To me, getting to soak in Christmas means heading to a shopping mall. I’m not really there to shop, though you can always do that, but it’s always the easiest way to get out and feel that the holidays are here. The energy is just special. There are people in a hurry to get their shopping done and others who are there to enjoy walking around.

While most malls will throw up decorations and change the ambient music over to the Christmas playlist, Pacific City in Huntington Beach does a little extra. Every Friday afternoon from now until Christmas day, and on Christmas Eve, they’ll have some live music performers play, accompanied by snow blown in. That’s from 4-6 p.m. on Fridays with some extra days closer to Christmas.

Santa, of course, will make appearances throughout the season and there will also be a cookie crawl and a Nutcracker ballet performance.

The live music shows are timed perfectly so you can catch them and then head over to the seating deck that faces the ocean and watch the sunset, which is around 4:45 p.m. right now.

Where to go: 21010 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach

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