Christmas carnivals in Los Angeles.
A Christmas carnival is a carnival built around the holiday: striped booths in red and white or green and white under warm string lights, candy-cane signage on the games, a balloon arch at the gate, and a photo station where Santa and Mrs. Claus sit for pictures. This guide to christmas carnivals in Los Angeles covers who hosts them, where in a city this spread out they fit, and what Carnival Fun Experts puts on the ground when a group wants the whole thing rather than a single Santa visit.
Los Angeles has no single kind of host. A neighborhood association can ask for a December afternoon on a quiet street end, a church can plan an evening in its lot, and a campus in Los Angeles Unified School District can plan a carnival for the last week before winter break. City sites such as Griffith Park, Exposition Park, Gloria Molina Grand Park, Echo Park Lake and MacArthur Park are the public places a group might ask about, and each host confirms space and dates with the city.
Carnival Fun Experts builds the Christmas carnival itself, from the booth line to the Santa station, and leaves the venue paperwork to the host and the site.
What a Christmas midway looks like across Los Angeles.
At the gate, a red-and-white balloon arch wears candy canes, peppermint balloons and gingerbread figures. Past it sits a row of striped booths, each running a carnival game with candy-cane skins and prizes at the counter. String lights go across the booth line so the whole midway reads as one lit street once the sun drops. A parking lot, a school yard or a stretch of park lawn can each hold that shape, and a tight lot can take a loop instead of a long row.
For food, Carnival Fun Experts runs seven concessions: popcorn, cotton candy, churros, nachos, pretzels, snow cones and caramel apples. Half the quote, paid as a 50% deposit, holds the date. The snow globe inflatable is a walk-in photo prop with nothing falling inside it, and snow-flocked trim on props gives the set a white finish without anything wet or cold. The Santa station anchors one end, so the line for photos does not tangle with the game lines. On a campus, the midway can take a yard or a lot, depending on what the school office releases. In a Los Angeles park, a group can ask the city whether a lawn near the parking is open for the day.
What's typically included.
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Striped holiday booths.
Red-and-white and green-and-white booths with warm string lights overhead, in the number that suits the guest count.
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Carnival games and prizes.
Ring toss, bean toss, milk can toss and the rest of the booth games, dressed with candy-cane skins, with prizes for the counters.
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The holiday balloon arch.
Candy canes, peppermint and gingerbread on a balloon arch that frames the entrance or the Santa station.
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Seven concessions.
Seven food stations, from popcorn and churros to nachos and caramel apples, staffed by Carnival Fun Experts attendants.
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Santa photo-op station.
Santa and Mrs. Claus at a decorated station. Families can shoot on their own phones, or the host can bring in Carnival Fun Experts's photographer.
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Walk-in snow globe.
An inflatable snow globe families step into for pictures, plus snow-flocked finishing on trim and props.
Typical timeline for Christmas carnivals in Los Angeles.
- 1
Pick the date
Choose a day in the run-up to Christmas and tell Carnival Fun Experts the guest count, the kind of site and whether Santa is part of it.
- 2
Settle the site
The host confirms the space with the school office, church, association or city, and Carnival Fun Experts provides the certificate of insurance or the paperwork a permit asks for.
- 3
Lock the plan
Booth count, concessions and décor are fixed on the quote, and a 50% deposit holds the date.
- 4
Event day
Crew builds the midway, runs every booth and concession through the event window, and clears the site afterward.
Specifics for Los Angeles.
- School campuses: A site inside Los Angeles Unified School District needs the school's own approval, so the host starts with the office before anything else.
- Park sites: Griffith Park, Exposition Park, Gloria Molina Grand Park, Echo Park Lake and MacArthur Park are public sites. A group asks the city about availability and any permit for equipment.
- Cost bands: Street-level and HOA events sit in the $4,000 to $10,000 range. A company party moves into $10,000 to $25,000, a church event can start from about $2,000, and a sprawling multi-department event can reach $25,000 to $40,000 or more.
- Smallest event: For a very small custom Christmas event, quotes begin near $1,500.
- Power: Carnival Fun Experts can run a generator for its own equipment when the venue's power falls short.
- What the host covers: Tables and chairs, any tent beyond the booths, heating, drinks and permits belong to the host or the venue.
Los Angeles, CA.
ZIPs: 90001 · 90002 · 90003 · 90004 · 90005 · 90006 · 90007 · 90008 · 90009 · 90010 · 90011 · 90012 · 90013 · 90014 · 90015 · 90016 · 90017 · 90018 · 90019 · 90020 · 90021 · 90022 · 90023 · 90024 · 90025 · 90026 · 90027 · 90028 · 90029 · 90030 · 90031 · 90032 · 90033 · 90034 · 90035 · 90036 · 90037 · 90038 · 90039 · 90040 · 90041 · 90042 · 90043 · 90044 · 90045 · 90046 · 90047 · 90048 · 90049 · 90050 · 90051 · 90052 · 90053 · 90054 · 90055 · 90056 · 90057 · 90058 · 90059 · 90060 · 90061 · 90062 · 90063 · 90064 · 90065 · 90066 · 90067 · 90068 · 90070 · 90071 · 90072 · 90073 · 90074 · 90075 · 90076 · 90077 · 90078 · 90079 · 90080 · 90081 · 90082 · 90083 · 90084 · 90086 · 90087 · 90088 · 90089 · 90091 · 90093 · 90095 · 90096 · 90099 · 90134 · 90189
Carnival Fun Experts delivers Christmas carnivals throughout Los Angeles and the surrounding Los Angeles County area. Pin shows the city center; we cover every ZIP listed above.
Common questions.
Which Los Angeles groups can host one?
Homeowner associations, churches, schools planning a carnival before winter break, city groups and community organizations can all book one. The format scales from a single lot to a full public lawn.
Do Santa and Mrs. Claus come with a booking?
Carnival Fun Experts provides Santa and Mrs. Claus for the photo station. They come with an event booking and are not sent out alone.
What should a Los Angeles group budget?
An association event lands between $4,000 and $10,000, a company party between $10,000 and $25,000, and a multi-department event can reach $25,000 to $40,000 or more. A bare-bones custom event begins close to $1,500.
Can an evening event work in December?
Yes. Darkness arrives early in December, and string lights over the booth line suit an evening start. The host should check the site's closing time.
Do you bring tables and a tent for the guests?
No. Seating, extra tents, drinks and heating are the host's to arrange. Carnival Fun Experts brings its own booths, games, concessions, décor and Santa.
What if our school calendar closes early?
Pick a day inside the window the campus is open, and share the bell schedule so the midway can open when students are free. A Friday before break or a weekend evening in a school lot are both possible.
About this guide.
This local guide to christmas carnivals in Los Angeles was compiled by Carnival Fun Experts, the Southern California operation of My Little Carnival, producers of school carnivals, backyard birthdays, corporate events, and community gatherings across Los Angeles County and beyond.
Helpful local references: Los Angeles Unified School District · City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks
Christmas Carnivals in nearby cities.
Plan a Christmas carnival for your Los Angeles group.
Send Carnival Fun Experts the date, the site and an expected crowd, and a written quote comes back. Small custom events start near $1,500.
Get a quote →