Oxnard, CA – This holiday season, Oxnard, Calif. invites both locals and visitors to enjoy an array of holiday experiences and seasonal traditions, with family-friendly festivities including tree (and mast) lightings, Hallmark-worthy events in the historic Heritage Square and Downtown Oxnard, festive nautical celebrations in the Channel Islands Harbor, interactive activities at The Collection, and a walk down the famed Christmas Tree Lane. Additionally, Visit Oxnard is once again offering its annual “12 Days of Giveaways” contest, sure to spread holiday cheer throughout the month of December.

Local holiday highlights include:

History and Tradition in Downtown Oxnard and Heritage Square

• Christmas Tree Lane continues its decades-long tradition with festively lit and decorated houses along Oxnard’s F & G Streets between 5th Street and Palm in the National Historic District. Take a stroll or drive down the street, or hop aboard the double decker Oxnard Holly Trolley to tour this and Oxnard’s other holiday attractions from Dec. 14 to 16, along with complimentary hot cocoa and cookies.

• Admire the beautifully decorated Victorian Homes in Oxnard’s historic Heritage Square, with Heritage Square Holiday Tours on the following weekends: Dec. 11 and 12, Dec. 18 and 19, Dec. 26, or Jan. 2, or by appointment. Check out the 12th Annual Gingerbread House Exhibit, on display at Heritage Square Hall on select dates from Dec. 11 to Jan. 2.

• See the tallest Christmas tree in Ventura County and Plaza Park’s historic pagoda light up for the holiday season at the annual Downtown Oxnard Tree Lighting, taking place Dec. 2 around 6:30 pm in Plaza Park. The free event kicks off at 5:00 pm with songs and performances from local groups, and will also include complimentary refreshments and a visit from Santa.

• Enjoy festive marching bands, local school groups, themed floats, a visit from Santa and more at the annual Oxnard Christmas Parade on Dec. 4.

• The Oxnard Tamale Festival will be offering holiday tamales to-go this year. Pick up pre-orders of tamale sampler packs featuring authentic home-style tamales from participating local restaurants starting Nov. 4 and subsequent Tuesdays until Nov. 30.

Bright Lights at the Channel Islands Harbor

• The Channel Islands Harbor’s 55th annual Parade of Lights, themed “Jingle Jungle,” will take place this year on Dec. 11 at 7:00pm. Boats will be decked out based on their favorite holiday tunes. Early birds can also catch holiday arts, crafts and activities starting at 10:00am that morning.

• The Holiday Lighting of the Tall Ship Mast at the Channel Islands Maritime Museum will also take place on Dec. 11, just before the Parade of Lights kicks off, from 5:00-7:00pm.

• Celebrate the holidays aboard Scarlett Belle's Riverboat Dinner Cruise on Dec. 7 and 21. Enjoy the harbor holiday lights, delicious food and drink, and live music with local guitarist Teresa Russell.

Seasonal Events and Experiences at The Collection

• The Collection at RiverPark kicked off the season with its Tree Lighting Celebration on Nov. 17, which included holiday entertainment provided by Music Freqs, a special performance of the Nutcracker from Ventura County Ballet Company, an extravagant tree lighting and a spectacular firework show.

• Additional experiences include Letters to Santa from Nov. 17 to Dec. 20, where families can mail their letters to Santa in the special North Pole mailbox and receive a reply from Santa and Mrs. Claus; Photos with Santa at Santa’s Workshop (located at 620 Collection Blvd) beginning Saturday, November 20 at 12:00 pm; a Gingerbread Scavenger Hunt and more.

• Those looking to shop local can visit A Very Merry Holiday Bash Makers Market on Sunday, Dec. 5 from 12:00-6:00pm at Park View Court, to find handmade arts, crafts and seasonal décor from local makers.

For more information about 2021 holiday events and attractions in Oxnard, visit www.VisitOxnard.com/oxnard-holidays. 

Visit Oxnard’s 12 Days of Giveaways

• Visit Oxnard’s annual “12 Days of Giveaways” contest is set to return December 6-12, 2021, with incredible prizes from local businesses. Each day, Visit Oxnard will feature the giveaway items on Facebook and Instagram. The prizes include overnight stays at The Hampton Innand Homewood Suites, Island Packers excursions and adventures with Channel Islands Parasail. Gift cards are also up for grabs from The Collection at RiverPark including the Red Door Escape Room, as well as other Oxnard restaurants and attractions including Waterside, Wheel Fun Rentals and The Raven Tavern.

• Entries can be made via Instagram with contest sign ups at VisitOxnard.com. Simply follow @VisitOxnardCAon Instagram or like @OxnardCA on Facebook for contest alerts, and tag friends for a chance to win. The winners will be announced Christmas Eve via social media.

• The full list of giveaway items is below:

• Day 1, Dec. 6: (2) night stay at Hampton Inn & Island Packers trip for two 
• Day 2, Dec. 7: Parasailing for 2 and Honeycup ($50) 
• Day 3, Dec. 8: The Annex Food Hall American Express Gift Card valued at $100+ Red Door Escape Room Gift Card valued at $150
• Day 4, Dec. 9: Wine tasting of all wineries in Oxnard ($50 Herzog, $50 Strey, $50 Magnavino, $50 Rancho Ventavo)  
• Day 5, Dec. 10: The Collection American Express Gift Card valued at $100+ Bowlero Gift Card valued at $250
• Day 6, Dec. 13: Waterside ($50 GC) and So Cal Jet Skis Duffy Boat Rental ($180) 
• Day 7, Dec. 14: Beer tasting of all breweries in Oxnard ($50 Casa Agria, $50 Red Tandem, $50 Bottle & Pint)  
• Day 8, Dec. 15: Raven Tavern ($100 GC) 
• Day 9, Dec. 16: Xielo ($50) and Heritage Square Coffee ($50) 
• Day 10, Dec. 17: Wheel Fun Package 
• Day 11, Dec. 20: Auto Museum Package –annual membership to the museum for 2 and 2 Murphy Museum mugs.   
• Day 12, Dec. 21: (2) night stay at Homewood Suites  

For more information about Visit Oxnard, visit www.VisitOxnard.com and follow @visitoxnardca on Instagram and @oxnardca on Facebook.

About Visit Oxnard

Visit Oxnard is a public non-profit 501(c)(4) destination marketing organization working hand-in-hand with the City of Oxnard and its hotels, transportation entities, restaurants, retailers, attractions, historic districts and more to promote Oxnard as a premier leisure and business travel destination. Offering value to those seeking experiences in family, cultural, outdoor adventure and group travel, Oxnard is home to miles of pristine white sand beaches, electric nightlife, some of the best taquerias in the state, historic Victorian era architecture, the California Strawberry Festival, and an expansively picturesque harbor that serves as the closest access point to the Channel Islands National Park. Just sixty miles northwest of LAX and in close proximity to Santa Barbara and other major destinations, Oxnard is one of southern California’s best kept secrets. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for daily updates. Sign up for our e-newsletter, and request a free Visitor Guide. For more information, call 1-800-2-OXNARD or go to VisitOxnard.com.