by Noella Noelophile\u00ae<\/h6>\n![\"Smiling](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/christmas-9966761_1280-e1766878774281.jpg\")
<\/a>(Royalty-free image by Gerd Altmann<\/a> from Pixabay.)<\/p><\/div>\nAs far as I’m concerned, it’s still Christmas.\u00a0 And will be, until Twelfth Night.<\/p>\n
How about you?<\/p>\n
If you enjoy making Christmas last (and now that the violent rain and wind seem to be over) here are some events you might like to check out.<\/p>\n
L.A. Zoo Lights<\/strong><\/h4>\nOpen through Sunday, January 11th<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Los](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/L.A.-Zoo-Lights_-Animals-Aglow_Zoo-Front-Entrance_photo-by-The-Mighty-Group_photo-courtesy-of-L.A.-Zoo.jpg\")
<\/a>(Photo courtesy of L.A. Zoo.)<\/p><\/div>\n
L.A. Zoo Lights’ calendar<\/a> shows ticket availability, every evening until their closing date of Sunday, January 11th, with one exception: New Year’s Eve.\u00a0 They’ll be closed that evening.<\/p>\nAs mentioned in my earlier post<\/a>, L.A. Zoo Lights offers two entry times, each evening: 6:00 pm and 7:30 pm. Tickets are available online, but also available at their box office, which opens at 5:45 pm. Admission gates close at 8:45 pm.<\/p>\nAnd on Thursday, January 8th, L.A. Zoo Lights hosts “L.A. Pride Night”, celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community, with added festivities, including an all-ages DJ dance party.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo Drive in Los Angeles.\u00a0 \u00a0Tickets are sold separately from general-admission tickets to the Zoo.\u00a0 <\/em>Ticket prices range from $19 to $35 for non-member adults, with lower rates for members and children.\u00a0 Free parking is available.<\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\nCambria Christmas Market<\/strong><\/h4>\nOpen through Wednesday, December 31st<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Couple](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Cambria-Christmas-214802-06481-5-e1763601779486.jpg\")
<\/a>(Photo courtesy of Cambria Christmas Market, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n
Surprisingly, given their popularity, Cambria Christmas Market<\/a> does still have a few tickets left for tomorrow, Sunday, December 31st, as well as next week.\u00a0 \u00a0Their final day of the 2025 Christmas season is New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, December 31st.<\/p>\nHours listed on their calendar<\/a> are 5 pm to 9 pm, each evening from now through New Year’s Eve, and while Santa will have left the building for another year, the days after Christmas, weather permitting, could be a fine time to enjoy the beauty of more than 3 million sparkling lights and the festive atmosphere of a German Christmas market, come to California.<\/p>\nCambria Christmas Market, at 2905 Burton Drive, runs from 5 pm to 9 pm <\/strong><\/em>each evening from now, <\/strong><\/em>through New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, December 31st.\u00a0 \u00a0 General-admission tickets may be purchased at this link.<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/h5>\nAll event parking is offsite; here’s the link for parking information<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/h5>\nSolvang Julefest<\/strong><\/h4>\nNow through Sunday, January 4th<\/strong><\/p>\n![\""Julefest"](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/2023-SOLVANG-JULEFEST-1-1.jpg\")
<\/a>(Photo courtesy of SolvangUSA.com, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n
The “hygge” continues in Solvang, which, this year, has received multiple honors, including being voted the #1 \u201cBest U.S. Christmas Town\u201d in TZR\u2019s Reader\u2019s Choice Poll!<\/p>\n
Visitors to Solvang Julefest<\/a> are invited to enjoy Santa’s Village, with its festive gingerbread house, and a nightly 10-minute “Light & Music Show”, on the hour, every evening in Solvang Park.<\/p>\nIn addition, those mischievous “Nisser” (Christmas gnomes) will be hiding throughout the town, and you’re invited to hunt them down, with the help of a list of clues from Solvang Visitors’ Center.<\/p>\n
And New Year’s Eve is going to be something special!\u00a0 Weather permitting, the town hosts a family-friendly “Copenhagen Countdown”, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm!\u00a0 Come celebrate with top 80’s tribute band the Molly Ringwald Project<\/a> and ring in the New Year as Denmark welcomes 2026\u00a0 at 3:00 PM, with a European-style countdown to midnight.<\/p>\nDowntown Sacramento Ice Rink<\/strong><\/h4>\nNow through Monday, January 19th (ice conditions permitting)<\/strong><\/h4>\n![\"Skaters](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Ice-Rink_Credit-Downtown-Sac472-2.jpg\")
<\/a>(Photo courtesy of Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink.)<\/p><\/div>\n
The Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink<\/a> is carrying forward a Christmastime tradition of more than three decades!\u00a0 \u00a0 Their website requests that prospective visitors call them directly to check on ice conditions; here’s their link.<\/a><\/p>\nAssuming the weather cooperates and ice conditions are good, they’re open for skating, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 9 pm, and Fridays through Sundays, 10 am to 10 pm.\u00a0 (The rink is closed on Mondays.)<\/strong><\/p>\nDowntown Sacramento Ice Rink is located at 7th and K Streets, in downtown Sacramento.<\/strong><\/em><\/h5>\nWinter Fest OC<\/strong><\/h4>\nNightly, now through January 4th<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Laughing](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/WFOC2.png\")
<\/a>(Photo courtesy of Winter Fest OC, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n
Ice tubing, light shows, snow play and carnival rides are all part of the festivities as Southern California’s largest winter festival continues!\u00a0 \u00a0And so are live entertainment and Winter Fest OC’s<\/a>\u00a0 breathtaking “Forest of Lights”.<\/p>\nAll tickets are valid for any date of purchase, according to Winter Fest OC’s website<\/a>, and they have been publishing some discounts<\/a> for this weekend AND for their mascot “Yowie the Yeti”‘s eleventh birthday!<\/p>\nHours begin at 4 pm and run till 10 pm, today and tomorrow, then 5-10 pm next Monday and Tuesday.<\/p>\n
And on Wednesday, December 31st, come celebrate the New Year with a party!<\/p>\n
![\"Map](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Winter-Fest-OC-2025-Map-1.png\")
<\/a>(Map courtesy of Winter Fest OC.)<\/p><\/div>\n
Winter Fest stays open till 12:30 am on New Year’s Eve.<\/p>\n
