Christmas can be hard on the wallet. After spending money on presents, travel, hosting parties, and whatever other holiday expenses you may have, it’s hard to spend on Christmas activities too. We like to pick a few of the many free Christmas displays in Long Beach to visit, and we’ll grab a treat while we’re there or do some of our holiday shopping. **Please keep in mind that these displays are located at businesses so if you do have the money to make a purchase, it’s much appreciated, however you are welcome to view the displays even if you can’t afford to make a purchase**
Remember to visit the LB Home Living website each week for more activities, events, and tips, brought to you by Long Beach Home + Living and ExploreLongBeach !
Festival of Trees at The Pike Outlets
You’ve probably seen the beautiful giant Christmas tree at The Pike Outlets, but have you checked out their Festival of Trees? The Festival of Trees is an annual event where participating charities each decorate their own tree. You can vote on your favorite and the winning charity will receive $1000. The trees are beautiful and unique, and we love visiting this display every year. The kids love to stop and grab an ice cream while we’re down at The Pike, or sometimes we even get a popcorn from the movie theater! The Pike also hosts a ton of family friendly holiday events including visits with Santa and $2 crafts for kids. Check their website or instagram for more details.
Website: https://thepikeoutlets.com/event/Festival-of-Trees/2145556263/
2nd and PCH
2nd and PCH has a large variety of holiday decor all around their common areas. It’s a fun place to wander around if you want to get in the holiday spirit, and it’s also a great place to sneak a few holiday photos if you don’t want to set up a professional shoot. They also host events like Moonlight Movies, and they’ll have their last holiday movie on December 17th. They will be showing Fred Claus and there will be a meet and greet with Mickey and Minnie Mouse before the show. They also have a mail box where the kids can “mail” their letters to Santa, and there are pet events as well! Check out their website for more details.
Website: https://2ndandpch.com/event/pch-movies-moonlight/
The Largest Gingerbread Display in Long Beach
This is one of our absolute favorite displays! This gingerbread village is made from over 350 pounds of sugar, flour, hard candy, and chocolate. This year, the village is hosted by Modica’s Deli in downtown Long Beach (and their desserts are amazing too!). The gingerbread village is a part of the Winter in Willmore event. Winter in Willmore is free and it takes place on December 18th from 1pm-4pm and it has free music, art, and holiday activities.
Photo credit: Asia Morris, Long Beach Post
Website: https://lbliving.media/events/visit-long-beach-biggest-gingerbread-village-display-2/
Naples Canal
Another one of our favorites! This isn’t really an official “display”, but so many of the homeowners who live on Naples Canal decorate so extensively that it’s practically become an event. It’s a Christmas tradition for our family to walk around the canals looking at the Christmas lights and picking out our favorites. Pack some candy canes and hot chocolate for the kids, and maybe even an adult sip cup for yourself, and take a stroll around the canals this holiday season. Link below only has info on Naples in case you need help finding it.
Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naples,_Long_Beach
Long Beach Holiday Festival
Okay so this one is actually more of an event than a display, but it’s still free. It takes place on Sunday December 19th from 12:30-2:30 in Signal Hill. Each child will receive a free gift plus games, crafts, and more. They are requesting that everyone wear masks, and if you are able to bring a toy to donate, please do so. They are also accepting monetary donations to help families in need. Link below for more information.
Website: https://www.instagram.com/m.a.dream_/
