OC holiday tip: Fullerton’s Sparkle Ball Lane forever No. 1 here

• December 13, 2024

As a little girl full of Christmas spirit – also stuffed with conchas and Nestle’s Abuelita hot chocolate – a slow drive on North Yale Avenue in Fullerton was always on the top spot of my wish list.

Sitting in the backseat of Nana’s car, listening to Christmas music and looking at the holiday lights and decorations on Sparkle Ball Lane was the best part of the holiday season. Even on the drive home, to me it was a winter wonderland that I couldn’t ignore. It became a holiday tradition for my sister and I to fight about which house had the best decorations.

Being back home was no different. While helping prepare what seemed like a billion tamales to my tiny child hands, the lights, the decorations, the 20 different inflatable Santas were all stuck in my head.

Now as a young adult, I’m still filled with holiday cheer and memories of my late Nana when I stop by the neighborhood. A visit to Sparkle Ball Lane always makes me feel like an 8-year-old in the backseat of my Nana’s car – forever making it my No. 1 on my Christmas list.

Where to go: From East Chapman Avenue, go north on North Yale Avenue in Fullerton.

​ Orange County Register 

OC holiday tip: Harbor boat parades are festive traditions

• December 13, 2024

Soak in the holiday spirit on the sea.

Each harbor in Orange County has its own spin on holiday boat parades, a festive tradition in Newport, Dana Point and Huntington harbors.

In Huntington, boat tours meander through the waterfront houses that get decked out on Dec. 14 and 15.

In Newport Beach, you’ll find the largest boat parade around, each night from Dec. 18 through Dec. 22, everything from mega yachts to kayaks making their way during a harbor show. My favorite viewing place is Marina Park, where there’s festivities for the kids and a great beach area to set out a towel to marvel as the boats cruise by.

Dana Point’s parade happens on Dec. 13 through Dec. 15, with decked-out boats starting at 6 p.m. making their rounds through the waterways.  Make sure to take a stroll around the harbor and snap a photo under the “Merry Kiss Me” display and check out the big, blue whale made out of lights for a selfie shot.

Newport Dunes is also a great place on the water to visit, with lit-up decorations set out on the water. This year, they even have fire dancers putting on a show. Get there early to nab a spot at a fire ring to roast some s’mores!

Where to go: There are several good locations to watch each boat parade. To find suggestions and information, check out hhboatparade.org/ for Huntington, christmasboatparade.com/ for Newport and danapointharbor.com/event/boat-parade-of-lights/ for Dana Point.

​ Orange County Register 

OC holiday tip: Irvine’s Jini Mini a treat for kids of all ages

• December 13, 2024

As a self-proclaimed “kidult” (yes, I’m almost 28, but plush toys have my heart), Jini Mini is my unexpected holiday haven.

Every corner of this Irvine store feels like it was made just for me – and probably for anyone who’s ever had a borderline unhealthy obsession with plush toys.

The boutique may be small, but it packs a punch with its impressive collection of Jellycat, Miffy and Snoopy plush toys. As soon as you step inside, you’re greeted by a Christmas tree decked out in Jellycat ornaments, with shelves brimming with quirky treasures like peanut-shaped reindeer (which are almost always out of stock), toilet rolls (a fan favorite) and a colorful assortment of plush avocados, eggplants, croissants and even boiled eggs. During the holiday season, you also can’t miss the Miffys and Snoopys dressed in festive Santa outfits.

Jini Mini truly gets me in the giving spirit — or maybe just the buying spirit — every time I pop in.

The boutique is located in the Orchard Hills Shopping Center and is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Where to go: 3911 Portola Pkwy., Irvine.

​ Orange County Register 

OC holiday tip: Sawdust Art Festival’s Winter Fantasy is magical

• December 13, 2024

There’s a nip of cold in the canyon air.

Elfin kids play in Town Square’s gingerbread house while their parents line up to see Santa at the Sawdust Art Festival’s Winter Fantasy in Laguna Beach. There’s a marionette show, bubble snow, musicians on three stages, free art classes, twinkling lights and, of course, more than 180 local artists selling original jewelry, paintings, games, ornaments, glass creations.

If you can’t find the right gift for the hard-to-please person on your list here, well, you’ll surely find one for yourself.

The Sawdust started in the ‘60s as a “small town/gypsy camp of artists” and has become an institution in its own right.

Added bonus: The tinkling waterfall beneath the towering eucalyptus trees gives one a sense of one’s place in the universe. Visit 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 22. It’s magical after dark.

Where to go: 935 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach, or sawdustartfestival.org/winter/ for information and tickets.

​ Orange County Register 

OC holiday tip: Crystal Cove cottages, tree are beachfront delights

• December 13, 2024

Crystal Cove State Park, especially the historic 1930-1940-era cottages and the beach Christmas tree, is among my favorite places to relax and enjoy the happiness and cozy feeling of the Christmas season.

Even if the weather is a bit nippy, there’s never a bad day at the beach.

Unlike the over-indulged ornamented trees of the local malls, the Christmas tree is a bit more spare. The decorations appear handmade and simple and are reused each year. The Christmas tree has been decorated there for almost 30 years.