Come enjoy the festivities with classic live 70s and 80s hits, courtesy of the Queen Nation Tribute Band, as well as two high-energy performance sets by DJ Ryan.\u00a0 Bring your dancing shoes and get ready for the New Year’s Eve countdown and firework show, at midnight!<\/p>\n
Winter Fest OC is located at the Costa Mesa Fairgrounds, 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa.<\/strong><\/h5>\nEnjoy, and, one more time–Merry Christmas!\u00a0 \u00a0And a very Happy New Year.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n\nContinue reading →<\/a><\/div><\/li>- “Operation Santa Paws” Brightens Shelters for Christmas<\/a> December 15, 2025
by Noella Noelophile\u00ae<\/strong><\/h6>\n![\"Graphic](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/OSP8.5x11-e1765842552654.jpg\")
<\/a>(Graphic courtesy of Justin Rudd, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n
You and I can’t imagine abusing a sweet cat or dog.\u00a0 Or moving away and abandoning them.<\/p>\n
Tragically, all too many people can<\/em>.<\/p>\n![\"Large](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/eyes-OC-shelter-e1577135139104.jpg\")
<\/a>This Christmas season, Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team asks you to help them make a difference for lost, abused and abandoned pets in local shelters.<\/p>\n![\"Yellow](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/yellow-cat.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAre you in a position to collect pet toys, pet food, treats, cleaning supplies, blankets, heating pads for infant animals and various other pet supplies?\u00a0 \u00a0If so, please consider\u00a0 participating in “Operation Santa Paws”<\/a>!<\/p>\nHow to participate?\u00a0 \u00a0Set up a collection box or plastic tub with a copy of the poster, above, attached.\u00a0 You can download it from Justin’s website<\/a>, or email him for a PDF.\u00a0 (Justin@JustinRudd.com).<\/p>\n![\"Gray](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/IMG_0322-e1545547485618.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAlso, include a “wish list” of donations to be collected, available at this link<\/a>, either as a handout or attached to the container.<\/p>\nPlace the box or tub, with the wish list, in your office, at a pet store or vet’s office, at a church, school, or otherwise.\u00a0 \u00a0Be sure to email Justin@JustinRudd.com the name of the business, address and phone of where your box or boxes will be located, and he will list it on his website<\/a>, as a collection point, from now through this Friday!<\/p>\n![\"Brown](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Seal-Beach-beagle-mix-e1545551441795.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThen, choose a date, sometime before Christmas, and a favorite local shelter, to deliver the gifts.\u00a0 \u00a0And take some time to visit with the animals, and enjoy the wags, purrs and general cuteness.<\/p>\n
![\"black](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/meowing1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWho knows?\u00a0 Purrhaps you will wind up with a new family member, in time for Christmas.<\/p>\n
It’s been known to happen before.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nContinue reading →<\/a><\/div><\/li>- Community, Tradition and Imagination<\/a> December 11, 2025
by Noella Noelophile\u00ae<\/h6>\n![\"Lighted](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/485366198_1074554004716178_8489108738496722058_n-e1765326347299.jpg\")
<\/a>(Photo courtesy of Ferndale Lighted Tractor Parade, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n
Christmas in the Victorian village of Ferndale has been described in one word: “Magic”.<\/p>\n
And one of the most magical aspects of their Christmas celebration is coming up.<\/p>\n
On Sunday evening, December 21st, the 33rd Annual Ferndale Lighted Tractor Parade<\/a> is happening on Main Street!<\/p>\nFancifully decorated tractors, tractor-drawn wagons and horse-drawn floats will showcase both the creativity of Ferndale’s local farmers and ranchers, and their pride in their heritage.<\/p>\n
![\"Young](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-09-at-16-05-18-3-Facebook-e1765502409284.png\")
<\/a>(Photo courtesy of Ferndale Lighted Tractor Parade, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n
Visitors are encouraged to arrive early.\u00a0 Tractors will line up for judging at 4:30 pm, with judging starting at 5:00 pm.<\/p>\n
Among the categories for which these entries are being considered: “Best Animation”; “Best Animal Entry”; “Oldest Tractor”; “Best Lights”, and “Most Christmas Spirit”.<\/p>\n
(I admit, looking at last year’s pictures on Ferndale Lighted Tractor Parade’s Facebook page, I laughed out loud at the “Judges’ Choice”: a family decked out as cows, pigs and one very stern-looking rooster!)<\/p>\n
Reflecting a legacy<\/strong><\/h4>\n![\"Santa's](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/486068654_1074566168048295_6052575228043565810_n-e1765502970290.jpg\")
<\/a>(Photo courtesy of Ferndale Lighted Tractor Parade, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n
Then, the parade starts at 6:00 pm from the top of Main Street–which, incidentally, is the location of the nation’s tallest living Christmas tree.<\/p>\n
As the parade celebrates the imagination and humor of the participants, it also honors the tradition of this close-knit community.\u00a0 \u00a0Every year, the Ferndale Lighted Tractor Parade features a local family as parade Grand Marshals.<\/p>\n
The 2025 Ferndale Lighted Tractor Parade Marshals are fifth- and sixth-generation Ferndale residents!<\/p>\n
“This year, we are honored to celebrate a family whose roots run as deep as the redwoods and whose legacy has helped shape the Eel River Valley for more than a century,” emails Jeannie, from the parade committee.<\/p>\n
“…we proudly honor the Scilacci Family as our Grand Marshals\u2014representing more than 130 years of grit, stewardship, and commitment to the land we call home.”<\/p>\n
A proud tradition<\/strong><\/h4>\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/485151774_1074554091382836_2782580042744236312_n-e1765503082888.jpg\")
<\/a>(Photo courtesy of Ferndale Lighted Tractor Parade, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n
Jeannie shares that this legacy began with Pietro and Virginia Scilacci, who immigrated from Corippo, Switzerland to Ferndale in 1893.\u00a0 \u00a0Just two years later, the couple would open their dairy on Waddington Road, laying the foundation for a family legacy that spans nearly every aspect of rural life in the Eel River Valley.<\/p>\n
Dairy farming, goat milk soap making and sawmill operations are just three of those areas in which the Scilacci family have been involved, throughout the decades.<\/p>\n
