Redondo Beach's Holidays Come Down to One Saturday on the Water and One Thursday in Riviera Village

Redondo Beach's two biggest public holiday dates this year are Thursday, December 3, in Riviera Village and Saturday, December 12, at the waterfront. The December 12 schedule is the fuller one. Between early afternoon and late evening it has a free pier celebration, a paddle-craft parade, the King Harbor Holiday Boat Parade and two performances of a Nutcracker. Most of it happens around a harbor that has been a federal work site since June.

That work matters more than it might seem, because the place the parade organizers recommend for watching the boats is right next to it.

December 12 Has Seven Events Between 1 p.m. and Evening

The King Harbor Holiday Boat Parade is set for Saturday, December 12, 2026. King Harbor Yacht Club organizes it, and this year's theme is "Celebrating 250 Years – USA Salute!" The Redondo Pier Association has its free holiday celebration on the same afternoon. The Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center has two shows of Debbie Allen's Hot Chocolate Nutcracker that day, part of a run from December 10 to 13.

Here is the full day:

The times fit together closely. The pier concert ends at 4 p.m., while the paddle parade is already underway. The paddle parade ends half an hour before the lit boats start. A family could spend the afternoon at Fisherman's Wharf and walk over to the harbor without much of a wait. Someone with a 2 p.m. Nutcracker ticket could reach the harbor for the boats, and someone holding 7:30 p.m. tickets would leave around the time the boat parade ends.

On the parade site, the paddle portion appears as the Ugly Sweater Paddle Parade. The Redondo Pier Association's 2026 flyer says all pier events are free, depend on the weather, and may change or be canceled without a new date.

The Best Viewing Spot Sits Beside the Breakwater Staging Area

The parade's 2026 event page lists two places to watch from, Moonstone Park and Mole D along the Splash Wall. It also says King Harbor Yacht Club is not open to the public for the event.

Moonstone Park is on Mole B, and Mole B has been the staging area for the breakwater repair since summer. In its breakwater update, the City of Redondo Beach said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would try to keep Moonstone Park open and let the Lanakila Outrigger Club keep operating. The city also said parking on Mole B could be reduced, because the spaces next to the park would be used for staging and support work.

Patch reported in September that the job is a $6.8 million repair. Federal inspections had found that damage to the breakwater was speeding up, and this is its first major repair since 1999. Crews from Connolly-Pacific are using a crane on a barge to lift and reset the existing armor stone. They are also adding new stones barged from Catalina Island, some weighing as much as 20 tons.

The city said the project is expected to finish in November 2026. It also said city and harbor groups shared their event calendars with the Army Corps. That kind of planning has worked before: the city said no construction was planned for July 3 through 5 so the Independence Day fireworks could go ahead. If the crane and barge are gone by December 12, parade night will be one of the first big evenings at Moonstone Park with the finished breakwater in the background. If staging is still going on, Mole B parking is likely to be tight, and Mole D along the Splash Wall is the other official viewing spot. The city also asks people to stay off the breakwall while work is underway.

The harbor has other projects underway. On September 15, the City Council voted to send a redesigned Phase 1 plan for Seaside Lagoon to the California Coastal Commission. Easy Reader reported that the city is aiming for approval in early 2027 and a reopening by the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Getting to the Harbor With Fewer Parking Spaces on Mole B

Most December 12 visitors will probably start at the pier lots. The Redondo Pier visitor page lists public parking in the north and south lots at $2.25 an hour. With the pier celebration starting at 1 p.m. and the boat parade ending at 7 p.m., that rate can add up for anyone who parks early and stays through the evening.

The same page links to Beach Cities Transit and Metro trip planners. Bus riders coming from the south should know about a recent change. Since October 5, adjustments to Beach Cities Transit Lines 102 and 109 have affected the southern stops between Redondo Beach Pier and Palos Verdes Boulevard at Via Valencia, according to the city's service notice. If you last rode those lines this summer, check the current schedule before December 12.

Nine Days Earlier, Catalina Avenue Closes to Cars

The Riviera Village Holiday Stroll is on Thursday, December 3, from 5 to 9 p.m. The Riviera Village Association says S. Catalina Avenue between Avenue I and S. Elena will be closed to cars, along with Avenue I between Catalina and S. Elena. Stores will stay open late, and the evening includes a maker market, a carousel, Santa and the Grinch.

Parking works differently from the waterfront. The association lists the triangle lot, metered street parking, a private garage at Plaza Riviera and the paid lot at Mira Mar Park. With Catalina closed, the blocks closest to the shops will fill up first, so the garage and Mira Mar Park are worth considering if you arrive after 5 p.m.

Taken together, the two dates use different parts of Redondo. The Stroll covers a few closed blocks of a shopping street on a weeknight. December 12 runs from early afternoon into the night and spreads from the pier to the harbor, with seven events across five start times.

The Weekly Schedule Continues Between the Two Dates

Redondo's regular weekly schedule continues through both dates. The city lists three farmers markets: Veterans Park on Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Riviera Village on Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and North Redondo on Wednesdays from 2 to 7 p.m. The Veterans Park market lands on the morning of the Stroll, so the same Thursday can include both.

North Redondo also has a new place to play this season. The city set Thursday, November 5, as the official opening of its first all-accessible play space at Franklin Park, 807 S Inglewood Avenue, with a ribbon-cutting at 3 p.m. The playground was built for children of all abilities. The city credits the LA Kings Foundation, the California Parks and Recreation Society and GameTime for supporting it.

The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker has performances at 7:30 p.m. on December 10 and 11, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on December 12, and at 2 p.m. on December 13. The Thursday and Friday shows are an option for anyone who wants to keep Saturday open for the harbor.

If you're making plans for December 12 and wondering what your own home near the harbor or in Riviera Village is worth this season, the team at Hirano Homes is glad to talk it through over coffee before parade day. Get Your Instant Home Valuation and start with a number based on your own block.