This year Culver City's holiday season fits into eight days. It opens with a craft fair at the Elks Lodge on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, lights the downtown tree the following Thursday, and closes with a two-day makers' marketplace at One Culver that the City Council voted to sponsor in October. Two of the three are gift markets that sell work from local vendors, and admission to both is free.
The City is involved at both ends. The Elks Lodge fair appears in the City's own events directory, and the One Culver marketplace carries the City's name as a sponsor. The tree lighting in the middle comes from the downtown business district. Together they make a short holiday calendar that the city and its local organizations have arranged on purpose.
Eight days, three addresses
These are the dates in order. Check the hours before you go, because the three events start and end at different times.
- Sunday, November 29: Culver City Christmas Craft Fair, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Culver City Elks Lodge, 11160 Washington Place
- Thursday, December 3: Downtown Culver City Tree Lighting Sled-tacular, 5 to 8:30 p.m., Town Plaza, 9300 Culver Boulevard
- Saturday, December 5: Grid110 Holiday Marketplace, noon to 5 p.m., One Culver, 10000 Washington Boulevard
- Sunday, December 6: Grid110 Holiday Marketplace, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., same location
Watch the street names on the two markets. The craft fair is on Washington Place, in the 90230 ZIP code. The marketplace is on Washington Boulevard, in 90232.
November 29: the Elks Lodge on Washington Place
The Culver City Christmas Craft Fair is the first holiday shopping event on the calendar. It falls on Thanksgiving weekend and runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Culver City Elks Lodge. The City's listing says admission is free.
According to that listing, the tables carry jewelry, clothing, home decor, candles, scented soaps, makeup, designer cups, Tupperware, Christmas ornaments and plants, with food on site. One of Santa's helpers will hand each child a free candy cane. This is the smaller and more traditional of the two markets: a lodge hall, an afternoon, and a mix of crafts and household goods. Families who want to cross off ornaments and stocking stuffers before December starts can do it here.
December 3: Town Plaza, with lunch on the same block
Four days later the focus moves downtown. The 2026 Annual Downtown Culver City Tree Lighting Sled-tacular runs from 5 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 3, at Town Plaza, 9300 Culver Boulevard. The Culver City Downtown Business Association organizes it.
The business district behind the tree lighting is also planning for next year. On October 13 the City Council introduced an ordinance confirming the Downtown Culver City Business Improvement District's 2027 work plan and assessments, and it set a second reading for October 26. According to the council's meeting summary, the boundaries did not change, and the City received no protests or objections to continuing the district. The same downtown merchants who pay into that district are hosting the plaza on December 3.
If you are heading downtown early, the newest stop on that stretch of Culver Boulevard is Mamie, an Italian café and sandwich shop at 9512 Culver Boulevard. It held its grand-opening week October 26 through 30 and lists daily hours of 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Infatuation added it to its Los Angeles guide on October 28. Mamie closes at 5, the same hour the tree lighting begins, so it works for a late lunch before the evening rather than dinner afterward.
December 5 and 6: why One Culver carries the City's name
The season ends at One Culver, 10000 Washington Boulevard, with the Grid110 Holiday Marketplace. The City's role is clearest at this event. At the same October 13 meeting, the City Council awarded Grid110 an in-kind, off-cycle Special Events Grant of $1,000 for the 2026 Holiday Marketplace and designated it a City-sponsored event. The event listing names the City of Culver City as a sponsor along with Charles Schwab Bank, PNC Bank, Relish and One Culver.
The marketplace is the last stage of a longer program. Grid110 runs a program called Clicks & Mortar for a cohort of up to 40 Los Angeles founders, and the holiday marketplace is billed as its main event, hosted by Tai Beauchamp. In practice, the vendors at One Culver are small Los Angeles brands that have spent the program preparing for this weekend. Grid110 describes Sunday as open to everyone, with music, community programming and thousands of holiday shoppers expected.
The listing promises curated local makers, independent brands, artists and food vendors selling gifts, apparel, art, home goods, wellness products and holiday treats. It also lists seasonal food and drinks on site, holiday portraits for cards and a gift-wrapping station. Admission is free. Grid110 asks visitors to RSVP for Saturday, Sunday or both so it can plan for the headcount, and it invites optional donations.
Like the Elks Lodge fair on November 29, it is a free gift market of local sellers, this time running over two days with the City listed as a sponsor.
What each one asks of you
| Christmas Craft Fair | Tree Lighting Sled-tacular | Grid110 Holiday Marketplace | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, Nov. 29 | Thursday, Dec. 3 | Saturday, Dec. 5, and Sunday, Dec. 6 |
| Hours | 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | 5 to 8:30 p.m. | Sat. noon to 5 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Address | Elks Lodge, 11160 Washington Place | Town Plaza, 9300 Culver Blvd. | One Culver, 10000 Washington Blvd. |
| Cost | Free | See the event page | Free, RSVP requested |
| Organizer or host | Listed in the City's events directory | Culver City Downtown Business Association | Grid110, City-sponsored |
| Extras | Candy canes for kids, food | Downtown tree lighting | Portraits, gift wrapping, food and drinks |
Only one of the three asks you to do anything ahead of time, and that is the RSVP for One Culver. You can pick a day there, which also tells Grid110 how many people to expect.
The weeks on either side
The holiday week is the busiest stretch, but two other things on the local calendar are close by. The 12th edition of the Asian World Film Festival runs in Culver City from November 12 through 19, which covers the weeks before Thanksgiving.
For time outdoors between the markets, the Ballona Creek Bike Path is back in full use. Culver City Public Works reopened it on September 11 after removing a fallen tree and repairing a damaged railing between the Duquesne and Higuera ramps. Culver City Crossroads reported that crews also trimmed vegetation and hauled away dumped tires. On November 29 you can ride the path in the morning and still get to the Elks Lodge before the fair closes at 4 p.m.
If you want to buy gifts from local makers, plan around the eight days from November 29 through December 6.
If the holidays have you thinking about your own place in Culver City, there's no rush. After the marketplace closes on December 6, Michael Bloom Homes is glad to have a quiet conversation about what your home means to you now and in the year ahead. Schedule a Confidential Consultation.
