Our Christmas Eve traditions are tied to the Blogger Kid's birthday — he turned 14 on Monday — in addition to the holiday, and take us through the city. There's something special about being downtown and seeing the iconic City Hall lit up, next to the holiday lights and Christmas tree of Grand Park. Here's a look at our Christmas Eve in Los Angeles:
One tradition that we have had to alter: We used to eat at the Square One location at the Echo Park Boathouse before renting one of the paddleboats. Square One is gone, and its replacement, Beacon, wasn't open on Christmas Eve. So we continued the tradition by eating at the Square One location on Hyperion in Silver Lake *after* the paddleboats.
One big change to the paddleboats: New vendor Wheel Fun switched out the old boats with these swan boats. They're easier to paddle and more fun to look at, even though the swan heads partially block the view.
Another tradition: The 4 p.m. Children's Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Downtown Los Angeles.
After that, we book it across the street to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to catch the tail end of the annual Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration. The annual free event, which celebrates its 60th anniversary next year, boasts a wide range of talent — including, as seen above, the Daniel Ho Trio, with Halau Hula Keali'i O Nalani, Makoto Taiko, and the Arcadia High School Orchestra.
The Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles
Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea end the show.
One last look at Grand Park and City Hall, before we head off to see the extended family. Merry Christmas from Los Angeles.