And now, Jeannie adds, the sixth generation of Scilaccis are beginning to work alongside family members as they carry this tradition forward.<\/p>\n
“When we get done milkin’!”<\/strong><\/h4>\n![\"Lighted](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/485150111_1074554081382837_2184079322202553757_n.jpg\")
<\/a>(Photo courtesy of Ferndale Lighted Tractor Parade, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n
And if you’d like to see this unique community celebration (their webpage lists the start time as, “6:00 pm, or when we get done milkin!”), there are two ways you can:<\/p>\n
\n- Onsite, and plan on visiting the Victorian village of Ferndale.\u00a0 That would absolutely be my preference if we could go this year–and you get to watch from your vehicle, if you’d like!\u00a0 \u00a0The parade has been extended, to allow visitors to do exactly that.\u00a0 \u00a0(Again, show up early, and plan on being patient; there will be considerable traffic coming and going, for this very popular tradition.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
\n- Or, virtually!\u00a0 \u00a0A live stream will be available on Facebook<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
The 33rd Annual Ferndale Lighted Tractor Parade happens at 6:00 pm or when the milking is done, whichever comes first, on Sunday, December 21st, down Main Street, then left on Arlington Avenue and left on Fifth Street.<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\nContinue reading →<\/a><\/div><\/li>- “Krazy Krafts” for All Ages<\/a> December 10, 2025
by Noella Noelophile\u00ae<\/h6>\n![\"Smiling](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/unnamed2.jpg\")
<\/a>(Photo courtesy of International Printing Museum, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n
Most of us love to make things.<\/p>\n
The International Printing Museum<\/a>, in Carson, celebrates that love, year-round–but never more so than at Christmastime.<\/p>\nThey’ll be hosting their annual “Holiday Krazy Krafts Day” this Saturday, December 13th–and you and any fellow kids of your acquaintance (short or tall) are invited!<\/p>\n
From 10 am to 4 pm, visitors will get to create all kinds of fun things.<\/p>\n
Gifts, decorations, and gift tags come to mind, as Museum volunteers will be offering hands-on workshops in book arts including papermaking, rubber stamping, calligraphy, letterpress printing, and typewriting.<\/p>\n
![\"Young](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/unnamed3.jpg\")
<\/a>(Photo courtesy of International Printing Museum, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n
Crafts and inspiration<\/strong><\/h4>\nBookbinding will be among the crafts they’re exploring (wouldn’t a hand-bound journal or copy of your latest book make a great gift for someone special?).\u00a0 \u00a0So will origami (imagine a Christmas wreath with paper cranes or flowers!) as well as paper marbling (which could translate to unique card designs and giftwrap!).<\/p>\n
There will also be mini-tours of the Printing Museum, which houses one of the world\u2019s largest and most comprehensive collections of antique printing machinery and graphic arts equipment.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Staff will offer live printing demonstrations, and while you’re there, you might like to ask them about the full schedule of workshops, including printmaking, book arts and screen printing, which the Museum will be offering in 2026.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"Multiple](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/unnamed4.jpg\")
<\/a>(Photo courtesy of International Printing Museum, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n
That’s because they have “Book Arts Gift Cards”<\/a> available–and wouldn’t one or more of these be fun to tuck into a Christmas stocking for someone special?<\/p>\nMeanwhile, “Krazy Krafts Day” is likely to be a great memory-making part of Christmas season, 2025.\u00a0 \u00a0Come prepared to get some pictures (selfies or otherwise), and have a lot of fun.<\/p>\n
“Holiday Krazy Krafts Day” happens this Saturday, December 13th, from 10 am to 4 pm at the International Printing Museum, 315 West Torrance Boulevard, west of Main Street. in Carson.\u00a0 Tickets are available at the door ($15 each, and children 4 years and under are admitted free), but if you’d like to skip standing in line, you can order them at this link<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\nContinue reading →<\/a><\/div><\/li>- “Immersed” in Festivity<\/a> December 8, 2025
by Noella Noelophile\u00ae<\/h6>\n
![\"Aquarium](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/aquarium-e1558905945266.jpg\")
<\/a>In Long Beach this weekend, it’s going to be 66 degrees, partly cloudy, and snowing.<\/p>\nAt least, at the Aquarium of the Pacific<\/a>, as they celebrate “Aquarium Holidays<\/a>“!<\/p>\nOnce again, as they introduce the general public to the incredible denizens of our oceans, the Aquarium will be infused with “sea-sonal” magic.\u00a0 As Southern California’s largest aquarium acquaints visitors with more than 12,000 animals, Aquarium Holidays will continue through Sunday, December 21st.\u00a0 And weekends include special features!<\/p>\n
This weekend and next, visitors to the Aquarium will get to see Santa Diver make his annual visit in the Great Hall.<\/p>\n
![\"Santa](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Santa-diver-and-moray-eel-1.jpg\")
<\/a>(Moray eel with “Santa Diver”, Aquarium of the Pacific, December 2017.)<\/p><\/div>\n
Holiday films will be screened, and you’ll get a chance to visit (and get a picture!) with Surfer Santa.<\/p>\n
And this Saturday morning, December 13th, as well as next Saturday, the 20th, you can stop in to have breakfast with him!<\/p>\n
From 8:00 to 9:00 am, each of these Saturdays, the Aquarium’s Cafe Scuba hosts a special buffet breakfast.\u00a0 Surfer Santa will be on hand as a VIP guest.<\/p>\n
“Breakfast With Santa<\/a>” will also feature visits from Aquarium mascots such as the ray, polar bear, and sea otter, throughout the morning.<\/p>\n![\"Child](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Blue-Cavern-Snow-e1575325156326.jpeg\")
<\/a>(Photo courtesy of Aquarium of the Pacific Audio Visual Department, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n
After breakfast, be sure to explore the Aquarium, where you’ll get to see all kinds of “sea-sonal” decorations, including a special Kwanzaa display, as well as a Hanukkah menorah.<\/p>\n
Since “snow” tends to fall on a regular basis during Aquarium Holidays, you’ll get to enjoy the best kind of the white stuff: the kind that doesn’t require you to get out the snow shovel!<\/p>\n
