Free Christmas lights in Los Angeles in 2026

For free Christmas lights around Los Angeles, start with Union Station’s tree lighting on November 19 or Christmas Tree Lane’s lighting ceremony in Altadena on December 5. Both organizers have confirmed free admission for 2026. Union Station says no tickets are needed. Altadena’s ceremony is on a residential street, so read the walking and driving notes before choosing it for a trip with small children.

Union Station: an early holiday evening

The 11th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony runs on Thursday, November 19, from 6 to 8 pm in the Ticket Concourse. The station lists free entry for all ages and says tickets are not required. This is a dated evening event; that announcement does not establish nightly light-show hours for the rest of the season.

The program includes performances by Mariachi Ausente and Lizzy & the Triggermen, with Charles Phoenix hosting. Santa and other holiday characters are listed for photo opportunities. Choose Union Station if your child would enjoy live music during the tree-lighting evening.

Union Station’s announcement lists the A, B, D and J lines as transit options. It also links its parking information. Free admission does not mean free parking, so compare the journey before deciding how to get there. Use the station’s own event page for any changes to the program or access instructions.

Christmas Tree Lane: December 5 in Altadena

The Christmas Tree Lane Association lists its lighting ceremony for Saturday, December 5, at 6 pm, at Santa Rosa Avenue and Mariposa Street. The ceremony is free and open to the public, with choirs, bands and other performers alongside the lighting of the deodar trees.

Winterfest takes place at the same intersection that afternoon and evening, from 3 to 9 pm. The association lists free entry, vendors, food trucks, children’s activities and Santa photo opportunities. It does not say every purchase or activity is free. Treat food and shopping as optional expenses, and check the organizer’s page before promising a particular activity to your child.

You can choose the afternoon festival, the evening lighting or both. The published times let you plan around dinner and bedtime. They do not tell us how long a Santa line will be, whether every activity needs a ticket or what parking will be available on the day. Those details need a fresh check closer to December 5.

Read this before walking the Lane

The association’s visitor information describes Santa Rosa Avenue between Woodbury Avenue and Altadena Drive as a residential street without sidewalks. It recommends viewing the Lane by car and asks drivers to enter from Woodbury Avenue and travel north toward Altadena Drive.

For a family planning to walk, the same page flags moving cars, low visibility and roadside drainage ditches. Keep children close and follow its guidance on reflective clothing. A tree-lined residential road needs a different plan from Union Station’s Ticket Concourse; choose the setting that suits your children.

The visitor page gives an approximate season from early December into early January. Exact nightly hours and the final 2026-season date are not confirmed there. We have not turned that general description into a dated nightly schedule.

A daytime Santa option in Downtown LA

If an evening lights outing does not fit your day, Picnic with Santa is scheduled for Saturday, December 5, from 11 am to 1 pm at Grand Hope Park, 919 South Grand Avenue. DTLA Alliance and ASU list free Santa photos, crafts, entertainment, milk and cookies. The organizer provides a free RSVP link.

The page says you can bring a picnic or buy lunch. It is a daytime holiday event rather than a Christmas lights display, but it gives families an earlier option on the same date as Altadena’s ceremony. Check that page for RSVP instructions and any updates before leaving.

For another day’s outing, browse free kids events in Los Angeles or Pasadena. Each activity links to its organizer so you can check ages, times and registration before you go.