Christmas Events for Kids in Beverly Hills (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

Updated 3 min read

Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Beverly Hills for 2026. Santa and Mrs. Claus move into Greystone Mansion for two December weekends, and two outdoor light displays, Lights on The Lily Pond and Glowing Gardens, glow every night through January 3. We check every date on the host’s own website and link straight there. For the rest of the state, see our California Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in Beverly Hills

  • 3 Christmas events for kids in Beverly Hills
  • Holidays at Greystone: December 5, 6, 12 and 13, 9:15 am to 4:45 pm
  • Lights on The Lily Pond: nightly 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm through January 3
  • Glowing Gardens: daily 5 pm to 11 pm through January 3
  • Every date checked on the City of Beverly Hills website on Nov 11

Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Beverly Hills

Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.

Event hosts: free events are listed first. The #1 spot puts your event at the top of this page.Inquire about the #1 spotAdd your event for free

Santa at the mansion

Holidays at Greystone

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For two December weekends the historic Greystone Mansion and its gardens are dressed in holiday decor with multicultural themes, and Santa and Mrs. Claus settle in for visits.

Kids can watch marionettes, hear live carolers, work through a village of craft stations and join a library story time, and the city’s support dog Nami poses for photos too.

Parent tip: Go early on a Sunday for a calmer visit with Santa, and plan time for the craft village, which is easy to linger in.

Host
City of Beverly Hills Community Services (opens in a new tab)
Address
Greystone Mansion and Gardens, 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills, CA (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom City of Beverly Hills Community Services (opens in a new tab)

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Rally’s Christmas research

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Light show

Lights on The Lily Pond

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Lights on The Lily Pond turns the pond in Beverly Gardens Park into a holiday light show every evening, right beside the famous Beverly Hills sign.

It runs nightly through the first weekend of January, so it fits around school concerts and holiday travel, and it pairs well with a sign photo before the show.

Parent tip: Arrive right at 5:30 pm with little ones to see the lights come on, and snap your family photo at the Beverly Hills sign while you are there.

Host
City of Beverly Hills (opens in a new tab)
Address
Beverly Gardens Park, by the Beverly Hills sign, Beverly Hills, CA (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom City of Beverly Hills (opens in a new tab)

New Beverly Hills events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Beverly Hills daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Beverly Hills.

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Giant tree display

Glowing Gardens

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Glowing Gardens fills Beverly Canon Gardens with a larger-than-life Christmas tree and an oversized ornament built for family photos.

The display stays lit every evening until 11 pm through January 3, which makes it an easy add-on after dinner or a stroll past the Rodeo Drive decorations.

Parent tip: Stand back from the giant ornament for a photo that fits the whole family and the tree in one frame.

Host
City of Beverly Hills (opens in a new tab)
Address
Beverly Canon Gardens, Beverly Hills, CA (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom City of Beverly Hills (opens in a new tab)

New Beverly Hills events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Beverly Hills daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Beverly Hills.

Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)

We check every event above on the host’s own page for the date, time and cost, plus the things parents ask about, like sign-ups and ages. Looking for a Santa train instead? Those are on our California Christmas train rides page.

See every event on a December calendar

Plan your December

When each Beverly Hills Christmas event for kids happens

Book a daytime visit to Holidays at Greystone for Santa and the craft village, then come back after dark any night through January 3 for the two light displays near the Beverly Hills sign and Canon Drive.

Looking further afield? Our California Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Los Angeles, South Pasadena, Hermosa Beach and Pasadena. The national search sorts every event by distance from your town.

A story for the drive home

A morning with Santa or an evening of holiday stories tends to end the same way: tired kids, a long drive and one more book before bed. Our picture book follows Rally the corgi on his first train ride to see his grand-paw-rents, and every page is painted by hand. If your family is spending December missing someone, it was written for that too. For the car, print our free corgi and train coloring pages.