![\"Hanukkah](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/menorah-and-sign1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThis Sunday, December 14th, Hanukkah storytelling will also be part of the holiday magic, as we wish a very Happy Hanukkah to everyone of the Jewish faith.<\/p>\n
And if you haven’t finished your shopping yet (who has?), the Pacific Collections gift store may have just the right stocking stuffer or fun special treasure.<\/p>\n
Tickets are required for admission<\/a>, with special-event tickets offered for “Breakfast With Santa<\/a>“, and all tickets are date- and time-specific.<\/p>\nAquarium of the Pacific, located at 100 Aquarium Way in Long Beach, hosts “Aquarium Holidays” through Sunday, December 21st.\u00a0 \u00a0The Aquarium is open from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm most days, with extended hours on select days.\u00a0 They will be closed on Christmas Day.\u00a0 Reservations are required on weekends.\u00a0 Here’s a link to their calendar, which includes their show schedule<\/a>, and a link to their downloadable visitor guide and map.<\/a><\/h4>\nContinue reading →<\/a><\/div><\/li>- ANW’s Enchanting “Carol”<\/a> December 6, 2025
by Noella Noelophile\u00ae<\/h6>\n![\"Geoff](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ACC2025_0701-e1764976062623.jpg\")
<\/a>Anthony Adu, Geoff Elliott (center)
and Ensemble
Photo by Abe Portillo<\/p><\/div>\n
Uh-oh.<\/p>\n
Tickets to A Noise Within’s<\/a> interpretation of A Christmas Carol\u00a0<\/em>are selling out faster than Old Scrooge running to bar the door against unwelcome ghosts!<\/p>\nThis is the 13th year of the imaginative production, adapted for the stage by Geoff Elliott from Dickens’ beloved classic.\u00a0 \u00a0With original music by Robert Oriol and not a single line of the original work adapted or changed, no wonder Pasadena-based classic theatre company A Noise Within has such a hit on their hands.<\/p>\n
![\"Scrooge](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ACC2025_0966.jpg\")
<\/a>Geoff Elliott, Jack Zubieta, Analisa Idalia
Photo by Abe Portillo<\/p><\/div>\n
While this weekend’s matinees are showing “sold out”,\u00a0 A Noise Within’s website shows limited seats still available for this evening’s performance, Saturday, December 6th, at 7 pm.\u00a0 This is “Teen Night”, a special night for patrons ages 13 through 13 \u2013 19, who are invited to come to the theatre at 6 pm and hang out with the ANW Teen Council, before the performance, for special events and free snacks.<\/p>\n
Then, limited seats are showing available for next weekend, Thursday, December 11th, through Sunday, the 14th, and the following Thursday through Sunday.\u00a0 \u00a0Here’s the link for information.<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Scrooge](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ACC2025_0454.jpg\")
<\/a>Geoff Elliott as Scrooge and Riley Shanahan as Marley
Photo by Abe Portillo<\/p><\/div>\n
But…”I am here…to warn you…”<\/strong><\/h4>\nWere Marley’s ghost currently around, though, he might issue a stern admonition.<\/p>\n
Evening performances on December 19th and 20th warn, “Book now!”, as do December 23rd and their closing-night matinee on Christmas Eve.\u00a0 \u00a0We don’t want Christmas Future 2025 to include missing out on tickets for these dates!<\/p>\n
Especially since they include increased accessibility to patrons.<\/p>\n
GalaPro closed captioning, courtesy of the Perenchio Foundation, will be available during the December 20th and 21st matinees at 2 pm.<\/p>\n
And if you saw A Christmas Carol <\/em>at ANW in 2024, don’t expect it to be the same this year.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ACC2025_0905.jpg\")
<\/a>Center: Amber Liekhus and Kasey Mahaffy
Cratchit children, clockwise from left:
Brooklyn Bao, Brendan Burgos, Micah Lanfer,
Stella Bullock and Dorothy Smith
Photo by Abe Portillo<\/p><\/div>\n
Co-Artistic Directors Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott direct the show, and Geoff, this year, shares the role of Scrooge with Henri Lubatti.\u00a0 \u00a0And no two annual productions of Carol<\/em> are ever identical.<\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s amazing, really, the discovery that we could stay with something this long and still love it, still continue to find new depths every year,\u201d says Geoff, in a recent email.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s something about this story\u2019s enduring humanity that keeps inspiring us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s such a<\/span> joyous experience to return to A<\/span> Christmas Carol<\/em> annually,\u201d adds Julia.<\/p>\n\u201cIt reminds us of the power of community, compassion and transformation, the very things the holidays are meant to celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Trisha](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ACC2025_0684-e1764976793211.jpg\")
<\/a>Trisha Miller and Geoff Elliott
Photo by Abe Portillo<\/p><\/div>\n
The show itself is also highly reflective of the mission of nonprofit A Noise Within.\u00a0 \u00a0 Through classic theatre productions, their goal, as stated on their website, is “to enrich our community by embracing universal human experiences, expanding personal awareness, and challenging individual perspectives.”<\/p>\n
With that in mind, should you be stuck for a special Christmas gift for a fellow theatre enthusiast, you might like to consider a gift certificate to ANW.<\/a>\u00a0 They offer certificates for individual performances as well as season passes, and their upcoming 2026 shows include Shakespeare’s Richard III<\/em> and Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman <\/em>and Eugene Ionesco’s Exit the King<\/em>.<\/p>\n![\"Geoff](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ACC2025_0224.jpg\")
<\/a>Geoff Elliott
Photo by Abe Portillo<\/p><\/div>\n
Even Old Scrooge couldn’t find any “humbug” in a gift like that.<\/p>\nContinue reading →<\/a><\/div><\/li>- Warmth, Light, Music–and Cookies<\/a> December 5, 2025
by Noella Noelophile\u00ae<\/h6>\n![\"Gingerbread](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/cookie-8413995_1280-e1764964947779.jpg\")
<\/a>(Royalty-free image by Frauke Riether<\/a> from Pixabay.)<\/p><\/div>\nSome of my favorite Christmas memories center around my maternal grandmother at Christmastime.<\/p>\n
Whenever we’d go to visit her, she had a pantry full of homemade cookies.\u00a0 Chocolate-chip, spritz and meringue.\u00a0 \u00a0One year, she made meringue snowball-like cookies, with sparkly sugar on top, which she called “kisses”.\u00a0 They were the best thing I’d ever tasted.<\/p>\n
![\"Box](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/meringue-5800355_1280-e1764965505498.jpg\")
