When does the holiday season actually start in Huntington Beach this year? It could start with a lit tree on Main Street or a boat full of carolers in Huntington Harbour. It could also start with olive ridley hatchlings going back into the ocean near where their nests were found, at the Pier and at Surfside, sometime around mid-November, if the eggs turn out to be viable.
This year's calendar moves in one direction. November happens along the Pier and downtown, and December happens on the water in Huntington Harbour. The Harbour events need more planning ahead, and the dates that decide them fall in November, weeks before the lights go on.
The first event of the season runs on a turtle's schedule
In September, Huntington Beach became part of a wildlife first. The City of Huntington Beach reported that Fire Department Marine Safety lifeguards responded to a report near Surfside on September 16 and found a turtle laying eggs. Three days later, they found a second nesting turtle near the Huntington Beach Pier. The Los Angeles Times described the two nests as the first confirmed natural sea turtle nests on the U.S. West Coast.
The eggs did not stay on the beach. The Orange County Register reported that on September 25, biologists moved 204 eggs to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach because storm surf and high tides threatened the nests. That was 100 eggs from Huntington Beach and 104 from Seal Beach.
The part that matters for the calendar is the release plan. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, viable eggs are expected to hatch in 45 to 60 days, approximately mid-November. Partners plan to release the hatchlings into the ocean near the original nest sites. As of Environmental Protection's October 19 report, the eggs were still incubating in a temperature-controlled setting and their viability was still uncertain.
So the first item on the city's late-fall calendar has no fixed date and may not happen at all. If it does, the Huntington Beach half of the release would be near the Pier, where most of November also takes place.
November belongs to the Pier and Main Street
The handoff between seasons is already underway along the Pier. Pete's Spookeasy at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach has turned Pete's Sunset Grille into a Halloween venue with themed cocktails and a seasonal menu, and it runs through November 2. On the other side of Pacific Coast Highway, the Kimpton Shorebreak Resort's Pier Summit Ski Lodge pop-up was set to return on October 22. It's an '80s-themed bar with neon ski outfits, a life-sized yeti and retro menu items, and it runs through January 2. From October 22 through November 2, the two overlap, and you can walk from Halloween to ski season across a single intersection.
The Pier is also new to the holidays this year. Visit Huntington Beach funded a modern lighting system that started in May 2026, and it was designed to let the Pier mark community moments like holidays and events. This is the first holiday season the Pier has had that option.
Downtown's main event comes on a Tuesday. The Downtown Huntington Beach business district lists Magic on Main Street for Tuesday, November 24, from 4 to 7 p.m., two days before Thanksgiving. The 2026 listing doesn't give a separate time for the tree lighting, so arriving near the 4 p.m. start is the safer plan.
A few downtown places that are new since summer are close to the event:
- Pasta Viva, at 303 3rd St., opened August 29, according to UC Irvine's New University. It serves fresh, seed-oil-free pasta, including a Cheese Wheel Pasta, and a Chocolate Pasta for dessert.
- The Kickstand Soda Shop, at 150 5th St., was listed by Visit Huntington Beach to open October 9. It's a soda-fountain concept built around "dirty sodas" mixed with cream, syrups and citrus or fruit.
Main Street on November 24 is the last big date of the season that needs no ticket, no entry form and no boat.
The Harbour's deadlines fall in November
The second half of the season moves a few miles up Warner Avenue to Huntington Harbour, and it works differently. The Harbour events are scheduled further ahead, and the decisions that shape them are made in November.
The first deadline is for people who live on the water. The Huntington Harbour Boat Parade's entry page sets Monday, November 30 as the 2026 deadline for homeowners to enter the home decorating contest. The 2026 dates for spotting and judging the homes haven't been posted yet. In 2025, spotting was December 9 and judging December 10, so the decorated homes were up well before the cruise boats went out. That timing is what makes the cruise worth taking. The narrated tour goes past the homes that entered by the November deadline.
The second deadline isn't printed anywhere, but the event's history points to it. Back in 1990, the Los Angeles Times reported that some Cruise of Lights nights were already sold out on December 7, six days before that season's December 13 opening. The Orange County Register reported a sold-out season in 2006. There's no 2026 sellout notice, but the ticket form is already live, and in 1990 some nights were gone before the first boat left.
Three ways to see the Harbour in December
Once the November entries close, the Harbour hosts three separate things. They have different costs and different ways to see them.
| What | 2026 dates | How you see it | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home decorating contest | 2026 spotting and judging dates not yet posted; entries due Nov. 30 | From the water, mainly on the Cruise of Lights | Entry by Harbour homeowners through the parade's entry page |
| Huntington Harbour Boat Parade | Dec. 12–13 | Public viewing areas at the harbour beaches | Public beach viewing; parking is limited |
| Cruise of Lights | Dec. 19–23; 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. | 50-minute narrated boat tour | $28 adult, $20 ages 2–12, under 2 free with an adult |
The boat parade comes first, on December 12 and 13. Its 2026 theme is listed as "America 250 Music" and "To The Moon & Back." The organizers send viewers to public areas at the harbour beaches and warn that they fill quickly and parking is limited. Arriving early is the main way to get a good spot.
The Cruise of Lights closes out the Harbour's December, running December 19 through 23. The Huntington Harbour Philharmonic Committee runs it, and it benefits the Philharmonic Society of Orange County. The Society describes it as a 50-minute narrated tour through the Harbour's lit waterways. There are three departures a night. Monday, December 21 is the Special Value Night, with adult tickets at $26 and child tickets at $18, compared with $28 and $20 on the other four nights. For a family of two adults and two children, that's $88 on Monday and $96 any other night.
How a Cruise of Lights night works
The cruise boards at a yacht club but starts at a shopping center parking lot. Here's the sequence from the Cruise of Lights FAQ:
- Park in the rear lot of the Huntington Harbour Mall, behind Trader Joe's, at 16889 Algonquin Street. Will call is in the same lot, and phone orders placed within seven days of the cruise date are held there.
- Take the five-minute shuttle bus to the Huntington Harbour Yacht Club at 3821 Warner Ave., where the boats board.
- Bring layers and solid shoes. Nights on the water get cold. Drinks and snacks are sold on the boats, but restrooms are only guaranteed in the parking lots.
- Plan for any weather, because cruises aren't canceled for rain.
Parking at the yacht club is reserved for guests with a California Disabled Person Parking Placard. Those guests can skip the shuttle and drive straight to 3821 Warner Ave. The boats are wheelchair accessible, but power chairs aren't allowed. Printed and mobile tickets both work as boarding passes. If you have trouble buying tickets, the Huntington Harbour office is at 714-840-7542 or [email protected].
In order, the season runs like this: Pete's Spookeasy closes November 2. The turtle eggs may hatch around mid-November. Magic on Main is November 24, and Harbour home entries close November 30. The boat parade is December 12 and 13, the Cruise of Lights is December 19 through 23, and the Pier Summit Ski Lodge stays open until January 2. Most of November happens near the Pier and downtown, and December's biggest events happen in the Harbour, with the Ski Lodge keeping a holiday spot open near the Pier into the new year.
I'm Alondra, and I work out of the Seven Gables office in Huntington Harbour, so this part of the calendar happens right outside my door. If you're planning a Cruise of Lights night for visiting family or deciding whether to enter your Harbour home before the November 30 deadline, I'm happy to share what I know about the area. Alondra Guevara is always glad to hear from neighbors. Let's Connect.
