Christmas carnivals in Hollywood.
A Christmas carnival is a carnival midway where every piece wears the season: striped booths in red-and-white and green-and-white, string lights, games that pay out prizes, a candy-cane balloon arch and a Santa and Mrs. Claus station. This page on christmas carnivals in Hollywood is for neighborhood groups, churches and schools in a dense part of Los Angeles, where the main planning questions are the site, the reservation and how a midway fits a tight footprint.
The sites named for Hollywood are the Hollywood Recreation Center, Barnsdall Art Park, Runyon Canyon Park, Lake Hollywood Park and De Longpre Park. Schools here belong to the Los Angeles Unified School District. For every site, the host confirms space and dates with the venue or the city.
For Christmas carnivals around Los Angeles County, Carnival Fun Experts brings the striped booths, the prize games, the concession stands, the balloon arch and the Santa and Mrs. Claus station.
A holiday midway on a city footprint in Hollywood.
City sites call for a flexible layout. The midway can run as a straight row, a loop or an L, with the balloon arch at the entrance carrying candy canes, peppermint balloons and gingerbread figures. Booths alternate red-and-white and green-and-white stripes, candy-cane signs mark each game, and candy-cane skins finish the game fronts. Guests collect prizes as they go from one booth to the next, and the layout leaves a clear walkway between the rows.
The concession stands offer churros, pretzels, popcorn, cotton candy, nachos, snow cones and caramel apples. Families can step into the walk-in snow globe inflatable for photos, and nothing falls inside it. Booth trim and props can carry a snow-flocked look, which is a static finish. Santa and Mrs. Claus take the photo-op station, and in the early December dusk the string lights over the booths set the mood.
What's typically included.
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Holiday-striped booths.
Red-and-white and green-and-white booths hung with warm string lights and candy-cane signs, counted to the space you confirm and the crowd you expect.
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Prize games.
Ring toss, bottle ring, milk can toss, bean toss, hoop shot and balloon dart, each paying out prizes.
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Candy-cane skins.
Holiday fronts on the game booths, so the midway looks like Christmas from the walkway.
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Balloon arch.
An entrance arch with candy canes, peppermint and gingerbread, which also works as a photo backdrop.
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Concession booths.
Seven concession items, from churros to caramel apples, served at booths built around one, two or three machines.
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Santa station.
Santa and Mrs. Claus pose at their photo-op station, and the snow globe inflatable gives families a second place for pictures.
Typical timeline for Christmas carnivals in Hollywood.
- 1
Contact the site
Ask the venue or the City of Los Angeles about the date and what an outside vendor must file.
- 2
Size the midway
Tell Carnival Fun Experts the guest count and the footprint, then choose booths and stands. A 50% deposit holds the date.
- 3
Fix the layout
Place the arch, the Santa line and the power. For the file the venue wants, Carnival Fun Experts provides the certificate of insurance or the paperwork a permit asks for.
- 4
Carnival evening
Booths open at the start time, string lights come on at dusk, and the equipment leaves after closing.
Specifics for Hollywood.
- Recreation center: The Hollywood Recreation Center is the named center for the area. The host asks whether a midway can use its grounds on the chosen date.
- Parks: Barnsdall Art Park, Runyon Canyon Park, Lake Hollywood Park and De Longpre Park are also named. Each has its own rules, and the host asks the venue or city whether a carnival can be held.
- Schools: Los Angeles Unified School District runs the public schools, so a campus carnival before winter break follows the principal's approval and the district calendar.
- Cost bands: A block-party or HOA carnival costs about $4,000 to $10,000. A company party costs $10,000 to $25,000, and a multi-department event costs $25,000 to $40,000 or more. Churches can start from about $2,000, while the smallest custom event is priced near $1,500.
- Power: When venue power cannot carry the string lights and concession machines, Carnival Fun Experts runs a generator for its own equipment.
- Host handles: Beverages, meals, seating, canopies beyond the booths, any heating, the tree for a lighting and any other vendors fall to the host.
Hollywood, CA.
ZIPs: 90028 · 90038 · 90068
Carnival Fun Experts delivers Christmas carnivals throughout Hollywood and the surrounding Los Angeles County area. Pin shows the city center; we cover every ZIP listed above.
Common questions.
Can a midway fit a tight urban site?
Yes. A short row or an L of booths fits a tight footprint, and the host confirms with the venue or the city how much ground is available.
Do park sites require a reservation?
The host asks the venue or the city. Reservation and vendor rules differ by site, and Carnival Fun Experts provides the paperwork a permit asks for.
Is the snow globe interactive?
Guests can walk into it for photos, but it is a prop only, and nothing falls inside the globe.
How do school calendars matter?
A school carnival has to fit the Los Angeles Unified School District calendar and the principal's approval, so the committee picks a date before winter break.
Can a lighting ceremony share the evening?
Yes. The host supplies the tree and leads the ceremony, and the booths and the Santa line operate around it.
What is the entry price?
A small custom event is priced from around $1,500, and a church event from about $2,000.
About this guide.
This local guide to christmas carnivals in Hollywood was compiled by Carnival Fun Experts, the Los Angeles County operation of My Little Carnival, producers of school carnivals, corporate events, and holiday fests across Southern California.
Helpful local references: Los Angeles Unified School District · City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks
Christmas Carnivals in nearby cities.
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