What to Know
- New Year's Eve celebrations, including the large-scale Grand Park party, will take place on Saturday, Dec. 31
- Grand Park's fun is free; other festivities are ticketed
- The 134th Rose Parade is set for Monday morning, Jan. 2 in Pasadena
Happy New Year: Shiny oversized balls will slowly descend to the earth, confetti will be tossed, noisemakers will make some noise, and we'll say "hey" to 2023 when Dec. 31 officially wraps. NYELA at Grand Park, "the West Coast's largest free New Year's Eve event," is a boisterously big bash, with its famous City Hall light show. Seeking sweet outings with the tots? LA Zoo's "Animals Aglow" spectacular is throwing a Family New Year's Eve, Winter Fest OC will offer two countdowns, and Discovery Cube in Los Angeles will do a Noon Year's Eve balloon drop. (Rain may impact NYE events; check before attending.)
Rose Parade: The cheery and aspirational theme of the 134th annual parade is definitely a bright one — "Turning the Corner" — but it also says exactly what the celebrated procession does: The famous floats turn the corner from Orange Grove Boulevard onto Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. But wait: This will all be happening on Jan. 2, not Jan. 1, in 2023, as the Rose Parade never happens on a Sunday. Sitting in the stands is a ticketed affair, but there are several spots to see the spectacular along the way for free.
More Rosy Joy: The big parade isn't the only main draw over the holiday weekend; Bandfest presented by REMO will be breaking out the brassy notes at Pasadena City College on Dec. 30 and 31. And Floatfest, the follow-up to the parade, begins on the afternoon of Jan. 2 near where the parade concludes (this is also ticketed, so secure your entry soon). And yep: You'll get a close-up look at the colossal, flower-covered conveyances at the Rose Parade's last event, which also takes place on Jan. 3.
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Oshogatsu Festival: Welcome 2023 in Little Tokyo with this spirited celebration, one that looks ahead to all of the auspicious and joyful moments soon to come. The sweet daytime to-do, which takes place on New Year's Day, will "... feature traditional Japanese food, entertainment and cultural activities such as mochitsuki, a kimono fashion show, shamisen show, Kompo" and other lively offerings. It's free to join, too; just make for Weller Court and Japanese Village Plaza.
Christmas Fun, After Christmas: The theme parks, from Disneyland to Knott's Berry Farm, are keeping the fa, la, la look super-glittery, even days after the yuletide has officially concluded, and Universal Studio Hollywood's gleefully Grinchy ways? The scene will stay green through Jan. 1. Look also to SkyPark at Santa's Village, which will stay in full North Pole mode through Jan. 8. Lights around town are also still aglow, with spots like Descanso Gardens and LA Arboretum fully atwinkle at night; advance tickets are a must.
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