two of the most visible changes won't be open for the holidays. Blank Street Coffee, which is based in New York, signed a lease for the former Peet's location. The downtown association's dining directory lists it as coming soon. Alfred Coffee, which has several Los Angeles locations, is under construction in the former Ocean View Cafe space and is expected in the spring.
That makes this December the last holiday season before both coffee counters open. These openings have also prompted public discussion. On Oct. 25, La Vista, the Mira Costa High School paper, ran a piece by executive arts editor Zoe Mellinger asking whether downtown is losing its local character as recognizable brands move in. The same piece called Great White "a popular favorite" and said Beyond Yoga "fits perfectly into Manhattan Beach's active lifestyle." A holiday season founded to thank local merchants now takes place in the middle of that discussion.
Dec. 6: the same idea, a mile north on Highland
The North Manhattan Beach Holiday Stroll takes the merchant-hosted format to the other business district. It runs Sunday, Dec. 6, from 4 to 8 p.m. along Highland Avenue, with shopping, dining, seasonal treats and family activities, according to the Experience Manhattan Beach listing.
The city fills the same weekend with two ticketed events at Manhattan Heights Park Community Center, 1600 Manhattan Beach Blvd. The Family Gingerbread House Decorating Workshop runs Saturday, Dec. 5, from 9 to 11 a.m., and Holiday Crafts with Santa runs Dec. 5 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and Dec. 6 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Both require registration through the city's holiday events page.
Dec. 13: the fireworks, hour by hour
The 38th Annual Skechers Manhattan Beach Holiday Fireworks runs Sunday, Dec. 13, from 3 to 8 p.m. at the pier. The show starts at 7 p.m., rain or shine unless the weather is severe. The 2026 schedule:
- 3 to 4 p.m. Snow Park opens to families of the Friendship Foundation in the upper south parking lot above the pier.
- 4 to 6 p.m. Mira Costa Choir carolers stroll downtown. Snow Park opens to the public, and admission is an unwrapped toy or canned food item for the YMCA Adventure Guides. The Santa Float sits on Manhattan Avenue at Manhattan Beach Boulevard.
- 4 to 5 p.m. Coast Music presents DJ Ezra on the pier stage.
- 5 to 6 p.m. Mira Costa High School Jazz Band.
- 6 p.m. A celebration of the Hanukkah season.
- 6:15 to 7 p.m. Joe's Band plays holiday hits.
- 7 p.m. The fireworks show.
Blankets are allowed on Manhattan Beach Boulevard from Highland Avenue to the pier starting at 4 p.m., or once public safety officials say the street is safe. That puts the blanket stretch on the same boulevard as the year's new storefronts. San Diego-based Fireworks America produces the show. Skechers has been the title sponsor since 2012, and the Travel Channel later voted it the Best Holiday Fireworks Show in America. The event's history page says the show starts at exactly 7:00 and ends by 7:30. The parking and street-closure link on the fireworks site still points to the 2025 city notice, so check manhattanbeach.gov for this year's closures in December.
Pete Moffett died in 2023. His son Tom and brother-in-law Denny Greenler ran the event before handing it to the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce, which now produces it with Skechers and the City of Manhattan Beach.
Gary E. Richardson has watched this downtown change over decades of holiday seasons, and every change in tenants shows up eventually in how buyers see the blocks around it. If you'd like to talk about what this year's storefront changes mean for your part of town, The Art of Beach Real Estate would welcome the chance. Schedule a private consultation with Gary.