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A bedtime story after seeing SantaRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first ride on a California train, hand-painted in watercolor. $16.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

The story of Christmas in Beverly Hills

For Beverly Hills' 100th birthday in 2014, sixteen Baccarat crystal chandeliers, each with more than 500 hand-placed crystal drops, were hung 18 feet above Rodeo Drive for Christmas, high enough for a bus to pass underneath. Every November since, the city has started the season with a free street party, fireworks and Santa on the same famous block.

Sixteen Baccarat chandeliers over Rodeo Drive for the city's 100th Christmas in 2014

Beverly Hills turned 100 in 2014, and the French crystal maker Baccarat turned 250 the same year. Mayor Lili Bosse had talked with Baccarat's marketing director, Jaime Jimenez, about marking both anniversaries together, and the result was 16 chandeliers made just for the holiday lights in the French town where Baccarat began. Each one held more than 500 crystal drops, every drop with its own assigned spot, and each took about four days to finish.

The chandeliers hung 18 feet above Rodeo Drive inside Plexiglas cases built to stand up to 90 mile per hour Santa Ana winds, rain and even a strong earthquake. The city's request for holiday decor and lighting that year set a budget of half a million dollars. The palm and birch trees along the street were wrapped in lights, and the lighting ceremony was held on Sunday, November 23, 2014, at 6 pm in the 300 block of Rodeo Drive near Brighton Way.

Nutcrackers on stilts and fireworks in the drizzle on November 13, 2025

The 2025 Rodeo Drive Holiday Lighting Celebration was Thursday, November 13, with the theme Enchanted Holiday Dreams, taken from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker. Giant nutcrackers worked by puppeteers and silver ballerina sculptures stood beside piles of gifts, and actors dressed as mice posed for photos on the closed street. Dancers from Westside Ballet, ages 10 to 16, performed three Nutcracker dances, and the Debbie Allen Dance Academy danced Candy Canes from The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, with Debbie Allen herself making a surprise visit. A light drizzle started around 7:30 pm, and the rainbow fireworks went off shortly after 8.

The same night, Glowing Gardens at Beverly Canon Gardens and Lights on The Lily Pond in Beverly Gardens Park switched on for the season, running to January 4, 2026. Holidays at Greystone in 2025 was one weekend, December 6 and 7, with Santa visits, carols and tours of the mansion's first floor and its newly restored theatre. In 2026 it grows to two weekends.

Santa's mailbox at the Beverly Wilshire and 50 years of the Rodeo Drive Committee

Some of the city's oldest holiday customs live in its hotels. At the Beverly Wilshire, kids could post letters to Santa in a special mailbox in the Wilshire Wing lobby from December 1 to 24, 2025, and young hotel guests were invited down to the main lobby on Christmas morning. The Beverly Hills Hotel, the Pink Palace, has welcomed guests since 1912, and its Polo Lounge, open since 1941, served a Christmas Eve dinner in 2025. At The Peninsula, carolers sang in the lobby from December 20 to 24, and Santa came by on Christmas Eve.

The street lighting itself has grown bigger over time. In 2024 the theme was Rodeo Nights, Holiday Lights, with candy cane street sweepers, nutcrackers on stilts and the Beverly Hills High School Drumline, and the Rodeo Drive Committee counted more than 9,000 people. For 2026 the party marks 50 years of the Rodeo Drive Committee, whose president credits the vision Fred Hayman had for the street 50 years ago, under the theme 50 Years of Brilliance, and one of the two winners of the first Rodeo Drive Has Talent search is an eight-year-old singer, Marianna Kriuchenkova. In December, families can follow the lights to Holidays at Greystone for Santa and Mrs. Claus.

A train park opened 11 days before Christmas 1952 and a holiday lights train in Griffith Park

The nearest train museums sit about 10 miles away in Griffith Park, and they have their own Christmas traditions. Travel Town Museum was dedicated on December 14, 1952, just 11 days before Christmas, in the northwest corner of the park. Its outdoor yard of real locomotives and railroad cars is free, and its foundation holds a members-only Polar Express event, set for Saturday, December 5, 2026.

