Caruso's *Holiday* OC Happenings!

NORTH COUNTY





ANAHEIM

TOMORROW Saturday, December 3, 2011 from 10am-7pm is the annual Nutcracker Festival! The Holiday Street Fair held at the Center Street Promenade. The celebration includes a tree lighting ceremony, snow area, free craft activities and train rides for children, entertainment, food and a visit from some special guests. The event is sponsored by the Downtown Anaheim Merchants Association, the Nutcracker Holiday Committee, the City of Anaheim and the Anaheim Community Foundation. For more information you can call 714-956-3586.

BREA

Coming up Thursday, December 8, 2011 at 6:30pm is the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony! Light up your holiday season as the Brea Civic & Cultural Center turns on the lights for its holiday tree at the traditional Tree Lighting ceremony. The front steps of the Civic & Cultural Center are the setting for festivities, which include musical performances and the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus. KOST 103.5 will be broadcasting live holiday music and giving away prizes before and after the ceremony. Musical performances include the Country Hills Cougar Choir, The Singing Pastors and The Darden Family. Cookies and hot chocolate will be served and there will also be optional photos with Santa for only $5 for a 5x7. For more information you can call (714) 990-7771.



BUENA PARK

TOMORROW Saturday, December 3, 2011 is the annual Candy Caneland & Craft Faire! A community holiday carnival that includes food and game booths sponsored by local non-profit groups, entertainment, petting zoo, a “real snow” hill, Santa and more! This annual carnival attracts several thousand people each year. For more information you can call (714) 236-3860.

CYPRESS

Coming up Friday, December 16, 2011 from 11am-12:30pm is the annual Holiday Celebration! Get in the holiday spirit and celebrate with musical entertainment by Global Affair, fun and a visit from Santa. Tickets are $5.00 per person and are available at the reception desk until sold out. Tickets include lunch and festivities. Souvenir photos are available for $1.00

FULLERTON

TOMORROW Saturday, December 3, 2011 from 12-5:30 pm is the Winter Market and Tree Lighting. Come enjoy the entertainment, take free pictures with Santa from 12 to 4 p.m., grab a bite to eat, do some holiday shopping, visit the beer and wine garden, and be a part of the tree lighting ceremony at 5 p.m. Free parking is available in surrounding streets and parking structures. Craft vendors, food vendors, businesses, non-profits and commercial vendors are invited to participate as vendors. ALSO coming up December 31, 2011 from 7pm- midnight is the First Night in Fullerton. Check out the fun at First Night, the City of Fullerton's annual alcohol-free New Year’s Eve celebration of the arts. The event is FREE and includes a full line-up of live entertainment and activities. The event primarily takes place at varying locations between Harbor Blvd. on the west and Pomona Ave. on the east in historic downtown Fullerton.

GARDEN GROVE

Coming up December 6, 2011 from 6:30-8:30 is the annual Tree Lighting Celebration! Kick-off the season with neighbors, friends, and family at the Annual Tree Lighting Celebration. This is a family-friendly holiday event at the Village Green/Clock Tower on the corner of Euclid and Main. For more information you can call (714) 741-5280. ALSO Winterfest 2011 is coming up! Atlantis Play Center is transformed into a frosty fantasyland for the Family WinterFest. Activities include the popular snow hill, holiday arts and crafts, bounce houses, and trips around the park on the Polar Express train. Santa and Mrs. Claus will make a special visit and stop for photos. Food will be available for purchase. For more information you can call (714) 741-5200.
LA HABRA

Nothing to report

LA PALMA

Coming up Wednesday, December 7, 2011 is the Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony! Crafts & visits with Santa start at 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. & the ceremony is from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. Join your friends and family for this annual holiday favorite. Every year this event brings the La Palma community together to ring in the holiday season! Enjoy the musical talents from our local schools and join in during the Community Carol Sing Along. Join Santa and his elves in the activities area before the event. This area features crafts, an opportunity to write a letter to Santa, and of course, the young and young-at-heart won’t want to miss an early visit from Santa Claus! For more information you can call (714) 690-3350.