<\/a>(Royalty-free image by Mikhail Semikin<\/a> from Pixabay.)<\/p><\/div>\nAnd every morning, she’d listen to the local radio station.\u00a0 \u00a0Besides the news and farm report, they’d always have the best Christmas music.<\/p>\n
Unusual for that time, when Christmas Eve arrived, the station would preempt their regular programming for nonstop Christmas music–old and new.<\/p>\n
All of this is decades in the past–but comes to mind every Christmas when Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team celebrates Christmas with their “Joy to the World Free Christmas Concert<\/a>“, along with the “Long Beach Bake-Off and Christmas Cookie Contest for Charities”.<\/p>\nThis year’s concert and bake-off are coming up on Sunday, December 14th–and you’re invited!<\/p>\n
![\"Trombone](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/470986998_10234198602763218_2908181806944917985_n-e1764965662478.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo by Justin Rudd! | www.JustinRudd.com<\/a><\/p><\/div>\nConcert details<\/strong><\/h4>\nThe 90-minute “Joy to the World” Christmas concert starts at 5 pm at Bay Shore church.\u00a0 Featuring 25 professional musicians, from the Southern California Brass Consortium, playing various seasonal selections.\u00a0 (Last year’s program, listed on Justin’s website<\/a>, ranges from “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” to “A Charlie Brown Christmas”.)<\/p>\nDoors will open at 4:30, and attendees are asked to register online, and be seated by 4:50 pm sharp.\u00a0 \u00a0All ages and sizes of groups are welcome; children may attend if they are VERY well-behaved and very quiet.\u00a0 \u00a0Here’s the link for registration<\/a>.<\/p>\nAnd each attendee is asked to bring peanut butter, breakfast cereal, boxes of macaroni and cheese, and\/or canned fruit that will be donated to a local food bank.\u00a0 You can also bring packs of men’s socks, to be donated to agencies serving the homeless.<\/p>\n
OK, that’s the “music” part.\u00a0 \u00a0Now, about those cookies!<\/p>\n
<\/a>(Royalty-free image by Gerd Altmann<\/a> from Pixabay.)<\/p><\/div>\n As far as I’m concerned, it’s still Christmas.\u00a0 And will be, until Twelfth Night.<\/p>\n How about you?<\/p>\n If you enjoy making Christmas last (and now that the violent rain and wind seem to be over) here are some events you might like to check out.<\/p>\n Open through Sunday, January 11th<\/strong><\/p>\n (Photo courtesy of L.A. Zoo.)<\/p><\/div>\n L.A. Zoo Lights’ calendar<\/a> shows ticket availability, every evening until their closing date of Sunday, January 11th, with one exception: New Year’s Eve.\u00a0 They’ll be closed that evening.<\/p>\n As mentioned in my earlier post<\/a>, L.A. Zoo Lights offers two entry times, each evening: 6:00 pm and 7:30 pm. Tickets are available online, but also available at their box office, which opens at 5:45 pm. Admission gates close at 8:45 pm.<\/p>\n And on Thursday, January 8th, L.A. Zoo Lights hosts “L.A. Pride Night”, celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community, with added festivities, including an all-ages DJ dance party.<\/p>\n Open through Wednesday, December 31st<\/strong><\/p>\n (Photo courtesy of Cambria Christmas Market, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n Surprisingly, given their popularity, Cambria Christmas Market<\/a> does still have a few tickets left for tomorrow, Sunday, December 31st, as well as next week.\u00a0 \u00a0Their final day of the 2025 Christmas season is New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, December 31st.<\/p>\n Hours listed on their calendar<\/a> are 5 pm to 9 pm, each evening from now through New Year’s Eve, and while Santa will have left the building for another year, the days after Christmas, weather permitting, could be a fine time to enjoy the beauty of more than 3 million sparkling lights and the festive atmosphere of a German Christmas market, come to California.<\/p>\n Now through Sunday, January 4th<\/strong><\/p>\n (Photo courtesy of SolvangUSA.com, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n The “hygge” continues in Solvang, which, this year, has received multiple honors, including being voted the #1 \u201cBest U.S. Christmas Town\u201d in TZR\u2019s Reader\u2019s Choice Poll!<\/p>\n Visitors to Solvang Julefest<\/a> are invited to enjoy Santa’s Village, with its festive gingerbread house, and a nightly 10-minute “Light & Music Show”, on the hour, every evening in Solvang Park.<\/p>\n In addition, those mischievous “Nisser” (Christmas gnomes) will be hiding throughout the town, and you’re invited to hunt them down, with the help of a list of clues from Solvang Visitors’ Center.<\/p>\n And New Year’s Eve is going to be something special!\u00a0 Weather permitting, the town hosts a family-friendly “Copenhagen Countdown”, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm!\u00a0 Come celebrate with top 80’s tribute band the Molly Ringwald Project<\/a> and ring in the New Year as Denmark welcomes 2026\u00a0 at 3:00 PM, with a European-style countdown to midnight.<\/p>\n (Photo courtesy of Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink.)<\/p><\/div>\n The Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink<\/a> is carrying forward a Christmastime tradition of more than three decades!\u00a0 \u00a0 Their website requests that prospective visitors call them directly to check on ice conditions; here’s their link.<\/a><\/p>\n Assuming the weather cooperates and ice conditions are good, they’re open for skating, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 9 pm, and Fridays through Sundays, 10 am to 10 pm.\u00a0 (The rink is closed on Mondays.)<\/strong><\/p>\n Nightly, now through January 4th<\/strong><\/p>\n (Photo courtesy of Winter Fest OC, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n Ice tubing, light shows, snow play and carnival rides are all part of the festivities as Southern California’s largest winter festival continues!\u00a0 \u00a0And so are live entertainment and Winter Fest OC’s<\/a>\u00a0 breathtaking “Forest of Lights”.<\/p>\n All tickets are valid for any date of purchase, according to Winter Fest OC’s website<\/a>, and they have been publishing some discounts<\/a> for this weekend AND for their mascot “Yowie the Yeti”‘s eleventh birthday!<\/p>\n Hours begin at 4 pm and run till 10 pm, today and tomorrow, then 5-10 pm next Monday and Tuesday.<\/p>\n And on Wednesday, December 31st, come celebrate the New Year with a party!<\/p>\n (Map courtesy of Winter Fest OC.)<\/p><\/div>\n Winter Fest stays open till 12:30 am on New Year’s Eve.<\/p>\n Come enjoy the festivities with classic live 70s and 80s hits, courtesy of the Queen Nation Tribute Band, as well as two high-energy performance sets by DJ Ryan.