With a winter chill lingering in the Southern California air, residents in Irvine are surely getting into the holiday spirit. From selecting the perfect Christmas tree or snagging a photo with Santa Clause, there’s plenty to do around Irvine.

Christmas Tree Shopping

Tanaka Farms

Tanaka Farms offers a wide range of wreaths, garlands and Christmas trees shipped directly from Oregon.

Tanaka Farms is located at 5380 3/4 University Dr, Irvine

Santa’s Garden 

Specializing in Douglas Fir, Nordman Fir, and several other Christmas tree types, Santa’s Garden is an annual lot with locations in Irvine and La Habra.

Santa’s Garden Irvine is located at 5840 Walnut Ave, Irvine

www.santasgarden.net

Peltzer Pines

Located in Silverado, Peltzer Pines is one of the last standing true Christmas tree farms near Orange County. Owned and operated by the Peltzer family since 1963, Peltzer Farms hosts its annual opening day celebration the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

Locals know one of the most unique aspects of Peltzer Farms is the ability to select a tree from the ground, and have it professionally cut on the spot.

This year, Peltzer’s Silverado tree farm is open on weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On weekends the farm will open at 9:00 a.m.

Live, fresh cut trees will be available until December 20.

Peltzer Pines is located at 7851 Blackstar Canyon Road, Silverado, CA

www.peltzerpines.com

Photos with Santa

South Coast Plaza — Santa’s Village & The North Pole

Santa Clause will be available for photos all December long. Santa’s Village is located in the Carousel Court. The North Pole is located inside Macy’s Home Store West Wing on Level 1.

Photos with Santa will be hosted during all operating hours this holiday season. Visit South Coast Plaza’s website for pricing information.

Santa’s Village in Fashion Island

November 18 – December 24

Located on the Atrium Lawn, Santa’s Village at Fashion Island opens at 11 a.m. on weekdays, closing at 7 p.m. The Village opens at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday and closes at 6 p.m.

Santa’s Village will operate during special hours on December 11 and December 18, from 11 a.m. to  6 p.m. The last day for photos with Santa will be Christmas Eve between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Fashion Island is located at 401 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach

Visit Santa at the Irvine Spectrum

November 25 – December 24

Check out Santa’s Beach Chalet at the Irvine Spectrum for photos with Santa between 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m, but just remember, Santa will be gone to feed his reindeer between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Visit the Santa’s Beach Chalet website for pricing information on holiday photo packages.

Holiday Fun

Skating Under the Stars

November 25 – January 1, times vary

The Irvine Spectrum transforms into a winter wonderland with an outdoor ice skating rink. The annual celebration of Skating Under the Stars is open daily until New Year’s Day.

While the Irvine Spectrum Ice Rink will be closed on Christmas Day, there will be slots available on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Tickets start at $23 per person if they bring their own skates or $25 per-person with rental skates included. Skaters can hop the line for $45.

Skating Under the Stars opens at 2:00 p.m. daily, with hour-and-a-half time slots running until 9:30 p.m Sunday through Thursday, and 11:30 p.m. Friday through Saturday. Visit the Skating Under the Stars website for more information or to purchase tickets.

Pajama Party Movie Night

Saturday, December 10

The Great Park will host a Pajama Party Movie Night on Saturday, Dec. 10, as a part of Holidayz in The Park.  Registration opens Wednesday, Nov. 30.

yourgreatpark.org/holidayz

Holiday Pet Adoption Fair

Sunday, December 11, 10 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Irvine Animal Care Center

Local animal care groups will be coming to the Irvine Animal Care Center to support the 16th Annual Holiday Pet Adoption Fair. There will be hundreds of dogs, cats and other animals like rabbits available for adoption. The event will also feature a bake sale, food trucks and art.

www.Irvineanimals.org/homeholidays

Hikari — A Festival Of Lights

November 25 – December 30, 4:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

While Tanaka Farms will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, there’s still plenty of time to check out all the festivities. Tanaka Farms has installed more than 1 million lightbulbs of colorful Christmas lights for the 2022 season and offers two different options to view the lights, Chinese lanterns and other festive installations set up throughout the 30-acre farm.

Hikari is open every day from 4:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. The Holiday Wagon Ride departs at 4:30 p.m., and runs every 10 minutes with the last ride leaving at 8:30 p.m. Entry gates will close at 9 p.m.

www.tanakafarms.com/hikari

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