By Charly SHELTON

It’s the holiday season and for many So Cal residents, that means a trip to the local theme parks. No matter what religion or culture, whether you like big rides or a comfortable stroll, and with tickets from expensive to affordable, there is something in the greater LA area this year to fill everyone’s holiday wish.

For the thrill seeker, head over to Six Flags Magic Mountain. On select days now through Dec. 30 guests can experience Holiday in the Park, a fun-filled extravaganza for the whole family. Oddly enough for the park, which has dozens of coasters that make riders throw up, it has lots of fantastic food offerings to refill that stomach, which may even entice riders away from the extreme rides. Personally, as much fun as I have on Batman the Ride, I opted to skip it in favor of walking around, looking at the dazzling light displays and partaking in the festive foods of the Taste of the Holidays Food Festival. Be sure to try the chicken and waffles, cherry pie nachos and Guinness Sloppy Joe sliders during the food festival, which begins on Dec. 15. Perhaps most unique of all is the s’mores pits. Set up in several locations around the park, guests can roast giant s’mores over an open campfire tended by Santa’s Six Flags Helpers. If nothing else, stop by and warm yourself by the fire on a cold (for California) winter’s evening.

If the delicious offerings of Magic Mountain’s holiday foods haven’t stuffed you full yet, head down to the park that was founded on food – Knott’s Berry Farm. During the season, the park transforms into Knott’s Merry Farm with lots of holiday offerings on the menu park-wide. Many dishes are creative ways to utilize leftovers – taking the classics of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce and turning them into holiday egg rolls, turkey dinner bites, turkey poutine, holiday turkey pizza and the like. Still other dishes are holiday classics, like tamales of chicken, beef or sweet elote, and sugar cookies decked in holiday frosting finest, DoughKnott’s, churros, gingerbread men and, of course, the classic Knott’s boysenberry pie. Then it’s time to walk around the park and digest.

The Christmas Crafts Village is a unique opportunity to do some light holiday shopping with dozens of local artisans who have set up shop across the Ghost Town of Calico. Christmas stage shows by the Peanuts gang are sure to put you in the feel of the season. From Santa’s Christmas Cabin to exhilarating coasters to nightly snowfall with dancing lights and more, there’s plenty of holiday fun to explore at Knott’s Merry Farm. The festivities run now through Jan. 6.

The Queen Mary in Long Beach is not a theme park in the same sense as the others, but it also offers a great time. For years, its holiday event has been CHILL – a winter-themed playland in the lot in front of the ship featuring ice skating, festive cocktails and food offerings and activities for kids. But this year, the fun moves onto the Queen Mary herself for the newest celebration: Queen Mary Christmas, Where Holidays Set Sail! Now through Jan. 6, guests can come explore all there is to do aboard the ship and take in the beautiful decorations strung about the halls and on the smoke stacks. This is less of a full-day event like the previously mentioned parks, but more of a nice place to walk around after having dinner aboard the ship. The nightly tree lighting is rather unique in that the 80-foot tree is made entirely of more than 45,000 LED lights strung up to a mast on the bow of the ship, which blink and dance along with holiday music. The aforementioned ice skating has returned, this time on the top deck of the ship, just at the base of the smoke stack all lit up in lights, and the ship’s main hall and indoor promenade decks are great places to stroll and take in the decorations while listening to live carolers.

Universal Studios Hollywood has brought back its successful Christmas in the Wizarding World event with a short projection show played out across the face of Hogwarts to celebrate the season. Now it is accompanied by nightly snowfall in the land, too. And Grinchmas returns as well, still taking the Ron Howard-directed version of the film as the main inspiration. With the release of the new Grinch movie earlier this month, I thought it would switch over to the new art style and revamp it a bit to promote that film. But it is sticking to the film that made it a great event in the first place, and I am very happy it is. Grinchmas is a fun event with a roving Grinch in his Santa suit to poke fun at the guests as they meet Max the Dog, send Who-liday letters and take in a show at the base of the 65-foot spiral Christmas tree. These holiday offerings run every day in the Wizarding World and select dates for Grinchmas now through Dec. 30.

And finally, last week we took a look at Disneyland’s holiday celebration. Classic Disneyland traditions like It’s A Small World Holiday, Haunted Mansion Holiday and A Christmas Fantasy parade return alongside new favorites like the Festival of Holidays, which celebrates winter traditions from around the world. To read a full write-up on everything Disneyland has to offer during the holidays, check out the Nov. 22 issue or find the article online under the Leisure tab.

  Charly Shelton