Next door, the Griffith Park and Southern Railroad runs its Holiday Lights Train Ride, a nighttime loop through thousands of lights on its mile of track, starting the Friday after Thanksgiving and running into early January. The Los Angeles Live Steamers, close by, give rides on small 7.5 inch gauge trains on Sundays. A Greystone morning and a lights train ride at night make a full day.

Traditions today

  • Rodeo Drive Holiday Lighting Celebration: A free November street party with a main stage, Santa, food trucks and fireworks. In 2026 it is Thursday, November 19, 5 to 8 pm, themed 50 Years of Brilliance.
  • Lights on The Lily Pond: A light show over the pond in Beverly Gardens Park by the Beverly Hills sign, nightly from 5:30 to 9:30 pm through early January.
  • Holidays at Greystone: Santa and Mrs. Claus, marionettes, carols and crafts at the Greystone Mansion and Gardens, an 18.5-acre estate, on December weekends.
  • Menorah Lighting Celebration: The city lights a menorah in Beverly Gardens Park each Hanukkah. In 2026 it is December 7 at 5:30 pm.
  • Santa Paws Yappy Hour: Dogs get photos with Santa at the Beverly Hills Community Dog Park, December 13, 2026, from 10 am to noon.

A fact for kids

The crystal chandeliers that hung over Rodeo Drive at Christmas in 2014 were so high up that a whole bus could drive underneath them, and each one had more than 500 sparkly crystals put in by hand.

Questions about Christmas in Beverly Hills

When is the Rodeo Drive Holiday Lighting Celebration in 2026?

The 2026 Rodeo Drive Holiday Lighting Celebration is Thursday, November 19, from 5 to 8 pm. It is free and open to everyone. The theme is 50 Years of Brilliance, for the Rodeo Drive Committee's 50th anniversary. Ali Ward hosts, Daniel Ho presents Island Holidays, and the mayor pushes the button for a fireworks finale.

What was the theme of the 2025 Rodeo Drive holiday lighting?

The 2025 theme was Enchanted Holiday Dreams, inspired by Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker. The street had giant nutcrackers worked by puppeteers, silver ballerina sculptures and costumed mice posing for photos. The lighting was Thursday, November 13, 2025, with ornaments in gold, blue, red and white hung along the center median and lights strung from palm to palm.

Who performed at the 2025 Rodeo Drive tree lighting?

Singer Kara Freeman hosted and sang Santa Baby with a barbershop quartet. Westside Ballet dancers ages 10 to 16 performed Nutcracker pieces, the USC Trojan Dance Force did a holiday pom routine, and the Debbie Allen Dance Academy danced Candy Canes, with Debbie Allen appearing in person. Chris Mann, James Torme and Hugh Sheridan also sang before the holiday fireworks.

Were there really Baccarat chandeliers on Rodeo Drive at Christmas?

Yes. For the 2014 holiday season, when Beverly Hills turned 100 and Baccarat turned 250, 16 Baccarat chandeliers hung 18 feet above Rodeo Drive. Each had more than 500 hand-placed crystal drops and sat in a Plexiglas case built for 90 mile per hour winds. The lighting ceremony was November 23, 2014, near Brighton Way.

How many people go to the Rodeo Drive holiday lighting?

Thousands. In 2024, the Rodeo Drive Committee's president put the crowd for the November 14 Christmas lighting at more than 9,000 people, while news coverage reported more than 8,000. That year's theme was Rodeo Nights, Holiday Lights, with roller skaters, candy cane street sweepers, two wine gardens and the Beverly Hills High School Drumline.

Does Santa come to the Rodeo Drive lighting?

