It’s Almost that Time of Year! Winter Fest OC is Near! + Giveaway!

Winter Fest OC + Giveaway

By Erin

Winter Fest OC Begins December 20th With 40,000 Square Feet of All-New Winter Fun Attractions!

Winter Fest OC Orange County 2018

We don’t have real snow here in Southern California, but that does not mean we don’t know how to have some winter fun! There is NO shortage of fun holiday adventures to experience!  Winter Fest OC is coming back to the OC but with even more holiday experiences for all to enjoy from December 20th-January 6th. Located at the OC Fairgrounds, get into the holiday spirit as Winter Fest features 40,000 square feet of new attractions and brings back popular activities including an outdoor ice-skating rink, ice tubing at Snowflake Summit, real Snow Play, and so much more. *PLUS* enter for a chance to win a 4-pack of tickets to experience it all for yourself below! Even though we don’t get real snow here, doesn’t mean we cannot bring the snow to us to enjoy all the snowy winter fun with ice skating, hot chocolate and more!

With a record-breaking attendance in 2017, Winter Fest OC will debut its fourth consecutive year with new entertainment and attractions including SoCal Dicken’s Village, Candy and Snowflake Wonderland, and an expanded Festival of Lights tunnel.

Here are a few things I am looking forward to most about this years Winter Fest!

New to Winter Fest This Year:

SoCal Dicken’s Village – Take a trip down memory lane through the 1800’s with holidays past, present, and future. Decorate Christmas cookies, listen to holiday storytelling, visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus (through Christmas Eve), take a pony ride, and visit the new Victorian holiday shops.

Candy and Snowflake Wonderland – Step into an interactive wonderland full of candy and snowflakes with a new selfie experience that is sure to delight visitors and capture the picture-perfect Instagram moment.

Orange Ball New Year’s Eve Celebration – Ring in the New Year not once, but twice, with a special countdown, Orange Ball drop, fireworks and an unforgettable balloon drop at both 6pm and midnight. Multiple live bands will be playing to commemorate the end of the year, and the start of a new one.

Club Winter Fest – Private, ice rink-side VIP cabanas are available nightly starting at only $69 per session, creating the ultimate destination for holiday office parties, family retreats or date nights. Enjoy the all-new lounge area with exquisite views of the nightly Christmas tree lighting ceremony featuring fireworks, snow flurries and a free drink upon entry. Tickets are limited.

Festival of Lights – Stroll through Winter Fest’s 100-foot-tunnel of two million lights to explore five lands with animated displays. For additional fun for the kids, make sure to ride through the Festival of Lights on the trackless train.

Festival of Lights Winter Fest OC Orange County

Back by Popular Demand:

Snowflake Summit – Visit Snowflake Summit for unlimited ice-tube racing down the 150 foot, eight lane slide. Fast Pass wristbands are available starting at only $10 to skip the general admission line.

Flying Santa and his Reindeer – Don’t miss the magic of the North Pole as Santa and his reindeer fly over the fairgrounds December 20th – December 24th. This spectacle takes place during the nightly Christmas Tree Lighting celebration and features fireworks and snow flurries.

Penny’s Snow Play – Fresh snow blown in daily to make SoCal’s largest snow play attraction with two snow arenas: one caters to toddlers and the other to kids (and kids at heart.)

Also returning are the world’s largest rocking horse, wintery-themed bounce houses for kids, a giant walk-through ornament, strolling carolers, petting zoo, character meet and greets, crafts, arcade games, more than 30 carnival rides and games, and seasonal food and beverages. Families are also invited to celebrate El Dia de los Reyes or Three Kings’ Day on January 6th where Winter Fest will honor the tradition of the Three Kings with a parade and live camel.

Select discounts are offered for First Responders, Teachers, and Military/Veterans with proof of ID. First Responders are guaranteed free admission on Wednesday, December 26th and January 2nd, Teacher Appreciation Days are Friday, December 21st, 28th, and January 4th, and Military/Veterans are guaranteed free admission on Thursday, December 20th, 27th, and January 3rd.

