Field Trips In Ventura Archives

Drive Thru Nativity Scenes in Southern California

Posted on November 16, 2020 | Filed Under: Field trips in Los Angeles, Field Trips in Orange County, Field Trips in Riverside, Field Trips in San Bernardino, Field Trips in San Diego, Field Trips In Ventura, Holiday Events | 46 Comments

Updated for 2020

The first living nativity was created by St. Francis of Assisi in 1223 to help explain the birth of Jesus to his followers. Throughout Europe, Central America, and South America the manger scene is a primary decoration at Christmastime. In the United States, the manger scene is often displayed in a church or as a part of a neighborhood Christmas display.

Live Nativity Scenes in Southern California

In Southern California, we also have several live nativities that take place throughout the month of December. And the good news is that they are FREE community events! Here is a comprehensive list of live, virtual, drive and walk thru nativity scenes in Southern California for your enjoyment!

Live Nativity Scenes in Orange County

Drive or Walk Thru Nativity, First Christian Church, Huntington Beach

December 9, 10, & 11 starting @ 6:00 pm

The Live Nativity at First Christian Church of Huntington Beach has been a staple in the community for more than 50 years. Actors and live animals tell the story of Jesus’ birth through 9 different scenes. Whether you’re driving through or walking, the true magic of Christmas will be remembered as you celebrate with friends and family. Come for the Live Nativity and stay for Christmas Carols in the Chapel, a photo opportunity for the family and crafts for the kids. Free admission.

A Drive Thru Experience, EV Free Fullerton, Fullerton

December 11 & 12 @ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Christmas BLVD is a popular family-oriented Christmas experience that is returning to North Orange County this year! You’re invited to a drive thru celebration of Christmas. So, pack up the car and head over to Fullerton Free to make some new Christmas memories with your family. You will stay in your car for this drive through our main campus all the while experiencing fun Christmas movie characters, Santa’s workshop, a light show, and the amazing story of the incredible birth of Jesus.

Walk Thru A Night in Bethlehem, Liberty Baptist Church, Newport Beach (returning in 2021!)

Experience the sights, sounds and excitement of the very first Christmas! Bring friends and family to experience a first-century marketplace. Meet Bethlehem’s citizens. Create interesting crafts. Enjoy delicious treats. And receive a free family photo as a memento of your evening in Bethlehem! See a wonderful promo video here. Free admission.

Living Nativity, Village Bible Church, Garden Grove

December 12 & 13 @ 4:00 – 9:00 pm

Join us on a tour through Bethlehem as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Your self-guided tour will walk through the streets of Bethlehem ending up at the nativity. There will be live interactions along the way that tell the Christmas story and give an idea of the setting of Christ’s birth. This is a great way to remind ourselves of the message of Christmas. Admission is free and tours will last about 20 minutes each.

Live Nativity Orange County

The Living Nativity, The Church at Green Hills, La Habra

December 19 & 20 @ 6:00 pm, 7:00 pm & 8:00 pm

You will see the true Christmas Story come to life right before your eyes! See Mary riding on a donkey, the Wise Men riding on magnificent camels, sheep by the manger, and then enter a toy shop where toys come to life. Plus you will be treated with hot chocolate, cookies, candy sticks and more. Admission is free.

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2020 Best Halloween Events in Southern California

Posted on October 1, 2020 | Filed Under: Field trips in Los Angeles, Field Trips in Orange County, Field Trips in Riverside, Field Trips in San Bernardino, Field Trips in San Diego, Field Trips In Ventura | 11 Comments

This post contains affiliate links.

Here in Southern California, Halloween is not over and fall fun abounds! So let’s get right to it and share with you The Best Family Friendly Halloween events and fall festivals taking place across the southland this season. Prices and dates vary. Please visit individual websites for full details. Happy Fall!

Family Halloween Events in Los Angeles

Halloween at Descanso Gardens, La Canada Flintridge (all month long in October)

Throughout the month of October, join us for Halloween at Descanso! Guests are invited to safely wind their way through socially-distanced, pumpkin-themed displays in the most popular sections of Descanso Gardens. Halloween activities includes a Pumpkin house and children’s hay maze, wooden jack-o-lanterns, a pumpkin arch and and pumpkin mandalas.

Children 14 and under are invited to wear their costumes – and masks – as they explore and enjoy autumn in the Gardens. The Kitchen at Descanso will have a variety of warm, fall-inspired drinks and soups available, along with such seasonal favorites as caramel corn and churros.

Advance admission is required for non-members and can be purchased here.

