Christmas Eve in Los Angeles: 2018 Edition

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.

FREE L.A.: Beating the Heat in Los Angeles with Grand Park's Splash Pad

Need to cool off? Grab the kids (stick them in their swimsuits first -- you too) and head downtown to Grand Park's splash pad! Located on the west end of Grand Park (right off of Grand, across the street from the Music Center), the splash pad is the perfect way to survive this 100-degree heat.

Let the kids get soaked as you grab a drink at the Starbucks located right there at the fountain. But make sure to get to the splash pad early -- given the heat, the place gets crowded, especially on weekends.



From the Grand Park FAQ:

The interactive splash pad is open to the public. Visitors of all ages are encouraged to enjoy water play in the splash pad, which features interactive jets.

Visitors can enjoy the light show in the park’s Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain after dark, from the surrounding overlook and walkways, or while passing through to the Metro Civic Center station, a parking lot or an alternate destination outside the park.

Restrooms are located right next to the Starbucks and adjacent to the fountain and splash pad. Grand Park is open to the public every day from 5:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Scenes from CicLAvia's Return to the Heart of Los Angeles

We never get tired of CicLAvia, the day that miles of L.A. roads are shut down to cars and turned over to bicyclists and pedestrians. For this Sunday's edition of CicLAvia, organizers returned to the heart of downtown, with spokes to Chinatown, Mariachi Plaza, Pico/Central and MacArthur Park. Food trucks, bands, activities, bike repair, retail booths and more were there at every stop. And at the center of it all, in Grand Park, everything from a kids' play area to an Italian food festival greeted participants.



More than 100,000 people took part in October's event, according to organizers, who hope to eventually turn CicLAvia into a monthly event. (Too much of a good thing?) A few pics from this time:


Zumba marathon in Boyle Heights at Mariachi Plaza


The dancing Stop sign at City Hall


Concert stage in Chinatown


Coca-Cola bottling building at Central and Pico


Game area at Grand Park