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Christmas time brings family together and brightens hearth and home with festive décor. Your Seabright home in sunny Costa Mesa, California, grants you all those perks without any of the hassles of winter storms or shoveling snow that you get back East or in the Midwest. If you want to know where to find the holiday spirit near you, check out these Orange County suggestions. 

Holiday Display

You’ll find plenty of homes decorated in Christmas finery to admire and inspire. But if you want to visit a 48-year-old tradition that attracts about 80,000 visitors a year, check out the Snoopy House display starting December 12 from 5 to 9 PM nightly until Christmas Day. This free holiday happening was once part of the Jordan family home and was in danger of disappearing when the house was foreclosed in 2011. The City of Costa Mesa stepped in to move the spectacle to Costa Mesa City Hall at 77 Fair Drive. You can see numerous scenes featuring the Peanuts characters, ride a train, and even buy food and drink. 

A Christmas Carol

Travel to Dickensian London for the 36th annual production of “A Christmas Carol,” at South Coast Repertory. Hal Landon reprises his role as the crotchety Ebenezer Scrooge nightly until December 27, with two performances on Saturdays and Sundays, including matinees.

Magic Trees

After Thanksgiving, Christmas tree farms sprout all over Orange County like mushrooms after a rain, hoping to attract your dollar with blow-up candy canes, live pony rides, plastic elf decorations, and moving Santa displays. If all you’re after is a large and well-priced selection of holiday greenery, then head for Magic Trees, which is also known as OC Fairground Trees, or Arlington and Fair Trees. Located near the Costa Mesa Fairgrounds and open from 9 AM to 9 PM every day, this Orange County staple features trees and other Christmas greenery without any of the typical distractions. You’ll find rows and rows of Douglas and Noble Firs, disposable stands, and flocking. Don’t be afraid to ask the guys there for help in finding, trimming, and loading your perfect living room centerpiece.

Newport Beach Boat Parade

For another free celebration of holiday lights, head next door to Newport Beach for its annual Christmas Boat Parade, which is happening from December 16 to 20. The convoy begins around 6:30 p.m. at Collins Island and continues for about three or more hours with over 250 watercraft participating. Homes and businesses along the route typically compete in the Ring of Lights decorating contest adding more sparkle to the festivities. You can even become part of the water retinue by buying space on the cruises offered by Newport Landing. 

Seeing Santa

Nearly every mall offers their version of sitting on Santa’s lap. But one of the best is at South Coast Plaza. The holiday environment makes waiting in line for the eventual visit worthwhile. Animals on the Merry-Go-Round become Santa’s reindeer and animated scenes of elfin life occupy the homes that surround Santa’s village. The highlight is the two-story Christmas mountain, which is ringed by railroad tracks on which trains of various scales ply their routes.

If you want to know more about filling your Seabright home with the Christmas spirit or want to tour our models, please contact us.