Halloween at the Arboretum, The Arboretum, Arcadia (all month long in October)

Experience the spooky side of the LA Arboretum throughout the month of October by exploring our Ghoulish Gardens path! While engaging in a safe, self-guided tour of our creepier collections, guests are invited to learn about trees that strangle other plants, the ingredients in common witches potions, flowers that are pollinated by bats, and other fun, eerie plants while winding their way through the garden.

Fun for adults and children alike, guests exploring Ghoulish Gardens on October 31^st are encouraged to wear costumes to the Arboretum.

Stranger Things: The Drive-Into Experience, Los Angeles (10/7 – 10/31)

This Stranger Things-themed experience will bring the Netflix series to life with an hourlong adventure that transports visitors to Hawkins and the Starcourt Mall circa 1985. And as the name implies, you’ll be able to take it all in from the safety of your own car. The experience will take groups of 24 cars at a time through a world of tunes, mullets and monster hunts including sets complete with actors in costume and special effects. Not recommended for children under 13.

The Gentle Barn’s Halloween Experience, Santa Clarita (9/21 – 10/11)

This is a whole new exciting way to experience The Gentle Barn, and be able to dress up, get candy from our safe cast members and see all of the Halloween themed decorations around The Gentle Barn.

This new drive-thru experience will take you behind the scene to areas of our California property that is normally not open to the public. Starting with a tour of our Sun Chlorella: Healing Center in Agua Dulce, just 10 miles up the road. Then down to the main Gentle Barn property, and ending with you casting a wish in our wishing well.

Nights of the Jack, King Gillette Ranch, Calabasas (10/1 – 11/1)

Their new extended driving trail will feature thousands of hand-carved and illuminated Jack O’ Lanterns as attendees make their way around King Gillette Ranch. Immerse yourself in an instagrammable Halloween wonderland and experience what everyone is talking about! Ticketed event.

Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween, Heritage Square Museum, Los Angeles (10/2 – 10/5)

Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween returns! And this year we’re taking our annual Halloween event on the road – literally! … Cause, even ghosts need to stay socially distant. It’s an outdoor immersive experience all behind the wheel of your car! Drive-thru (if you dare) the worlds of “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas”, “Hocus Pocus”, “Ghostbusters” and other spooktacular surprises filled with games, performances and prizes! And the best part is that it’s free!

THE BITE LA: Halloween Food Crawl and Creature Safari, Legg Lake, Los Angeles (all month October long)

This unique twist on the drive-thru/drive-into haunted attraction offers a delectable Halloween food crawl that snakes its way around eerie Legg Lake, includes 8 Bites, campfire dessert, fall-favorite warm beverage and immersive entertainment that guests can enjoy from the safety of their own vehicle.

The BITE is open select dates throughout October. There is no age restriction for this event, but there will be a few frightening creatures lurking about.

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Free Every Kid In A Park National Parks Annual Pass For 4th Graders

Posted on September 7, 2020 | Filed Under: Field trips in Los Angeles, Field Trips in San Diego, Field Trips in Santa Barbara, Field Trips In Ventura | 2 Comments

Are you familiar with the exciting government initiative called Every Kid in a Park, which gives every 4th grader grader and their families a free one-year National Parks Annual Pass! That’s a total savings of $80. Registration for the 2020-2021 school year opens in September 2020.

Marvel at the St. Louis Arch, the Florida Keys, and the Frederick Douglass house. Listen to wolves howl. Walk in dinosaur tracks. Look up into the inky night sky, and reach for the stars! These sites belong to all of us — including you. Every Kid in a Park was created so fourth graders and their families could discover our wildlife, resources, and history for free.

About Every Kid in a Park

An Every Kid in a Park pass grants admission to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites in the United States including national parks, forests, monuments and other federal lands for a full year. World-famous national parks like Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Grand Canyon normally charge $25 to $30 per vehicle for a seven-day pass. So this is a great deal!

If you visit a site that charges entrance fees per person, the pass admits all children under 16 and up to three adults for free. If your group visits a site that charges vehicle entrance fees, the pass admits all children under 16 and all adults in one passenger vehicle for free.

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Where To Go Whale Watching in California

Posted on January 22, 2020 | Filed Under: Field trips in Los Angeles, Field Trips in Orange County, Field Trips in San Diego, Field Trips in Santa Barbara, Field Trips In Ventura | 7 Comments

This post may contain an affiliate link.

Did you see the video last spring of the birth of a False Killer Whale that a group of tourists who were whale watching in California got to experience off the coast of Dana Point? The whales were swimming alongside the catamaran, when suddenly a little calf was pushed up by his or her mother to the surface to take its first breath. The false killer whale is the third-largest member of the oceanic dolphin family and lives in temperate and tropical waters throughout the world.

