Huntington Beach's Holiday Handoff Starts Thursday, One Address at a Time

Pier Summit Ski Lodge opens Thursday, October 22, at Kimpton Shorebreak. It is the first of Huntington Beach's winter pop-ups. Pete's Spookeasy is still running a mile and a half down Pacific Coast Highway, and Oktoberfest is still pouring at Old World Village. For the next twelve days, all three seasonal venues are open at once. After that they close on staggered dates. Old World Village then goes a week with no festival before the holiday half of the calendar starts again in mid-November.

The city's seasonal calendar works like a relay, with each venue handing off to the next.

Twelve Days With Three Seasons Running

The newest arrival is also the one with the longest run. Kimpton Shorebreak's official page describes Pier Summit Ski Lodge as an '80s-themed pop-up bar with neon décor and a life-size yeti. Servers wear retro one-piece ski suits and show the menu through vintage viewfinders. It takes no reservations and is 21 and over only. The hotel's photos show a Snow Bunny cocktail, sweet and savory fondue, West Slope Rosti, house-made Rice Krispy treats, fries, a drink served in a Marty Moose glass, and a shotski with a Ski Lift Shot. Visit Huntington Beach lists the run as October 22 through January 2.

The lodge also takes private bookings, and the hotel pitches it for holiday parties and corporate events. Paired with the Epic Ballroom and Foyer, the space holds anywhere from intimate groups of 20 to receptions of 350. If you're planning an office party for December, book it now, during the opening weeks.

South on PCH, Pete's Spookeasy is in its final stretch at Pete's Sunset Grille inside the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa, 21500 Pacific Coast Highway. The Hyatt's dining page lists it as open through November 2. Greer's OC reported a September 27 start for this year's run. Its menu included Dracula Bat Wings, Char-BOO-terie, the Grill-Reaper's Ribeye and Haunted Harbor Cake, with drinks like the Black Magic Margarita, Creepy Colada and Potion No. 13. The restaurant keeps its usual hours of 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and the bar stays open until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Inland, Oktoberfest at Old World Village has been running since September 12 at 7561 Center Ave. It continues through Sunday, November 8, with German bands, imported beer and a bratwurst Visit Huntington Beach calls voted "Best Bratwurst" in California.

So between Thursday and Monday, November 2, one evening can cover a ski lodge by the pier, a haunted grille at the Hyatt and a beer hall off Beach Boulevard. After November 2, that's no longer possible.

The Mid-November Week Between Festivals

The handoffs come quickly after that. Spookeasy closes November 2, and Oktoberfest follows six days later. Old World Village then has no festival on the calendar from November 9 to November 14. On Sunday, November 15, it reopens as Christmas Market OC, a German-style market that runs daily through January 3.

It's the same village with a new purpose. The market adds an indoor European Christmas Shopping Village with artisans and crafts, live music on the outdoor Biergarten stage, and photos with Santa in the Festival Hall. The village also hosts Wiener Dog Races in its center. In practice, the Biergarten table you sit at for Oktoberfest in early November turns into a holiday seat a week later, with only that week of changeover in between.

From November 9 through November 14, Pier Summit Ski Lodge is the only venue on this list still open. It runs alone until the market opens.

December's Calendar Shifts to Paséa and the Pier

From late November on, most of the dated events are single nights. Most of them are at Paséa Hotel & Spa, 21080 Pacific Coast Highway, and they cluster within twelve days.

Sunday, November 29. Brunch with Santa runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Sapphire Ballroom, billed as a coastal Christmas seafood brunch with Santa and crafts.

Wednesday, December 2. Paséa's Tree Lighting Ceremony runs 6 to 8 p.m. at the hotel's front drive. The hotel promises a 30-foot tree, carolers, Santa, local vendors and complimentary cocoa, with valet discounted to $15.

Sunday, December 6. Waymakers holds its Light a Light of Love celebration on Main Street and at Pier Plaza. Sponsored snowflakes light up Main Street and the Huntington Beach Pier and stay lit each evening through the New Year. The sponsorships support Orange County youth facing homelessness and crisis.

Thursday, December 10. Paséa screens Elf free on its Ocean Lawn from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Food and drinks are sold on site, and parking is $15 per car.

The pier itself has changed this year. In May, Visit Huntington Beach paid for a new lighting system on the Huntington Beach Pier, built to light the structure for holidays and community events. This is its first holiday season. Waymakers' snowflakes will hang on a pier that can now change color.

The shift to Paséa comes in the middle of a long project there. The hotel is partway through a $17 million renovation. Its redesigned guestrooms debut in 2027, and the full project is slated for completion in early 2028. The ocean lawn and front drive where these events happen will keep hosting holiday nights while the rooms behind them are rebuilt.

The Last Two Closings Come a Day Apart

Pier Summit Ski Lodge serves its last fondue on Saturday, January 2. Christmas Market OC closes the next day, Sunday, January 3. The Waymakers snowflakes on Main Street and the pier stay lit only through the New Year. That leaves a short stretch in early January when the lodge and the market are the last two seasonal venues still open.

Since the opening and closing dates never line up, it helps to put a few dates on your calendar now. The Ski Lodge opens October 22. November 2 is your last night at Spookeasy, and November 8 is the last weekend for Oktoberfest. The market opens November 15, Paséa's tree lights up December 2, and the snowflakes go up December 6. With those dates set, you can pick the right venue on any given night between now and January 3.

If you'd like to talk through how the season shapes life in a particular part of Huntington Beach, from walking to Pier Plaza in December to being minutes from Old World Village, Nick Lombardo is happy to share what he knows from growing up here. Let's Connect.