Best Things to Do in SoCal This Week: December 22-28, 2025
A 3D Movie Experience
Join The Academy Museum for 3D-CEMBER Opening Day, an immersive cinema experience. Showcasing the museum’s state-of-the-art Dolby 3D projection system, this series dives into cinema’s past and future with eye-popping 3D screenings. Experience Jaws 3-D (1983) after the museum’s blockbuster Jaws: The Exhibition. A rare treat for cinephiles of all ages, 3D glasses are provided along with museum admission.
6067 Wilshire Boulevard
Impressionism to impress
Collecting Impressionism at LACMA invites visitors to discover how Impressionism came to define museums in the United States and why. Tracing LACMA’s growth in tandem with Los Angeles, the show connects early American and California Impressionist works with major Degas and Pissarro gifts from Hollywood collectors, revealing how taste, power, and cultural ambition shaped the collection. Smart and accessible, the exhibit encourages audiences to see LACMA not just as a gallery of great art, but as a living record of changing values.
5905 Wilshire Boulevard
All aboard for one last ride with Santa
End the holiday season with the Irvine Park Railroad Christmas Train on its festive closing night. This beloved Southern California tradition invites families to climb aboard an enchanting nighttime ride through historic Irvine Regional Park, where twinkling lights, seasonal scenery, and classic holiday cheer set the mood. The journey culminates with a visit from Santa Claus himself, perfect for last-minute wishes and photo opportunities.
1 Irvine Park Rd
One stage, countless cultures
A true Los Angeles tradition returns with the 66th Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration at The Music Center. An exuberant, three-hour showcase that captures the sound and spirit of the city, this beloved event brings together more than 20 local choirs, music ensembles, and dance companies for Southern California’s largest holiday performance. The celebration is also broadcast and streamed on PBS SoCal, turning a downtown stage into a shared holiday moment for the entire region.
135 N Grand Ave
Shoot your eye out
Close out the holiday season with a dose of nostalgia as Canyon Theatre Guild wraps its run of A Christmas Story. Adapted from Jean Shepherd’s beloved memoir, this stage version brings 1940s Midwestern Christmas chaos to life through the eyes of 9-year-old Ralphie Parker and his relentless quest for a Red Ryder BB gun despite everyone’s warning that he’ll “shoot his eye out.” From the infamous leg lamp and Santa at Higbee’s, every iconic moment from the classic film makes an appearance.
24242 Main St