But, for me, the more special time is after that. When the tree and other decorations, like a herd of reindeer carved from wood logs, are already set up.

Being there early in the morning at dawn break, with just the sounds and smell of the breaking surf and the gulls squawking and flying overhead, is truly magical.

Mid-day and dinner times are fun, too, and you can always grab a snack, meal, and beverage at the Beachcomber Cafe. In the evening, there’s never a bad day to watch the often incredible-colored orangy-red sunsets, sometimes made even more dramatic by a veil of marine layer.

New this year, the Visitor Center has become a holiday house. So, while learning about the cottages, you can also grab a nostalgic gift or two.

Where to go: Park at the Los Trancos lot at Los Trancos and Pacific Coast Highway and either walk or take the shuttle down to Crystal Cove.

​ Orange County Register 

OC holiday tip: Jingle Bar in Laguna Beach has spirits aplenty

• December 13, 2024

Wrapping paper covers the walls. Twinkling lights and glittering garland zigzag the ceiling. Mariah Carey and Bing Crosby croon carols from crackling speakers. Festive drinks boast punny names and red and green sprinkles.

All the ingredients needed for a holiday cocktail bar.

For me, the holidays and fellowship go hand-in-hand. And a holiday-themed cocktail bar — like the Jingle Bar at Laguna Beach’s rooftop Skyloft on a recent Friday evening — serves as a festive setting to catch up with friends, old and new.

Every Christmas season, my friends and I research the best holiday cocktail bars. Which ones have thoughtful mocktails our pregnant friend can enjoy? What about holiday trivia — or other reindeer games — to break the ice for newer additions to our group? Where can we find the most over-the-top, Santa-threw-up-here, decorations?

Then we come together. Celebrate our successes and milestones over the year. Mourn lost relationships, loved ones, dreams. Catch up.

A reminder that no matter how hectic or stressful this season can be, it’s our friendships that matter.

And hey, a few festive spirits certainly help us get into the holiday spirit as well.

Where to go: 422 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach or skyloftoc.com/jingle-bar/ for information, dates and reservations.

​ Orange County Register 

OC holiday tip: Pacific City offers season’s sights, sounds

• December 13, 2024

To me, getting to soak in Christmas means heading to a shopping mall. I’m not really there to shop, though you can always do that, but it’s always the easiest way to get out and feel that the holidays are here. The energy is just special. There are people in a hurry to get their shopping done and others who are there to enjoy walking around.

While most malls will throw up decorations and change the ambient music over to the Christmas playlist, Pacific City in Huntington Beach does a little extra. Every Friday afternoon from now until Christmas day, and on Christmas Eve, they’ll have some live music performers play, accompanied by snow blown in. That’s from 4-6 p.m. on Fridays with some extra days closer to Christmas.

Santa, of course, will make appearances throughout the season and there will also be a cookie crawl and a Nutcracker ballet performance.

The live music shows are timed perfectly so you can catch them and then head over to the seating deck that faces the ocean and watch the sunset, which is around 4:45 p.m. right now.

Where to go: 21010 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach

​ Orange County Register 

Holiday spirit in Orange County? Register staff reveals favorite spots

• December 13, 2024

Everyone has a favorite spot to get in the holiday spirit, and no one is wrong.

Still, we at the Register cover Orange County – with its 34 cities and 3.2 million people – and have some ideas to share in case you’re stumped or simply looking for a new spot to check out.

We asked our local reporters, columnist and editors to share with you, our readers, the places they go to get festive. They came up with a wide range of options – everything from Santa’s Village to a bar, but lights almost always were involved – and two of our folks insisted on giving you two options.

The keys were finding things that didn’t require exclusive access or great expense, though how much you choose to spend at a couple of these spots is on you. They also needed to be available to check out moving forward, so nothing that wrapped up earlier in the month is included.

And, yes, we almost certainly missed your favorite because there are so many options in the nation’s sixth-largest county.

Here are our selections, from north to south. Click on the links if you want to learn more about each spot:

Fullerton’s Sparkle Ball Lane

Chosen by reporter Alexcia Negrete

See’s Candies ‘volume savings’ store

Chosen by local editor Heather McRea

Irvine Park’s Santa’s Village

Chosen by reporter Jonathan Horwitz

Irvine’s Jini Mini

Chosen by reporter Hanna Kang

Harbor boat parades

Chosen by reporter Laylan Connelly

South Coast Repertory’s ‘A Christmas Carol’

Chosen by columnist Teri Sforza

Winter Fest OC

Chosen by reporter Destiny Torres

Pacific City

Chosen by reporter Michael Slaten

Balboa Island

Chosen by senior editor Todd Harmonson

Bluffs at Crystal Cove State Park

Chosen by projects and topics editor Andre Mouchard

Crystal Cove cottages and tree

Chosen by reporter Erika I. Ritchie

Sawdust Art Festival’s Winter Fantasy

Chosen by columnist Teri Sforza

Jingle Bar in Laguna Beach

Chosen by politics editor Kaitlyn Schallhorn

San Clemente Pier

Chosen by reporter Laylan Connelly

​ Orange County Register