Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Gardena for 2026. The season opens with holiday lights and kids singing on Gardena Boulevard on December 1, the City Hall Complex turns snowy for Winter Wonderland on December 5, and families sit down with Santa at Holiday Bites with Santa on December 12. 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 Gardena
- 3 Christmas events for kids in Gardena
- Holiday Lights and Picture Perfect Nights: Tuesday, December 1, 5:30 pm, free
- Winter Wonderland: Saturday, December 5, 3 pm to 7 pm, Santa at 6 pm
- Holiday Bites with Santa: Saturday, December 12, 5 pm, $10
- Every date checked on the City of Gardena website on Nov 11
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All 3 events
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more Gardena events researched for you.
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Free Christmas events for kids in Gardena
Holiday lights nightFree
Holiday Lights and Picture Perfect Nights
- When: Tuesday, December 1, 2026, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
- Where: Gardena Boulevard, 1112 W. Gardena Blvd., Gardena, CA 90247 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free to attend; food trucks extra
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Gardena Boulevard lights up for an early December evening with holiday photo backdrops, festive music and holiday songs performed by local kids.
Food trucks and sweet holiday treats round out the night, which makes it an easy weeknight outing for families who want a family photo against the lights.
Parent tip: Bring a phone with a charged battery for the photo backdrops, and plan dinner from the food trucks so the kids can catch the student carolers.
- Host
- City of Gardena Recreation and Human Services (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Gardena Boulevard, 1112 W. Gardena Blvd., Gardena, CA 90247 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Gardena events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Gardena daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Gardena.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more Gardena events researched for you.
- New events every week We research new events daily and send you one email a week with the new ones we find in Gardena.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Gardena before they fill up.
- Unlock the filters Find Santa visits, free events and weekend plans in one tap.
- Rally’s Christmas Eve Express and a free advent calendar Get early access to Rally the corgi’s Christmas Eve tracker, plus a free digital advent calendar to count down to Christmas.
- One-tap add to calendar Save any event to your Google, Apple or Outlook calendar so you never miss it.
Coming up on this page
- 2 Santa
- 1 Lights
- 1 Shows
- 1 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Gardena every week.
Snow and SantaFree
Winter Wonderland
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, 3 pm to 7 pm; Santa photos 6 pm to 7 pm; Vendors Village 2 pm to 7 pm
- Where: Gardena City Hall Complex, 1700 W. 162nd St., Gardena, CA 90247 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free entry; nominal fees for some activities
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The City Hall Complex becomes a winter wonderland for an afternoon, with a snow zone, holiday crafts and live entertainment for kids.
Santa poses for pictures from 6 pm to 7 pm, and a Vendors Village opens an hour before the main event for families who want to do a little holiday shopping first.
Parent tip: Come for the snow zone in daylight and stay for Santa photos at 6 pm. Pack dry socks and gloves for little ones who head straight for the snow.
- Host
- City of Gardena Recreation and Human Services (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Gardena City Hall Complex, 1700 W. 162nd St., Gardena, CA 90247 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Gardena events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Gardena daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Gardena.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Gardena
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
Dinner with Santa
Holiday Bites with Santa
- When: Saturday, December 12, 2026, 5 pm to 8 pm
- Where: City of Gardena (tickets at Nakaoka Community Center), Gardena, CA (opens in maps)
- Cost: $10 per person pre-sale, $12 day of event if available, under 1 free (no meal)
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Holiday Bites with Santa is an evening meal for families with merry crafts, festive activities and a visit from Santa himself.
Pre-sale tickets went on sale November 2 online and in person at the Nakaoka Community Center, and any leftover tickets cost a little more on the day.
Parent tip: Buy pre-sale tickets early at $10 each, since day-of tickets are only sold if any remain.
- Host
- City of Gardena Recreation and Human Services (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- City of Gardena (tickets at Nakaoka Community Center), Gardena, CA (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Gardena events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Gardena daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Gardena.
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 Gardena Christmas event for kids happens
Gardena packs its three holiday events into the first two weeks of December. Winter Wonderland on December 5 is the big one for snow and Santa photos, and Holiday Bites with Santa on December 12 needs a ticket, so buy that one first.
- Holiday Lights and Picture Perfect NightsGardena · Dec 1
- Winter WonderlandGardena · Dec 5
- Holiday Bites with SantaGardena · Dec 12
Looking further afield? Our California Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Hermosa Beach, Lomita, Lakewood and Long Beach. 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.
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 AmazonKeep 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.
Gardena Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Gardena this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 3 Christmas events for kids in Gardena for 2026: Holiday Lights and Picture Perfect Nights, Winter Wonderland and Holiday Bites with Santa, all hosted by the City of Gardena.
When is Winter Wonderland in Gardena in 2026?
Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 3 pm to 7 pm at the City Hall Complex, 1700 W. 162nd St. Santa photos run from 6 pm to 7 pm and the Vendors Village opens at 2 pm.
Is there snow at Gardena Winter Wonderland?
Yes. The event has a snow zone along with crafts and entertainment. Entry is free, with nominal fees for some activities.
How much is Holiday Bites with Santa in Gardena?
Pre-sale tickets are $10 per person, and any tickets left on the day are $12. Children under 1 get in free without a meal. The event is Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 5 pm to 8 pm.
Who do I contact about Gardena holiday events?
The City of Gardena Recreation and Human Services events team at gardenaevents@cityofgardena.org or (310) 217-9537.
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 Gardena 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.