The 13th annual MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach Winter Wonderland presented by Southland Credit Union and Universal Waste Systems (UWS) event occurred on December 7. The City of Los Alamitos Recreation and Community Services Department organized this spectacular event with support from MemorialCare Miller Children’s Women’s Hospital Long Beach as the Title Sponsor and Universal Waste Systems as the Presenting Sponsor. The event was on Pine Street between Katella Avenue and Florista Street. This has been a central location for many of the City’s events over the years. Like last year, additional activities were featured in the neighboring US Bank and CIF parking lots as well as St Isidore Historical Plaza.
This year’s event welcomed over 7,000 attendees, bringing together families and friends to celebrate the holiday season with a variety of offerings for all ages. The free event offered a full lineup of stage performances, a snow play area sponsored by UWS, an ice-skating rink sponsored by Southland Credit Union, a Beverage Garden benefitting the Los Alamitos Community Foundation, food vendors, informational booths, inflatables, a train ride, a sensory calming zone, Santa’s Village, photo backdrops, and a Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
This event is made possible by the generosity of the following sponsors:
Title Sponsor:
• MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach
Presenting Sponsor (Free Snow Play Area):
• Universal Waste Systems
Presenting Sponsor (Free Ice-Skating Rink):
• Southland Credit Union
Silver Sponsor
• US Bank
• Woodruff Law & Smart APC
Community Sponsors:
• UCI Health – Los Alamitos
• McDonald’s
• Ganahl Lumber
• Los Altos Modern Dentistry
27 vendors lined the streets, including non-profits, local businesses, and eight food vendors.
Non-profit Organizations:
• Children’s Burn Foundation
• Kiwanis Club of Los Alamitos
• Precious Life Animal Sanctuary
• Bethlehem Lutheran Church
• Gather Church
• Neighborhood Church
• Orange County Fire Authority
• Precious Life Shelter
Food Vendors:
• Domino’s Pizza
• Tatay Ry’s
• Kona Ice of Cypress
• Mexico Lindo
• Coda’s Kettle Korn
• Scooter’s Italian Ice
• Kiwanis
• Seal Beach Coffee Co.
Limited public parking was available at the event site, with additional free parking at the UCI Health – Los Alamitos Parking Structure. Upon arrival, attendees were greeted by the massive, towering “Winter Wonderland” light display at the center of the street. Early visitors took the opportunity to snap a few photos in front of the lights before the streets were filled with people. However, returning visitors quickly made their way straight to the extremely popular free ice skating rink to claim their reservation slot. The ice rink was sponsored by Southland Credit Union and offered multiple free reservation slots every 20 minutes until all slots were exhausted. Adjacent to the ice rink was the free snow play area sponsored by Universal Waste Systems. This area offered children the opportunity to build their very own snowman or take a sled down the snow filled parking lot.
Those arriving from the UCI Health – Los Alamitos parking structure on Katella Avenue were greeted by the festive atmosphere at St. Isidore Historical Plaza, transformed into Santa’s Village, complete with photo opportunities with Santa Claus and the Grinch. Free inflatables were also available next to Santa’s Village for parents looking to help their children expend their seemingly endless energy. In the same area, a room served as the Sensory Calming Activity Area for a closed-off experience for children who needed breaks from the highly stimulating event.
A festive walkway connected St Isidore Historical Plaza to the event stage at the end of Pine St. In between sat the U.S. Bank parking lot, which served as a makeshift train station for the train ride that looped through two light-up tunnels and dropped guests off at Santa’s Village. The event stage was the main attraction for many parents which hosted a variety of talented local performers, including school performing groups from the Los Alamitos Unified School District, dance troupes, and community groups providing non-stop entertainment throughout the evening. A standout moment was the annual tree lighting with this year’s countdown led by Mayor Jordan Nefulda. The lighting of the 24-foot tree illuminated the night sky and reinvigorated the crowd with holiday cheer as they sang along with the Rossmoor Royal Choir onstage.
Performance Groups
• Lil’ Oak Preschool Program
• Impact Dance Center
• Lee Elementary School Choir
• Rossmoor Royal Choir
• Onstage Dance Center
• Hopkinson Elementary Choir
• MyArt’s Showcase Troupe
• Weaver Wailers
• Soca Arts
• The Company Kids Orange County Song and Dance
• Oak Middle School Jazz Band
For adults seeking a moment of relaxation, the Beverage Garden offered a cozy spot to enjoy adult beverages and take a short break before returning to the exciting activities. Proceeds from the Beverage Garden benefit the Los Alamitos Community Foundation, which helps support and enhance City of Los Alamitos programs and services to enrich the lives of people in Los Alamitos.
Winter Wonderland continues the annual holiday tradition of creating memorable experiences for the Los Alamitos community with its wide array of activities, delicious food, and festive spirit. The City of Los Alamitos Recreation and Community Services
Department closed out the year with a resounding success and looks forward to delivering impactful experiences for residents and the surrounding community in 2025.
For more information about upcoming events and programs, please visit www.cityoflosalamitos.org/recreation or contact the Recreation and Community Services Department at (562) 430 – 1073.