Yes. Santa usually appears at the Rodeo Drive Holiday Lighting Celebration. In 2025 the evening ended with fireworks and Santa's arrival on the closed street, and in 2024 Santa came before the fireworks finale. Families who miss him there can see Santa and Mrs. Claus at Holidays at Greystone in December.

What is Rodeo Drive Has Talent?

Rodeo Drive Has Talent is a new search for performers, held for the first time for the 2026 holiday lighting. The two winners, Los Angeles singer Ortal Edri and eight-year-old vocalist Marianna Kriuchenkova, will sing on the holiday stage on November 19, 2026. Marianna counts Whitney Houston and Jennifer Hudson as her heroes.

How long do the Christmas lights stay up in Beverly Hills?

The holiday decor and light shows stay up until January 3, 2027, this season. Lights on The Lily Pond runs nightly 5:30 to 9:30 pm and Glowing Gardens runs 5 to 11 pm, both from November 19. Last season the Rodeo Drive lights stayed on through January 5, 2026, and in 2024 through January 5, 2025.

How often does the Lily Pond light show play?

At Beverly Gardens Park, by the Beverly Hills sign, the Lights on The Lily Pond holiday show has played every 15 minutes in past seasons, in 2024 from 6 to 9:30 pm and in 2025 from 5:30 to 9:30 pm. That makes it easy to arrive any time in the evening and catch a full show within a few minutes.

What does the giant tree at Beverly Canon Gardens look like?

The holiday tree at Glowing Gardens is a larger-than-life LED tree with an oversized ornament set up for family photos. In 2025 the lights changed color in patterns timed to music. Earlier seasons used tree ornament sculptures in the garden at 241 North Canon Drive. It is open 5 to 11 pm daily through January 3, 2027.

What happened at Holidays at Greystone in 2025?

In 2025, Holidays at Greystone was one weekend, December 6 and 7, and needed advance reservations. Families saw multicultural holiday decor, visited Santa, made crafts, heard live carols and toured the mansion's first floor and its recently restored theatre. For 2026 the event runs two weekends, December 5, 6, 12 and 13.

What can kids do at Greystone Mansion at Christmas?

At Holidays at Greystone, kids visit Santa and Mrs. Claus, watch marionettes, hear live caroling, make crafts in a village of activity tables and listen to story time with the Beverly Hills library. They can also pose with Nami, the city's support dog. The mansion sits on an 18.5-acre estate at 905 Loma Vista Drive.

Is there a Hanukkah menorah lighting in Beverly Hills?

Yes. The city holds an annual Menorah Lighting Celebration for the Jewish Festival of Lights in Beverly Gardens Park, the same park as the Lily Pond holiday lights. In 2026 it is December 7 at 5:30 pm with the City Council. In 2025 the Beverly Wilshire also lit a menorah in its lobby each night from December 14 to 21.

Where can kids mail a letter to Santa in Beverly Hills?

In 2025, the Beverly Wilshire hotel set up Santa's mailbox in its Wilshire Wing lobby, and kids could drop letters there from December 1 to 24. Hotel guests' children were also invited to a Christmas morning surprise in the main lobby on December 25. Check with the hotel for the 2026 Christmas dates.

Where can we see carolers in Beverly Hills at Christmas?

Carolers are part of several Beverly Hills holiday traditions. A quartet of carolers sang at the 2025 Rodeo Drive lighting, live caroling is part of Holidays at Greystone in December, and in 2025 The Peninsula Beverly Hills had carolers in its lobby from December 20 to 24, with a visit from Santa on Christmas Eve.

Can my dog meet Santa in Beverly Hills?

Yes. The city's Santa Paws Yappy Hour returns on December 13, 2026, from 10 am to noon at the Beverly Hills Community Dog Park. Dogs can play with other pups and get a holiday photo with Santa. It is a fun stop for kids who want the family dog in the Christmas card.

Is there a holiday craft fair in Beverly Hills?