PLACENTIA

Nothing to report

STANTON
Nothing to report
WESTMINSTER

Coming up is The Rose Theater Christmas Concert. Sacred and Secular Songs of the Season performed by Huntington Beach Concert Band! Enjoy beautiful holiday music favorites for all ages - a fine Huntington Beach tradition! For more information you can call 714-793-1150.

YORBA LINDA

Nothing to report

CENTRAL COUNTY



COSTA MESA

NOW through December 24, 2011 presented by South Coast Repertory is A Christmas Carol. Nineteenth-century London comes to life when your family joins the SCR family for the holidays. Recapture the spirit of an old-fashioned Christmas with this timeless Dickens classic and all your favorite characters—Tiny Tim and the Cratchit family, the Fezziwigs, the Ghosts of Christmas past, present and yet-to-come—and, as always, Hal Landon Jr. as everyone's favorite curmudgeon, Ebenezer Scrooge. For more information you can call (714) 708-5555.

FOUNTAIN VALLEY

TOMORROWSaturday, December 3, 2011 from 4:30pm-8:30pm is the annual 2011 Tree Lighting Ceremony (Fountain Valley Recreation Center and Sports Park!). The event will feature live entertainment, pictures with Santa, games, crafts, cookie decorating, food vendors, a firework show, and much more! For more information you can call 714-839-8611.

HUNTINGTON BEACH

December 16-23, 2011 is the annual Cruise of Lights! Take a narrated cruise through the waterways of Huntington Harbour to see the holiday lighted homes and decorations in this annual event. Park in the Huntington Harbour Mall lot (corner of Algonquin and Saybrook) and get on the designated buses that travel a short distance to the boat launch area. For advanced ticket purchase you can call (714) 840-7542. Also coming December 16 - 24, 2011 is the annual Nutcracker Ballet! This traditional, delightful Christmas ballet is presented in its original, full-length version for your holiday enjoyment. The event takes place at the Golden West College Main stage Theater. For more information you can call 714-895-8150.

IRVINE

TOMORROW Saturday, December 3, 2011 is the Annual Home for the Holidays Pet Adoption Fair! This fun event will give Orange County families the opportunity to make a homeless animal part of their loving family - just in time for the holidays! This event will feature adoptable homeless animals from shelters all over California, vendors and services for attendees and their pets, a silent auction and opportunity drawing, low-cost microchips, Ask the Vet and Ask the Trainer advice, and lunch, snacks, baked goods and beverages will be available for purchase. Admission costs $1 and free parking will be available at the parking structure along Oak Canyon Road and handicapped parking will be available in the IACC’s parking lot. For more information you can call (949) 854-4646. ALSO coming up Saturday, December 10, 2011 from 11am-2pm is the LIFE Church Christmas Community Block Party!! Come by LIFE Church for an amazing FREE, fun-filled family event on December 10th from 11-2. From crafts, cookie decorating, face painting, sweet treats, bounce house and family pictures to caroling, even SNOW and meet Santa himself! We want to share this holiday season with our church family and the community! So come by, bring your friends and enjoy LIFE Church for a Christmas Community Block Party! Rain or shine! Indoor facilities available! For more information, contact Diana Duke dduke10@cox.net. And NOW OPEN the Ice Rink at the Spectrum! Enjoy outdoor skating rink at the Irvine Spectrum. Located right next to the Giant Wheel Court, adjacent to Nordstrom and Macy's. For more information you can call 949-456-6937. LOS ALAMITOS

Nothing to report

NEWPORT BEACH

Coming up Saturday, December 10, 2011 from 10 am - 11:30 am is the Grandkids Hike. Join ‘Inside the Outdoors’ for a morning with nature designed especially for toddlers and their grandparents! Touch the trees, smell the sages, watch and listen for wildlife. Everyone will use all of their senses to explore nature. Cost: $5 per person/ $25 per family* Advance registration required. For more information you can call (714) 708-3885.