In addition to the 40 or so False Killer Whales that they saw, they also got to see 27 Gray Whales, 1 Fin Whale, a Minke Whale, over 2,000 Common Dolphins, a dozen Bottlenose, and a handful of Pacific White-sided Dolphins.

Best Time To Go Whale Watching California

Southern California is a wonderful place to see whales at their finest. During whale watching season in Southern California, which takes place along the coast from Santa Barbara to San Diego, you’ll find plenty of ways to see the migration.

The season itself runs from mid-December through April with migrating Gray Whales being the most common species. Every winter, more than 20,000 Pacific Gray Whales travel 10,000 miles round-trip from Alaska to the lagoons of Baja California. To see females with their calves, it’s best to go late in the season as they take their babies back up north with them.

The best way to see whales migrating in Southern California is to go on a whale watching tour. Most whale watch trips are fairly short and some companies even guarantee that you can go again for free if you don’t see any whales the first time.

Whale Watching Near Los Angeles

Anytime you want to go whale watching in Los Angeles your chances of spotting whales are very high. From January through May you can actively spot California Gray Whales in the Greater Los Angeles Area. On the way down to Mexico, the majority of pregnant females end up giving birth just above Los Angeles and swim down along the coast with their small babies in tow.

The Blue Whale season starts in early summer. June through September you can see one of the world’s largest animals, weighing up to 400,000 lbs, feeding on krill and swimming right off the LA coast.

You can take a highly rated whale watching boat tour for one, two or four people in Los Angeles with either LA Waterfront Cruises or San Monica Cruise Tour & Travel Center.

Best Places To See Whales Near Long Beach

When you go whale watching in Long Beach, you never know what you might see! You could catch a glimpse of the majestic Pacific Gray Whale during its annual migration from Alaska or you just might see the incredible Humpback Whale flip breach the surface. No matter the time of day or season, creatures of the sea are never far from view, from orcas to fin whales, minke whales to dolphins, and so much more.

Harbor Breeze’s Whale Watching Cruise is your best chance to channel your inner Jacques Cousteau and create some lifelong memories. And since one of the country’s best aquariums is right next door, you’re in good hands on this seafaring adventure. An educator from the Aquarium of the Pacific will guide you as you marvel at gray or blue whales (depending on the season), plus others majestic creatures, like the distinctive humpback, killer whales and several kinds of dolphins.

Marina Del Rey Whale Watching

The waters around Marina del Rey teem with seasonal gamefish. Beneath the ocean’s surface, halibut, sand bass, and barracuda swim from Rocky Point to the Big Kelp Reef. Sea lions, dolphins, sea birds, and several whale species also make their home in the water.

This diversity of wildlife prompted the owners of Marina Del Rey Sportfishing to start their whale and eco tour, during which sightseers can admire the ocean’s majestic creatures and the teams of Aquamen who groom them.

Marine Del Rey Whale Watching offers a 3-3.5 hour on water adventure that departs at 10 am on weekdays, and at 10 am and 1:30 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. From a 65-foot-long sightseeing boat, passengers might spot gray whales, blue whales, fin whales, and other species. Other wildlife may make appearances, including dolphins, sea turtles, and seals.

Whale Watching Near Newport Beach

Newport Beach offers some of the best whale watching California has to offer. With one the largest marine protected parks just outside of Newport Bay, whales and dolphin of all types can be viewed as soon as you leave the bay. It is not uncommon to see giant blue whales and finback whales just outside the bay during the summer and fall months. Multiple gray whales are often seen in this same area during the winter and spring months while on their annual migration.

Some of the top rated whale watching companies in Newport Beach include:

Whale Watching Near Dana Point

Dana Point is located about halfway between San Diego and Los Angeles. Along with hosting such events as the Festival of the Whales, Dana Point also is home to the Ocean Institute a non-profit research educational center teaching kids about marine life and marine mammals.

As you would expect, whale watching in Dana Point is a very popular activity amongst locals and visitors alike. Dana Wharf Boats and Dana Wharf Whale Watching offers a great captain narrated two-hour tour through the Pacific in search of gray whales, dolphins, and sea lions.

Whale Watching Near San Diego

If you want to get up close and personal with Pacific Grey Whales migrating along the San Diego coastline, a whale watching tour around San Diego harbor is your best bet. You can book a tour through any number of whale watching companies. Most depart from Point Loma, San Diego Bay or Oceanside. Besides seeing some beautiful whales, you will often spot sea lions, dolphins and other types of marine life.