Yes. The annual Holiday Craft Fair is held at the Beverly Hills Farmers' Market, with local artisans selling handmade gifts. In 2026 it is Sunday, November 22, from 8 am to 12:30 pm. It is a good early stop for small Christmas presents and stocking stuffers before the season's light shows begin.

Where can we eat Christmas Eve dinner in Beverly Hills with kids?

In 2025, several Beverly Hills landmarks served Christmas Eve dinners with children's prices. THE Blvd at the Beverly Wilshire served from 6 to 10 pm at $65 for ages 6 to 12, and the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel, open since 1941, served from 5 to 10 pm at $55 for kids 12 and under. Book early.

Is there a Christmas train near Beverly Hills?

Yes. About 10 miles away in Griffith Park, the Griffith Park and Southern Railroad runs its Holiday Lights Train Ride every evening starting the Friday after Thanksgiving and into early January, through thousands of lights on a mile of track. Next door, Travel Town Museum holds a Polar Express event for its foundation members on December 5, 2026.

When did Travel Town in Griffith Park open?

Travel Town Museum was dedicated on December 14, 1952, just before Christmas, in the northwest corner of Griffith Park. It is free and closed on Christmas Day and Thanksgiving. Families from Beverly Hills often pair it with the Griffith Park and Southern Railroad's Holiday Lights Train Ride next door during the holiday season.

What is the Soul of the Holidays show in Beverly Hills?

Soul of the Holidays was a holiday concert previewed at the 2025 Rodeo Drive lighting. The full show was set for December 15, 2025, at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, with proceeds going to victims of the Eaton Fire. It shows how the city's Christmas season has also become a time to help neighbors.

Sources

  1. Citywide Holiday Festivities, City of Beverly Hills
  2. Rodeo Drive Lights Up for 'Enchanted Holiday Dreams', Beverly Hills Courier
  3. Beverly Hills to light 16 crystal chandeliers high above Rodeo Drive, Los Angeles Magazine
  4. Beverly Hills lights up the holiday season, Beverly Press
  5. Festive Season at Beverly Wilshire, Four Seasons Press Room
  6. Christmas and Holiday 2025 Winter Guide to Beverly Hills, CurationsLA

Keep the Christmas magic going: track Rally the corgi on Christmas Eve, print free Christmas coloring pages, learn how to say Merry Christmas in 100+ languages, find train museums to visit with kids, or browse Christmas events in every California city.

Beverly Hills Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What are the best Christmas events for kids in Beverly Hills this year?

Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 3 Christmas events for kids in Beverly Hills for 2026: Holidays at Greystone, Lights on The Lily Pond and Glowing Gardens, all part of the City of Beverly Hills holiday festivities.

When is Holidays at Greystone in 2026?

December 5, 6, 12 and 13, 2026, from 9:15 am to 4:45 pm at Greystone Mansion and Gardens, with Santa and Mrs. Claus, marionettes, caroling, crafts and library story time.

Where is Lights on The Lily Pond?

At Beverly Gardens Park by the Beverly Hills sign. The show runs nightly from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm through January 3, 2027.

What is Glowing Gardens in Beverly Hills?

A holiday display at Beverly Canon Gardens with a larger-than-life Christmas tree and an oversized ornament, open daily from 5 pm to 11 pm through January 3, 2027.

Who do I contact about Beverly Hills holiday events?

The City of Beverly Hills Community Services department at (310) 288-2220, or Assistant Director of Community Services Christopher Paulson at cpaulson@beverlyhills.org.

Are there Christmas train rides for kids in California?

Yes. Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s California Christmas train rides page.

How do you confirm these events?

We list an event only after we find this season’s date on the host’s own website or an official city or tourism calendar. We last checked Beverly Hills on November 11, 2026. Rally is also contacting each organizer to confirm details like parking, restrooms and bad-weather plans.

Event names belong to their hosts. Rally Takes the Train is a family picture book and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any host listed here. Confirm dates, times and prices on each host’s own site before you go.

Kelsey Cecil
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