\u00a0 Bring your dancing shoes and get ready for the New Year’s Eve countdown and firework show, at midnight!<\/p>\n Enjoy, and, one more time–Merry Christmas!\u00a0 \u00a0And a very Happy New Year.<\/p>\n \nContinue reading →<\/a><\/div><\/li> (Graphic courtesy of Justin Rudd, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n You and I can’t imagine abusing a sweet cat or dog.\u00a0 Or moving away and abandoning them.<\/p>\n Tragically, all too many people can<\/em>.<\/p>\n Are you in a position to collect pet toys, pet food, treats, cleaning supplies, blankets, heating pads for infant animals and various other pet supplies?\u00a0 \u00a0If so, please consider\u00a0 participating in “Operation Santa Paws”<\/a>!<\/p>\n How to participate?\u00a0 \u00a0Set up a collection box or plastic tub with a copy of the poster, above, attached.\u00a0 You can download it from Justin’s website<\/a>, or email him for a PDF.\u00a0 (Justin@JustinRudd.com).<\/p>\n Also, include a “wish list” of donations to be collected, available at this link<\/a>, either as a handout or attached to the container.<\/p>\n Place the box or tub, with the wish list, in your office, at a pet store or vet’s office, at a church, school, or otherwise.\u00a0 \u00a0Be sure to email Justin@JustinRudd.com the name of the business, address and phone of where your box or boxes will be located, and he will list it on his website<\/a>, as a collection point, from now through this Friday!<\/p>\n Then, choose a date, sometime before Christmas, and a favorite local shelter, to deliver the gifts.\u00a0 \u00a0And take some time to visit with the animals, and enjoy the wags, purrs and general cuteness.<\/p>\n Who knows?\u00a0 Purrhaps you will wind up with a new family member, in time for Christmas.<\/p>\n It’s been known to happen before.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\nContinue reading →<\/a><\/div><\/li> (Photo courtesy of Ferndale Lighted Tractor Parade, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n Christmas in the Victorian village of Ferndale has been described in one word: “Magic”.<\/p>\n And one of the most magical aspects of their Christmas celebration is coming up.<\/p>\n On Sunday evening, December 21st, the 33rd Annual Ferndale Lighted Tractor Parade<\/a> is happening on Main Street!<\/p>\n Fancifully decorated tractors, tractor-drawn wagons and horse-drawn floats will showcase both the creativity of Ferndale’s local farmers and ranchers, and their pride in their heritage.<\/p>\n (Photo courtesy of Ferndale Lighted Tractor Parade, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n Visitors are encouraged to arrive early.\u00a0 Tractors will line up for judging at 4:30 pm, with judging starting at 5:00 pm.<\/p>\n Among the categories for which these entries are being considered: “Best Animation”; “Best Animal Entry”; “Oldest Tractor”; “Best Lights”, and “Most Christmas Spirit”.<\/p>\n (I admit, looking at last year’s pictures on Ferndale Lighted Tractor Parade’s Facebook page, I laughed out loud at the “Judges’ Choice”: a family decked out as cows, pigs and one very stern-looking rooster!)<\/p>\n (Photo courtesy of Ferndale Lighted Tractor Parade, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n Then, the parade starts at 6:00 pm from the top of Main Street–which, incidentally, is the location of the nation’s tallest living Christmas tree.<\/p>\n As the parade celebrates the imagination and humor of the participants, it also honors the tradition of this close-knit community.\u00a0 \u00a0Every year, the Ferndale Lighted Tractor Parade features a local family as parade Grand Marshals.<\/p>\n The 2025 Ferndale Lighted Tractor Parade Marshals are fifth- and sixth-generation Ferndale residents!<\/p>\n “This year, we are honored to celebrate a family whose roots run as deep as the redwoods and whose legacy has helped shape the Eel River Valley for more than a century,” emails Jeannie, from the parade committee.<\/p>\n “…we proudly honor the Scilacci Family as our Grand Marshals\u2014representing more than 130 years of grit, stewardship, and commitment to the land we call home.”<\/p>\n (Photo courtesy of Ferndale Lighted Tractor Parade, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n Jeannie shares that this legacy began with Pietro and Virginia Scilacci, who immigrated from Corippo, Switzerland to Ferndale in 1893.\u00a0 \u00a0Just two years later, the couple would open their dairy on Waddington Road, laying the foundation for a family legacy that spans nearly every aspect of rural life in the Eel River Valley.<\/p>\n Dairy farming, goat milk soap making and sawmill operations are just three of those areas in which the Scilacci family have been involved, throughout the decades.<\/p>\n And now, Jeannie adds, the sixth generation of Scilaccis are beginning to work alongside family members as they carry this tradition forward.<\/p>\n (Photo courtesy of Ferndale Lighted Tractor Parade, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n And if you’d like to see this unique community celebration (their webpage lists the start time as, “6:00 pm, or when we get done milkin!”), there are two ways you can:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n (Photo courtesy of International Printing Museum, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n Most of us love to make things.<\/p>\n The International Printing Museum<\/a>, in Carson, celebrates that love, year-round–but never more so than at Christmastime.<\/p>\n They’ll be hosting their annual “Holiday Krazy Krafts Day” this Saturday, December 13th–and you and any fellow kids of your acquaintance (short or tall) are invited!<\/p>\n From 10 am to 4 pm, visitors will get to create all kinds of fun things.<\/p>\n Gifts, decorations, and gift tags come to mind, as Museum volunteers will be offering hands-on workshops in book arts including papermaking, rubber stamping, calligraphy, letterpress printing, and typewriting.<\/p>\n (Photo courtesy of International Printing Museum, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n Bookbinding will be among the crafts they’re exploring (wouldn’t a hand-bound journal or copy of your latest book make a great gift for someone special?).\u00a0 \u00a0So will origami (imagine a Christmas wreath with paper cranes or flowers!) as well as paper marbling (which could translate to unique card designs and giftwrap!).<\/p>\n There will also be mini-tours of the Printing Museum, which houses one of the world\u2019s largest and most comprehensive collections of antique printing machinery and graphic arts equipment.