Some of the top rated whale watching companies in San Diego include:

Whale Watching Near Santa Barbara

Whales splash around Santa Barbara entertaining onlookers eight months out of the year. Tour companies offer gray whale watching trips from late December through mid-April from Ventura and Oxnard while Blue and Humpback whale watching trips are available from mid-June through mid-September.

Humpback and endangered Blue whales feed on swarms of unsuspecting krill around Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary. Feeding whales tend to be near the western end of the northern Channel Islands and the journey there is often filled with playful visits from dolphins, seals, and California sea lions, and occasional visits from Orca whale pods.

Blue whale watching trips take visitors on a journey past Painted Cave, one of the largest sea caves in the world on the west end of Santa Cruz Island. Weather and sea conditions permitting, you might have the opportunity to see the cave up close. Gray whale watching is a half-day adventure that takes about 4 hours. Since Gray whale watching occurs in the winter, visitors are encouraged to dress warm.

Channel Islands Whale Watching out of Oxnard specializes in Eco-Tourism and Wildlife Adventures. Their whale watching trips take place in the pristine waters surrounding Channel Islands National Park and National Marine Sanctuary. During a whale watching tour, the company offers wildlife interpretation with informative narration of this unique region, often referred to as the Galapagos of the Northern Hemisphere.

Happy Field Tripping!

Jilleen

More Things To Do with Kids in Southern California

Free Kids Fishing Clinic with Dana Wharf Sportsfishing

14 Things To Do in Downtown LA with Kids

Best Pop Up Museums in Los Angeles

Vist a Wolf Sanctuary in Southern California

60+ Places To Explore With Kids in Orange County

2020 Best Family Friendly New Year’s Eve Celebrations in Southern California

Posted on December 20, 2019 | Filed Under: Field trips in Los Angeles, Field Trips in Orange County, Field Trips in Riverside, Field Trips in San Bernardino, Field Trips in San Diego, Field Trips In Ventura, Holiday Events | 1 Comment

Are you looking for a family-friendly New Year’s Eve Celebration to take your kiddos to this year? If so, then SoCal Field Trips got you covered with the Best Family Friendly New Year’s Eve Celebrations in Southern California! In fact, if you attend one of these events you might just be able to tuck your children in before the ball drops at midnight in Times Square. Please visit each individual celebration’s website for dates, times, pricing and locations.

New Year’s Eve Celebrations in the Inland Empire

New Year’s Eve Torchlight Parade at Snow Summit, Big Bear, 12/31 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm (FREE)

Ring in 2019 at the 55th annual Snow Summit Torchlight Parade. Watch 200+ skiers and snowboarders light up the night as they make their way down the face of the mountain in the dark with torches to create a spellbinding spectacle of light before the (snow)ball drops. Other activities include DJ entertainment, activation booths, face painting, champagne toast, stilt walkers, fire dancers, a photobooth and bounce house for kids. Come early and enjoy the snow!

New Year’s Eve Grape Drop, Temecula, 12/31 @ 6:00 pm – 12:30 am (FREE)

Ring in 2020 Temecula-style at the annual Grape Drop with two countdowns – east coast style (9 pm) and west coast style (midnight). The celebration offers live bands and a free fun zone for kids (open 6 pm – 10 pm) with hat making, calligraphy art, face painting and a giant slide. Patio heaters and some chairs provided. Bring jackets to keep warm and extra chairs for extra seating.

Festival of Lights Family Celebration, Main Library Plaza, Mission Inn, Riverside, 12/31 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm (TICKETED)

If you want to have an early night, there will be a family-friendly New Year’s Eve event with music, activities and a confetti celebration in addition to the usual Festival of Lights happenings.

Wyatt’s New Year’s Eve Party, Big Bear Convention Center, Big Bear, 12/31 @ 5:00 pm – 1/1 at 1:00 am (TICKETED)

The family-friendly celebration at the Big Bear Convention Center includes activities for the kids, games, live music with the Doo-Wah Riders, party favors, shuttle service and champagne at midnight. Reservations required.

Pennypickle’s Workshop New Year’s Event, Temecula, 12/31 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm (TICKETED)

Celebrate the New Year Pennypickle-style…at noon instead of midnight! You won’t want to miss the Professor’s very special party for those too young to stay up late. Call 951-308-6376 to reserve tickets. Space is limited.

John’s Incredible Pizza, Riverside and Montclair, 12/31 @ 7:00 pm – 1:00 am (TICKETED)

John‘s Incredible Pizza will celebrate New Year’s Eve with special hours and celebration packages. Each John‘s location will be open from 7:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. on New Year’s Eve.