Tickets and select value packages are available now starting at only $10. For more information on Winter Fest OC, visit www.WinterFestOC.com and for the latest updates on entertainment, food and fun follows Winter Fest OC at FacebookInstagramTwitter, and YouTubeor with #WinterFestOC.

Now it’s time to spread some Holiday Cheer! We are giving away a pack of 4 GA tickets +ICE SKATING! Please enter below and good-luck! *See all rules below* Happy Holidays!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*****US Residents Only +18 years to enter. No purchase necessary to enter. Ends 12/18 at 12AM PST. All readers have an equal chance to win, however, you must enter to win. Winner will be selected at random via RaffleCopter and notified via email. If the winner cannot be reached by email within 48 hours, a new winner will be selected the same way. There are several different ways to enter. Prizes are not transferable or refundable and must be accepted as awarded. The winner is responsible for any and all other costs and expenses not listed above. Horsing Around In LA is not liable for unclaimed prizes or fulfillment of the prize.*****

All Aboard for a Queen Mary Christmas in Long Beach!

All Aboard for a Queen Mary Christmas in Long Beach!

By Kandis

*We were given media tickets for purposes of this post. All thoughts and opinions remain our own*

Come aboard a magical adventure filled with holiday spirt, the Queen Mary Christmas is a fun adventure for the entire family. Grab your friends, and climb aboard this historical ship, turned into a winter wonderland. Upon entering the ship, you will arrive in a beautiful Christmas tree lined promenade deck, filled with Christmas cheer and Christmas carolers. Enjoy vintage-dressed Christmas carolers and feel as if you are back in time. Christmas carols, dancing, ice-skating onboard one of the Queen Mary’s decks, a Gingerbread Village, Stocking Shop, light shows, and much more is here for the whole family to partake in, and don’t forget to visit the wonderful shops, watch the live entertainment, and enjoy some sweet treats. So step aboard the legendary ocean liner for an all-new adventure filled with incredible holiday festivities, setting sail now through January 6, 2019.

When Santa is away from his North Pole workshop, his Captain’s Quarters in the Shipyard are his home away from home. Join Santa here for a meet and greet, help him chart the course to the North Pole, and pose for a souvenir photo with the jolly fellow.  You will leave feeling as you truly visited the north pole.

Take the stairs up to the Christmas themed canopy, and make sure to stop and visit the gingerbread village and Santa’s Helpers stocking maker on your way up.

You and your family will be in Santa’s shop, with the help of his elf’s you can create your own personalized Christmas stocking.

Once you have finished your stocking, you will stroll down the ships deck which is illuminated with thousands of twinkling lights. This magical light show will lead you to an 80-foot animated Christmas tree. The Christmas tree is lighted nightly in a countdown celebration with thousands of twinkling lights, creating a magical experience you will never forget. Un-pop a cork or imbibe on delicious handcrafted cocktails while delighting in the ship’s yule lights and breathtaking views at the iconic Observation Bar.

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Giveaway for Two Tickets to Knott’s Family Friendly 2015 NYE Celebration! @Knotts #KnottsNYE

Knott’s Family Friendly 2015 NYE Celebration!

By Erin

New Years Eve Brochure

*This is written by me for GigaSavvy. I do not work for or with any brand mentioned in this article, nor do I have any official relationship with them. I will be attending  Knott’s New Year’s Eve Celebration with complementary passes. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.*

Knott’s New Year’s Eve Celebration is almost here! On December 31, 2014, the party will be rocking all day and night long.  The party  starts at 10am and lasts until 1am. It will make for the perfect family friendly event to get your New Year off to a fun start!

Get your party hats and be ready to ring in the New Year at Knott’s family-friendly New Year’s Eve event that offers something for everyone! Knott’s offers everyone a fun and safe place to ring in the New Year together. Extended park hours, live entertainment, and a fireworks display are all included in the price of regular park admission!

NYE 2013

My party bow that lights up. We all bought these last year at Knott’s for New Years Eve! They were only $6 at Knott’s! I hope to see these around the park again this year.

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With a special fireworks show at midnight, holiday shows, extended park hours, a spectacular ice skating show with Snoopy, rides, funnel cake, Knott’s famous chicken dinners, boysenberry pie, boysenberry punch, and more, Knott’s makes for the perfect New Years Eve spot.

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