ENCHANT CHRISTMAS RETURNS TO SANTA ANITA PARK

The City has received a Temporary Use Permit (TUP) application for the return of Enchant Christmas at Santa Anita Park for the 2026 holiday season. This year’s event will be similar to the 2025 event, with modifications to attendance, attractions, hours, parking, and operations. The event is proposed from November 18, 2026, through January 3, 2027.

This year, the maximum daily attendance will be reduced from 19,500 to 16,000 attendees.

All the daytime events before 4:30 p.m. have been eliminated.

The proposed times are:

4:30 - 9:00 p.m.: November 18, 22, and 29; December 2, 6, 9, 12, 13, 16, and 31, 2026; and

January 3, 2027.

4:30 - 10:30 p.m.: November 20 and 25; and December 3, 10, and 17, 2026.

4:30 - 11:30 p.m.: November 21, 27, and 28; December 4, 5, 11, and 18–30; and January 1

and 2, 2027.

The Ferris wheel and 10-lane snow slide will return, with a new Tilt-a-Whirl, smaller inflatable slides, and carnival games. The mini golf course will be reduced from 18 holes to 9 holes. Below is a site plan for this year’s event.

In terms of the parking and traffic issues that were identified in 2025, Santa Anita Park will be

providing additional parking areas and opening both gates off Holly Avenue on Huntington Drive and Baldwin Avenue. The event’s website will provide a parking map and all ticket purchasers will receive a map showing the designated parking areas and the two entrances/exits to disperse traffic.

The parking staff will help direct guests and manage traffic, and the applicant will coordinate with The Shops at Santa Anita to ensure their guests do not park within their parking lot.

The Police Department will require a minimum of two and up to four officers, with staffing adjusted based on attendance and event conditions. Additional staffing, including a Sergeant, may be required if needed, and up to four surveillance trailers may be deployed at the Police Department’s discretion. The Fire Department will require a minimum of three EMTs and one Fire Safety Officer on-site, with staffing subject to adjustment based on event conditions.

Overall, the 2026 proposal includes several changes based on the experience with the 2025 event, including lower attendance, no daytime events, additional parking, better traffic management, and increased public safety and emergency response. The event will be required to comply with the City’s noise ordinance. With these changes, the 2026 event can be appropriately managed through an administrative TUP rather than requiring City Council review. If any Council Member would like to call up this proposal for further review, please let us know prior to September 16.