What to Know
- Las Posadas
- Olvera Street
- Through Dec. 24
- 7:15 p.m. nightly
- Free
Seeking uplift, joy, harmony, peace, and community on Christmas Eve? There are so many placid-of-heart and soul-sweet byways to take in Southern California when the 24th day of December arrives.
For many Angelenos, there are a few festive and feeling-deep traditions that are moving must-joins, the Dec. 24 delights that festoon Downtown Los Angeles.
One of those seasonal happenings, the LA County Holiday Celebration, will take place, for free, on the afternoon of Christmas Eve at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Music Center.
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As always, the event, which features several cultural performances, is free, but you'll want to RSVP; if you can't make it, enjoying it via PBS SoCal is an option.
And soon after the celebration concludes? Something sweet will be strolling through Olvera Street, as it does for nine nights each December: Las Posadas, the traditional song-centered search for the inn.
Stop by the venerable district and behold the meaningful gathering, which follows Mary and Joseph as they move through the plaza area, seeking refuge for the night.
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Old songs sung with emotion, pan de dulce, champurrado to sip, and piñata fun before the procession are hallmarks of Las Posadas.
You can witness the wonder on Dec. 23, too, or make plans to be there on night #1 in 2025, which takes place Dec. 16.
Like the on-stage celebration at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Las Posadas is free to join. One difference: No RSVP is required; simply show up at El Pueblo and be a part of a centuries-old pageant of the heart.
