HOLIDAY FIELD GUIDE / LOS ANGELES
A downtown afternoon and a garden after dark
TWO DAYS / SELF-GUIDED
THE WEEKEND
I would give Los Angeles one day downtown and one evening in the foothills. Keep the beach, Hollywood and lights across the county for another trip. A good weekend here starts with deciding how much driving you want to do.
DAY 1 / LOS ANGELES
Grand Central Market → The Last Bookstore, Downtown → Pershing Square Holiday Ice Rink
Start with an early lunch.
Aim for late morning at 317 S. Broadway. Walk through before ordering, especially with a group. La Sandunga is chef Michael Robles’s Oaxacan counter, serving dishes such as tlayuda and mole rojo. Check the day’s menu and order what appeals.
There is no need to queue for a famous stall simply because everybody else has.
Leave time for a bookstore.
Continue to 453 S. Spring Street at Fifth and Spring. Choose the Downtown location in directions; there are other branches. Browse books and records rather than making this only a photo stop.
Official pages disagree on some opening hours, but both include Saturday afternoon. Confirm if visiting early or late.
Skate near dusk, if you like.
Walk west from the bookstore. Choose a session and leave time to collect skates. The rink runs November 12, 2026–January 3, 2027, with one-hour sessions. Weekend hours are noon–10 p.m.; admission with rental is $23.32.
Prefer to watch? Skip the skating purchase and keep it short. These stops make one compact downtown outing. Metro’s B and D lines serve Pershing Square, so you need not move a car between them.
DAY 2 / LOS ANGELES
Farmhouse at Descanso → Descanso Gardens: Enchanted Forest of Light
Head toward the gardens in daylight.
Descanso is at 1418 Descanso Drive in La Cañada Flintridge, a separate trip from downtown. Allow for traffic when arranging dinner and light-show entry; do not rely on a best-case driving time.
Farmhouse is at the same address. Its seasonal menu was developed with chef Rich Mead. Plan an early dinner with a comfortable gap before your light-show entry. Published restaurant hours are for fall; confirm winter service and both reservations before fixing your evening.
Notice what the artists made.
Enchanted runs November 22, 2026–January 9, 2027, 5:30–10 p.m., excluding Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The route is about a mile. Walk slowly: Tom Fruin’s illuminated houses move to the Oak Grove this year; HYBYCOZO’s geometric sculptures are by Los Angeles artists Serge Beaulieu and Yelena Filipchuk.
December 2–6 also brings a local craftspeople’s holiday market to the gardens. Leave space for it rather than booking the last entry and hurrying.
Dates and practical details ↗The artists ↗Enchanted and holiday market ↗
MAKE IT YOURS
Prefer a concert? December 19 has an LA Phil Holiday Sing-Along at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Choose a performance from the official ticket calendar. Keep that day downtown and Descanso on the other day. You will miss the December 2–6 maker market. Tickets: Official concert and tickets ↗
With young children: replace the leisurely dinner with an earlier meal and choose early Enchanted entry. The route accommodates strollers; allow for an outdoor walk after dark.
Staying on the west side? Choose the day you most want instead of adding both to a full beach weekend.
Book Enchanted first, then coordinate dinner. Non-member adult admission is $29–$52 depending on date and entry time. Parking is free and first-come, first-served. Tickets cannot be refunded or rescheduled; the event runs rain or shine. Dinner is separate and evening tickets do not include daytime garden entry. Bring a warm layer.
TAKE THE PLAN WITH YOU
Save the stops and notes for your day out. Choose one day, or add both on back-to-back dates.
USEFUL DETAILS
Details checked November 5, 2026. Check the linked organizers before setting out: schedules, prices and availability can change. All times are local. Tickets and reservations are separate.
Descanso’s pages disagree about admission for two-year-olds. Check the age categories at checkout before buying children’s tickets.
Confirm Farmhouse’s winter hours and The Last Bookstore’s hours directly; published hours may differ.
Prices are public prices, not held quotes. Suggested pacing does not guarantee weather, crowds or availability. Check the linked sources before booking.
Self-guided suggestions. No bookings are made by downloading this guide.
NewtonCourt · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP; no crop. This version is shared under the same license.