ORANGE

December 2-4, 9-11, & 15-23, is the 15th Annual Christmas Train to Meet Santa Claus. Take an enchanting night ride through historic Irvine Regional Park to meet and have your picture taken with Santa Claus. In addition to riding the Irvine Park Railroad, activities include story time with Mrs. Claus, Christmas cookie decorating, a Santa Claus moon bounce, Christmas coloring corner, carnival games, picture stands and more. Hot food and snacks are available for purchase. The cost to ride the Christmas Train is $8.00 per person. Children younger than 24 months ride free. Prices for activities vary. For directions, costs and additional information or to purchase tickets, visit us online at www.irvineparkrailroad.com or you can call (714) 997-3968. ALSO Sunday, December 4, 2011 from 3:30 - 7 pm is the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony & Candlelight Choir Processional! Tree Lighting and Candlelight Procession includes holiday music. Local non-profit groups also provide delicious food and youth activities for a nominal charge. For more information you can call the Special Events Hotline at 714-744-7278. AND coming up Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 7pm, Golden West Pops Christmas Concert - 'Twas the Night Before'! Come snuggle up with the Golden West Pops while we musically celebrate that magical "night before...." It will be a great night of nostalgia and fun in the comfort of the beautiful auditorium at the Sisters of Saint Joseph Motherhouse in Orange, California. This is a perfect evening for the whole family. Admission: $10.00.





SANTA ANA

Next weekend, December 11, 2011 from 12-4pm is the annual Irish Holiday Festival. The holiday season sparkles with Irish culture in a day filled with music, storytelling, dance, art, hand-made Irish quilts and stockings, Irish Christmas cakes, pudding and more! Held in our lovely outdoor Key Courtyard, this festive celebration will allow you shop for the holidays from unique vendors who specialize in quality handcrafted goods. Member $10 / Non-member $15/ Festival admission is free. For more information you can call (714) 567-3679. ALSO NOW through January 1, 2012 the Discovery Science Center Presents: Science of Gingerbread. Inside the kitchen, much more is going on than pouring and mixing – it’s science at work! Discovery Science Center’s holiday festival is filled with festive activities designed to bring families together this holiday season. Don’t miss your chance to meet Santa Claus and decorate your own holiday cookies on select dates! Hands-On Holiday Fun: Hands-on kitchen science activities, Cookie decorating on select dates, Santa Claus visits on select dates, Award winning gingerbread display. For more information you can call 714-542-2823.

SEAL BEACH

TONIGHT December 2, 2011 is the Annual Holiday Parade from 7 - 10 pm. This is the 33rd Annual Christmas Parade of Seal Beach is along Main Street. There are bands representing schools from Marina, Ocean View, Los Alamitos and more. Boy Scouts and Girls Scout Troops from all over the area will be represented. The parade begins promptly at 7:00 pm along Main Street starting at Ocean Avenue and proceeding to PCH. Do some Christmas shopping and have cocktails and/or dinner before and after the parade. For more information you can call 562-799-0179.

TUSTIN

December 9, 2011 from 6-8pm is the annual Tree Lighting! The City of Tustin Parks and Recreation Department invites you to join in the holiday fun as they celebrate their Annual Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony. The evening will include photos with Santa and performances by Community Groups! For more information you can call 714-573-3326. ALSO coming up December 9-10, 2011 is the annual Holiday Boutique! The Holiday Boutique will be open for your holiday shopping needs located at Clifton C. Miller Community Center (City Hall) - 300 Centennial Way.



VILLA PARK

Sunday, December 11, 2011 is the Great Inland Boat Parade and Holiday Celebration! This fun filled event consists of a parade of Christmas decorated land yachts (anything from a small boat pulled by a car to a horse wagon!) followed by the annual tree lighting ceremony. The parade will begins at Villa Park High School at 18042 Taft Ave., ending about 6:30 p.m. in the Villa Park Shopping Center on Santiago Boulevard, where holiday festivities will continue. For more information you can call 714-998-1500.



South County



ALISO VIEJO

TOMORROW Saturday, December 3, 2011 from 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. is the annual Holiday Fun at Center Stage Studio! Unique holiday gift boutique, bake sale and family fun including photos with Santa, crafts for the kids, and face painting. Our Boutique will feature high-end vendors such as Pampered Chef, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Stella Dot bags & jewelry, Gigi Hill Bags, hand-made gifts, gourmet Olive Oil, Creative Memories, Arbonne, apparel, gift items and much more! Proceeds to support Center Stage Studio, a children's theater and dance education program. There is free admission and parking. Call #949.305.9758 for further information.



