Holiday Celebrations, Live Music, Pier Lighting, Fireworks & South Bay Beach Town Fun
The holiday season in L.A.’s South Bay Beach Cities isn’t just about shopping and decorations. It’s also about getting together with friends, meeting new people and enjoying some of the area’s best community celebrations. From the lively Holiday Open House in downtown Manhattan Beach to pier lighting, fireworks, live music and festive gatherings in Hermosa and Redondo Beach, here’s what’s happening in November and December 2026.
By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Editor & Publisher
• VetFest, Nov. 7
This isn’t a holiday event but VetFest is an event, now in its seventh year, that celebrates active military service people, veterans and first responders. Put on by the Manhattan Beach Rotary Club, this year’s event features beer and wine tasting, a BBQ and music by South Bay legends the Pine Mountain Logs and Joe’s Band. The location is the Kinecta Federal Credit Union at 1440 Rosecrans Ave. Tickets are $60 and is free for veterans and first responders.
Link: rotaryvetfest.com/
• Holiday Open House, Manhattan Beach, Nov. 18
The annual stroll through the stores in downtown Manhattan Beach.This is the beginning of the holiday social scene in the South Bay Beach Cities.
• 12 Bars Of Christmas, Dec. 11
The annual Hermosa Beach holiday pub crawl. It’s free but bring a toy for the charity. This is a major South Bay singles event.
Link: 12 Bars Of Christmas 2026
• King Harbor Boat Parade, Dec. 12
Boats from the King Harbor Yacht Club go up and down the channel between the King Harbor Yacht Club and the Redondo Beach Pier. While this in itself doesn’t sound too exciting, the scene along the rocks, pier and along the channel makes it worth viewing.
Link: Boat Parade Viewing Locations & Complete Guide
• Manhattan Beach Fireworks, Dec. 13
This is the olive in the martini of the Beach Cities holiday season. A spectacular fireworks show to music at the Manhattan Beach Pier. The event begins late afternoon with people gathering for house parties along The Strand, at the pier, on the sand and sitting in beach chairs on Manhattan Beach Blvd. If you’re going to one event in this area for the holidays, this is it.
Link: Manhattan Beach Holiday Fireworks Review
Kevin Wilkerson is the founder of PubClub.com, an award-winning journalist and former South Bay resident who spent years living in Hermosa Beach and covering its nightlife scene. He has covered destinations, events and entertainment for more than two decades and received an Associated Press award for investigative journalism while working as a newspaper reporter.
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