New Year’s Eve Celebrations in Los Angeles

LA Zoo’s Family New Year’s Eve Party, Los Angeles, 12/31 @ 6:00 – 9:00 pm (TICKETED)

Attend the annal LA Zoo Family New Year’s Eve Party! Celebrate the new year in style with express entry to the LA Zoo Lights, a dinner buffet that includes soft drinks and dessert, a carousel ride, games, dance party, and live broadcast of the Times Square ball drop. Raise a toast to the new year with complimentary champagne for adults (21+) and sparkling apple cider for kids. Festive photos courtesy of PRIMs Photo Booth. After the party, families are welcome to enjoy L.A. Zoo Lights until closing. Fun for all ages!

Annual New Year’s Eve Musical Revue, Santa Monica Playhouse, Santa Monica, 12/31 @ 6 pm & 9 pm (TICKETED)

A scrumptious and sumptuous complimentary buffet supper starts off the night, followed by a highly entertaining, family-friendly Rudie-DeCarlo musical revue, with door prizes, sing-a-long songs, dancing in the aisles, humor and other delights culled from 5 decades of beloved Santa Monica Playhouse productions. There are two shows – a 6:00 pm show, followed by a 9:30 show with a midnight meet ’n’ greet with the cast.How about some good old-fashioned fighting? No, really, old-fashioned—as in knights in armor jousting and clashing broadswords. Medieval Times Dinner Theater has a family-friendly New Year’s Eve bash planned

Old Town Music Hall New Year’s Eve, Los Angeles, 12/31 @ 8:30 pm – Midnight (TICKETED)

The New Year’s celebration at Old Town Music Hall features music, great performers, a grab bag of classic shorts and a surprise feature film. Guests can enjoy complimentary light refreshments and sparkling apple cider. For ages 10 and up. Reservations required.

Grand Park N.Y.E.L.A, Downtown Los Angeles, 12/31 @ 8:00 pm – 1:00 am (FREE)

Dance your heart out and into 2020 with best friends, sweeties, friendly neighbors, and those cousins from out-of-town at the West Coast’s flagship New Year’s Eve celebration. Grand Park and The Music Center’s N.Y.E.L.A. is the place to dream together and welcome new beginnings with a countdown on City Hall, live music, food, and photo booths in one big, beautiful, colorful Angeleno experience to remember! This will be an alcohol-free, family-friendly event.

New Year’s Eve Family Fireworks Cruise, Rainbow Harbor, Long Beach, 12/31 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm (TICKETED)

Harbor Breeze Cruises is hosting a special evening lights and fireworks cruise on the waters of Long Beach Harbor. Boarding at 7:30 pm you will have a narrated cruise to view Long Beach harbor lit up at night. Observe the awe-inspiring firework displays performed at 9 pm.

New Year’s Eve at the Waterfront, Shoreline Village, Long Beach, 12/31 @ 5:00 pm – 10:30 pm (FREE)

This free family-friendly celebration takes place from 5:00 to 10:00 pm at Rainbow Harbor. There will be live music, a photo booth, face painting, interactive games, arts & crafts, food, jugglers and stilt-walkers. Then at 9 p.m., the sky will light up for an East Coast countdown with a fireworks spectacular from Rainbow Harbor’s lighthouse peninsula!

New Year’s Eve Glow Party, Burton Chace Park, Marina del Rey, 12/31 @ 7:oo pm – Midnight (FREE)

Join us for a Glow Party at 7 pm with fun activities for the whole family! Featuring Live DJs, dance music, dancers, circuit breaker robot, face painting, bubbles, photo booth, food trucks and more. At 8:59 p.m, there will be 30-second countdown and view of the Times Square ball drop followed by an amazing 10-minute fireworks display. Then at 11:59 pm, there will be another 30-second countdown to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Marina del Rey followed by another amazing ten-minute fireworks display. Watch the spectacular fireworks from Burton Chace Park, Fisherman’s Village, or the many waterfront restaurants in Marina del Rey! Parking is $8.00.

Boomer’s Noon Year’s Eve Celebration, Upland, 12/31 @ 11:30 am (FREE)

Who says you have to wait until midnight to celebrate? Join Boomer’s in Irvine as we ring in the New Year with a fun, new twist! The party starts at 11:30AM— that’s right, AM! There will be a fun photo op, party hats and noisemakers, a traditional countdown to 12 o’clock, a balloon drop when the clock strikes noon and a new year’s toast with kid-friendly bubbly. All the fun and excitement of New Year’s without missing bedtime!

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