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Staff will offer live printing demonstrations, and while you’re there, you might like to ask them about the full schedule of workshops, including printmaking, book arts and screen printing, which the Museum will be offering in 2026.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n (Photo courtesy of International Printing Museum, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n That’s because they have “Book Arts Gift Cards”<\/a> available–and wouldn’t one or more of these be fun to tuck into a Christmas stocking for someone special?<\/p>\n Meanwhile, “Krazy Krafts Day” is likely to be a great memory-making part of Christmas season, 2025.\u00a0 \u00a0Come prepared to get some pictures (selfies or otherwise), and have a lot of fun.<\/p>\n At least, at the Aquarium of the Pacific<\/a>, as they celebrate “Aquarium Holidays<\/a>“!<\/p>\n Once again, as they introduce the general public to the incredible denizens of our oceans, the Aquarium will be infused with “sea-sonal” magic.\u00a0 As Southern California’s largest aquarium acquaints visitors with more than 12,000 animals, Aquarium Holidays will continue through Sunday, December 21st.\u00a0 And weekends include special features!<\/p>\n This weekend and next, visitors to the Aquarium will get to see Santa Diver make his annual visit in the Great Hall.<\/p>\n (Moray eel with “Santa Diver”, Aquarium of the Pacific, December 2017.)<\/p><\/div>\n Holiday films will be screened, and you’ll get a chance to visit (and get a picture!) with Surfer Santa.<\/p>\n And this Saturday morning, December 13th, as well as next Saturday, the 20th, you can stop in to have breakfast with him!<\/p>\n From 8:00 to 9:00 am, each of these Saturdays, the Aquarium’s Cafe Scuba hosts a special buffet breakfast.\u00a0 Surfer Santa will be on hand as a VIP guest.<\/p>\n “Breakfast With Santa<\/a>” will also feature visits from Aquarium mascots such as the ray, polar bear, and sea otter, throughout the morning.<\/p>\n (Photo courtesy of Aquarium of the Pacific Audio Visual Department, and used with permission.)<\/p><\/div>\n After breakfast, be sure to explore the Aquarium, where you’ll get to see all kinds of “sea-sonal” decorations, including a special Kwanzaa display, as well as a Hanukkah menorah.<\/p>\n Since “snow” tends to fall on a regular basis during Aquarium Holidays, you’ll get to enjoy the best kind of the white stuff: the kind that doesn’t require you to get out the snow shovel!<\/p>\n This Sunday, December 14th, Hanukkah storytelling will also be part of the holiday magic, as we wish a very Happy Hanukkah to everyone of the Jewish faith.<\/p>\n And if you haven’t finished your shopping yet (who has?), the Pacific Collections gift store may have just the right stocking stuffer or fun special treasure.<\/p>\n Tickets are required for admission<\/a>, with special-event tickets offered for “Breakfast With Santa<\/a>“, and all tickets are date- and time-specific.<\/p>\n Anthony Adu, Geoff Elliott (center) Uh-oh.<\/p>\n Tickets to A Noise Within’s<\/a> interpretation of A Christmas Carol\u00a0<\/em>are selling out faster than Old Scrooge running to bar the door against unwelcome ghosts!<\/p>\n This is the 13th year of the imaginative production, adapted for the stage by Geoff Elliott from Dickens’ beloved classic.\u00a0 \u00a0With original music by Robert Oriol and not a single line of the original work adapted or changed, no wonder Pasadena-based classic theatre company A Noise Within has such a hit on their hands.<\/p>\n Geoff Elliott, Jack Zubieta, Analisa Idalia While this weekend’s matinees are showing “sold out”,\u00a0 A Noise Within’s website shows limited seats still available for this evening’s performance, Saturday, December 6th, at 7 pm.\u00a0 This is “Teen Night”, a special night for patrons ages 13 through 13 \u2013 19, who are invited to come to the theatre at 6 pm and hang out with the ANW Teen Council, before the performance, for special events and free snacks.<\/p>\n Then, limited seats are showing available for next weekend, Thursday, December 11th, through Sunday, the 14th, and the following Thursday through Sunday.\u00a0 \u00a0Here’s the link for information.<\/a><\/p>\n Geoff Elliott as Scrooge and Riley Shanahan as Marley Were Marley’s ghost currently around, though, he might issue a stern admonition.<\/p>\n Evening performances on December 19th and 20th warn, “Book now!”, as do December 23rd and their closing-night matinee on Christmas Eve.\u00a0 \u00a0We don’t want Christmas Future 2025 to include missing out on tickets for these dates!<\/p>\n Especially since they include increased accessibility to patrons.<\/p>\n GalaPro closed captioning, courtesy of the Perenchio Foundation, will be available during the December 20th and 21st matinees at 2 pm.<\/p>\n And if you saw A Christmas Carol <\/em>at ANW in 2024, don’t expect it to be the same this year.<\/p>\n Center: Amber Liekhus and Kasey Mahaffy Co-Artistic Directors Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott direct the show, and Geoff, this year, shares the role of Scrooge with Henri Lubatti.\u00a0 \u00a0And no two annual productions of Carol<\/em> are ever identical.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s amazing, really, the discovery that we could stay with something this long and still love it, still continue to find new depths every year,\u201d says Geoff, in a recent email.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s something about this story\u2019s enduring humanity that keeps inspiring us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s such a<\/span> joyous experience to return to A<\/span> Christmas Carol<\/em> annually,\u201d adds Julia.<\/p>\n \u201cIt reminds us of the power of community, compassion and transformation, the very things the holidays are meant to celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n Trisha Miller and Geoff Elliott The show itself is also highly reflective of the mission of nonprofit A Noise Within.\u00a0 \u00a0 Through classic theatre productions, their goal, as stated on their website, is “to enrich our community by embracing universal human experiences, expanding personal awareness, and challenging individual perspectives.”<\/p>\n With that in mind, should you be stuck for a special Christmas gift for a fellow theatre enthusiast, you might like to consider a gift certificate to ANW.<\/a>\u00a0 They offer certificates for individual performances as well as season passes, and their upcoming 2026 shows include Shakespeare’s Richard III<\/em> and Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman <\/em>and Eugene Ionesco’s Exit the King<\/em>.<\/p>\n Geoff Elliott Even Old Scrooge couldn’t find any “humbug” in a gift like that.<\/p>\nContinue reading →<\/a><\/div><\/li> (Royalty-free image by Frauke Riether<\/a> from Pixabay.)