Weekend: The Grove Lights the Big Tree

Earth, Wind, and Fire and Darlene Love sing at the snowy spectacle.

The Grove Tree Lighting: It's a tall, tall tree top you can see from different points of the mid-city -- stand atop a parking garage or peek north from LACMA -- but the sheer size of The Grove's holiday shrub matches the sheer size of its mega merry tree-lighting bash. Earth, Wind, and Fire and Darlene Love are set to perform and there shall be snow, much snow, not-real snow, but still charming snow, to boot. Date? Sunday, Nov. 16, and you know to arrive early (though the shops at the outdoor center shutter at 4 p.m.).

Doo Dah Parade: As always, with this anything-goes procession down Colorado Boulevard in East Pasadena, you can only really share the date, place, and time -- well, time-ish -- and let things be. Why? Because the 37-year-old parade, which is famed for its "irreverent playfulness," kind of does its own thing. It might start a little late, or early (probably not, let's be honest), groups may stop to fix costumes/vehicles, and hot dogs frequently get shot out of hand-held cannon devices. Saturday, Nov. 15, 11 a.m. (ish).

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Yarn-O-Polis: Yarn bombings have been whimsical sights around our city over the last several years -- picture a bit of crochet around a lamp post -- but what is happening at Grand Central Market is on a large scale: Over 100 knitters and crocheters have bedecked the historic market's pillars in yarn-pretty designs. It's the first weekend the project's been fully on display, and you can catch it through the middle of January.

Holiday Ice Rink Opening Weekend: It's not every day you see Snoopy downtown, but if you do, you can bet he's wearing ice skates at the opening day of the Pershing Square ice rink. Numerous rinks around SoCal are set to debut over the coming days, but if you like pirouetting adjacent to tall buildings, this is your spot. Free happenings like the Winter Festival are ahead, it'll be open on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it runs right through the middle of January.

Disneyland Holidays Begin: The Haunted Mansion is still in its Jack Skellington garb from Halloween, but the happy snowmen and toy soldiers are now dancing down the Main Street parade route, the festive tire wreaths are dotting Cars Land and Mickey and Minnie are wearing their best yuletide outfits. The treats, like those famous candy canes made at the Candy Palace, are going the green-and-red route, too. Elsa and Anna, of course, are in the house, or Fantasyland, but with winter on the way, bet the "Frozen" fans will be paying the famous sisters many a visit.

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