DANA POINT

Coming up December 9-10 & December 16-17, 2011 starting at 7:30pm by the Water's Edge is the Annual Boat Parade of Lights! Boaters from all around Orange County decorate their boats and vie for awards. You can view the parade free from anywhere in the Harbor, or make reservations at one of our restaurants to view it from a cozy and warm spot. Come on down and enjoy the sights and sounds of the season. ** Dana Wharf Sportfishing offers boat rides so you too can experience the fun of actually riding on a boat and joining in the parade. Reservations can be made at www.danawharf.com. Call and make your reservations at (949) 496-5794. For more information or a boat or sponsor entry form call THE Harbor Info line at (949) 923-2255. Also coming up Saturday, December 10, 2011 from 12-7pm is the annual Winter Festival. The event includes Cookie Decorating, Santa’s Reindeer, Holiday Craft Fair, Carnival Games, Children’s Petting Zoo, Real Snow Play Area, Tree Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Movie in the park. For more information you can call (949) 248-3530

LAGUNA HILLS

NOW through December 31, 2011 from 5pm-midnight located at 25473 Nellie Gail Road is the Orange County Christmas Lights. This free event is hosted nightly from 5pm to midnight from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve. Christmas Lights and Home Decorating show featuring over 100,000 lights dancing to festive music plus spectacular Department 56 snow village displays with hundreds of houses and giant hand sculpted mountains. Come for free apple cider and brownies while you enjoy the entertainment and tour our winter wonderland.

LADERA RANCH

Nothing to report

LAGUNA BEACH

NOW through December 11, 2011 is the annual Sawdust Winter Fantasy! This unique fair offers shoppers the opportunity to purchase unique artisan crafts from various local artists. Includes live entertainment, hands-on art projects and picture-perfect moments, the Sawdust Art Festival's Winter Fantasy will become your family's holiday tradition. General Admission: $6.00 Adults, $3.00 children 6-12, $9.00 Season pass. For more information you can call 949-494-3030.

read moreLAGUNA NIGUEL

It’s already that time again! Coming up December 10, 2011 at 10:00am is the annual Laguna Niguel Holiday Parade! The theme for the 2011 parade - 'Magical Holidays' and Earvin "Magic" Johnson as the Grand Marshal! Event features marching ands, equestrian units, classic auto clubs, youth groups, civic groups, schools, local dignitaries and, of course, Santa.

LAKE FOREST

Nothing to report

MISSION VIEJO

Nothing to report

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA

Nothing to report





SAN CLEMENTE

Coming up Saturday, December 17, 2011 from 10-11am is the FAM Christmas Toy Drive & Annual Adopt-A-Family Gift Program. Join the family Assistance Ministries for this wonderful Christmas event. Presents will be handed out to needy children of the community and lunch will be served. If you are interested in donating gifts please call the Family Assistance Ministries at 492-8477

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

TOMORROW Saturday, December 3, 2011 from 4-9pm Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony! Join the City of San Juan Capistrano as we begin the holiday season with the annual "Tree Lighting Ceremony" activities at Historic Town Center Park, 31852 El Camino Real Street at 4 pm. The event includes a stage performance featuring students from the Musical Theater University of Laguna Beach. San Juan Hills and Capistrano Valley High School's orchestras will provide the preprogram entertainment. The official lighting of the Christmas Tree takes place at 5:45 p.m. after which many other events and activities will take place throughout the downtown area. Mission San Juan welcomes visitors for a nominal fee and will have lots of fun things to do inside the Mission grounds. ZOOMARS will have a petting zoo, tractor pull, hay ride, train ride, as well as other activities, also for a nominal fee. A "free" train ride will take place at Los Rios Park compliments of the City of San Juan Capistrano. Face painting, strolling entertainment, and crafts will be featured at various locations throughout downtown. For more information you can call
949-493-5911.









*As seen in orangecounty.net & ocregister.com



And thank you for making me Your Orange County Real Estate Connection.

www.MichaelCarusoRealEstate.com

Best regards,

Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CLHMS CRB CRS GREEN GRI

Past President, Orange County Association of Realtors (949) 753-7900