By Sabah Karimi
November is a great month to travel to Southern California, because temperatures are mild and the cities throughout the region are busy preparing for the holiday season ahead. You'll find a number of turkey trots, Thanksgiving parades and other festive events taking place throughout the area, so there's always something to see and do on your visit. Whether you're visiting Newport
beach, Corona Del Mar or Laguna Beach in November, you can celebrate the mild winter season by taking part in a number of exciting events and activities.
Turkey Trot at the Dana Point Marina
The annual Turkey Trot usually takes place the day before Thanksgiving and is California's largest Thanksgiving running event. You can watch the runners make their way around one of the most scenic running routes in Southern California; the route wraps around the majestic cliffs of Dana Point, and passes through Doheny State Park and the pilgrim ship at Dana Point Harbor.
Turkey Trot
Dana Point Marina
Race Hotline: (949) 496-1555
Sawdust Winter Fantasy
Head to the Sawdust festival grounds during any weekend in November to see the beautiful winter wonderland where local crafters and artists display and sell their work. You can shop for Christmas gifts and trinkets, take part in a wreath-making class, or enjoy a live performance by carolers and choir singers from the local community.
Sawdust Winter Fantasy
935 Laguna Canyon Road
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 494-3030
Tree Lighting on Fashion Island
Kick off the holiday season with the famous tree-lighting ceremony that takes place at Fashion Island every year. The tree is covered with over 17,000 lights, and other highlights of the event include the arrival of Santa Claus, carolers and singers, and live entertainment. The tree-lighting ceremony typically takes place in the Bloomingdale's courtyard.
Fashion Island
401 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 721-2000
Los Angeles International Tamales Festival
Take part in an annual tradition in downtown Los Angeles at the International Tamales Festival. This event features a tamale eating contest, cooking demonstrations, arts-and-crafts booth, and the official tamale cook-off. Be prepared to eat and snack on all sorts of flavors of tamales, and pick up some souvenirs made by local crafters and artists.
International Tamale Festival
Los Angeles State Historic Park
1245 N. Spring St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 620-6152
Disneyland Christmas Fantasy
Head to the Disneyland resort to see the entire park aglow with Christmas lights and holiday decorations, and enjoy the countdown to Christmas with Mickey and the gang. You can stay until sundown to watch the parade and special holiday-themed fireworks show, and see the 60-foot Christmas tree on Main Street USA.
Disneyland Resort
1313 S Harbor Blvd.
Anaheim, CA 92802
(714) 520-5060
About the Author:
Sabah Karimi is a professional web and print copywriter with an educational background in Business Administration and Marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. She writes in several niches including travel, fashion, beauty, health, fitness, lifestyle and small business. Karimi received a Top Content Creator Award from Demand Studios in 2009.