<\/p><\/div>\n Some of my favorite Christmas memories center around my maternal grandmother at Christmastime.<\/p>\n Whenever we’d go to visit her, she had a pantry full of homemade cookies.\u00a0 Chocolate-chip, spritz and meringue.\u00a0 \u00a0One year, she made meringue snowball-like cookies, with sparkly sugar on top, which she called “kisses”.\u00a0 They were the best thing I’d ever tasted.<\/p>\n (Royalty-free image by Mikhail Semikin<\/a> from Pixabay.)<\/p><\/div>\n And every morning, she’d listen to the local radio station.\u00a0 \u00a0Besides the news and farm report, they’d always have the best Christmas music.<\/p>\n Unusual for that time, when Christmas Eve arrived, the station would preempt their regular programming for nonstop Christmas music–old and new.<\/p>\n All of this is decades in the past–but comes to mind every Christmas when Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team celebrates Christmas with their “Joy to the World Free Christmas Concert<\/a>“, along with the “Long Beach Bake-Off and Christmas Cookie Contest for Charities”.<\/p>\n This year’s concert and bake-off are coming up on Sunday, December 14th–and you’re invited!<\/p>\n Photo by Justin Rudd! | www.JustinRudd.com<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n The 90-minute “Joy to the World” Christmas concert starts at 5 pm at Bay Shore church.\u00a0 Featuring 25 professional musicians, from the Southern California Brass Consortium, playing various seasonal selections.\u00a0 (Last year’s program, listed on Justin’s website<\/a>, ranges from “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” to “A Charlie Brown Christmas”.)<\/p>\n Doors will open at 4:30, and attendees are asked to register online, and be seated by 4:50 pm sharp.\u00a0 \u00a0All ages and sizes of groups are welcome; children may attend if they are VERY well-behaved and very quiet.\u00a0 \u00a0Here’s the link for registration<\/a>.<\/p>\n And each attendee is asked to bring peanut butter, breakfast cereal, boxes of macaroni and cheese, and\/or canned fruit that will be donated to a local food bank.\u00a0 You can also bring packs of men’s socks, to be donated to agencies serving the homeless.<\/p>\n OK, that’s the “music” part.\u00a0 \u00a0Now, about those cookies!<\/p>\nL.A. Zoo Lights<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/a>Los Angeles Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo Drive in Los Angeles.\u00a0 \u00a0Tickets are sold separately from general-admission tickets to the Zoo.\u00a0 <\/em>Ticket prices range from $19 to $35 for non-member adults, with lower rates for members and children.\u00a0 Free parking is available.<\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\n
Cambria Christmas Market<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/a>Cambria Christmas Market, at 2905 Burton Drive, runs from 5 pm to 9 pm <\/strong><\/em>each evening from now, <\/strong><\/em>through New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, December 31st.\u00a0 \u00a0 General-admission tickets may be purchased at this link.<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/h5>\n
All event parking is offsite; here’s the link for parking information<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/h5>\n
Solvang Julefest<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/a>Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Now through Monday, January 19th (ice conditions permitting)<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/a>Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink is located at 7th and K Streets, in downtown Sacramento.<\/strong><\/em><\/h5>\n
Winter Fest OC<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/a>Winter Fest OC is located at the Costa Mesa Fairgrounds, 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa.<\/strong><\/h5>\n
by Noella Noelophile\u00ae<\/strong><\/h6>\n
<\/a><\/a>This Christmas season, Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team asks you to help them make a difference for lost, abused and abandoned pets in local shelters.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nby Noella Noelophile\u00ae<\/h6>\n
<\/a><\/a>Reflecting a legacy<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/a>A proud tradition<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/a>“When we get done milkin’!”<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/a>\n
\n
The 33rd Annual Ferndale Lighted Tractor Parade happens at 6:00 pm or when the milking is done, whichever comes first, on Sunday, December 21st, down Main Street, then left on Arlington Avenue and left on Fifth Street.<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\nContinue reading →<\/a><\/div><\/li>
by Noella Noelophile\u00ae<\/h6>\n
<\/a><\/a>Crafts and inspiration<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/a>“Holiday Krazy Krafts Day” happens this Saturday, December 13th, from 10 am to 4 pm at the International Printing Museum, 315 West Torrance Boulevard, west of Main Street. in Carson.\u00a0 Tickets are available at the door ($15 each, and children 4 years and under are admitted free), but if you’d like to skip standing in line, you can order them at this link<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\nContinue reading →<\/a><\/div><\/li>
by Noella Noelophile\u00ae<\/h6>\n
<\/a>In Long Beach this weekend, it’s going to be 66 degrees, partly cloudy, and snowing.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\nAquarium of the Pacific, located at 100 Aquarium Way in Long Beach, hosts “Aquarium Holidays” through Sunday, December 21st.\u00a0 \u00a0The Aquarium is open from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm most days, with extended hours on select days.\u00a0 They will be closed on Christmas Day.\u00a0 Reservations are required on weekends.\u00a0 Here’s a link to their calendar, which includes their show schedule<\/a>, and a link to their downloadable visitor guide and map.<\/a><\/h4>\nContinue reading →<\/a><\/div><\/li>
by Noella Noelophile\u00ae<\/h6>\n
<\/a>
and Ensemble
Photo by Abe Portillo<\/p><\/div>\n<\/a>
Photo by Abe Portillo<\/p><\/div>\n<\/a>
Photo by Abe Portillo<\/p><\/div>\nBut…”I am here…to warn you…”<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/a>
Cratchit children, clockwise from left:
Brooklyn Bao, Brendan Burgos, Micah Lanfer,
Stella Bullock and Dorothy Smith
Photo by Abe Portillo<\/p><\/div>\n<\/a>
Photo by Abe Portillo<\/p><\/div>\n<\/a>
Photo by Abe Portillo<\/p><\/div>\nby Noella Noelophile\u00ae<\/h6>\n
<\/a><\/a><\/a>Concert details<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"Plate](\"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/cookie-1065893_1280-e1764965816578.jpg\")
<\/a>