Circus Vargas has been playing at 6104 Topanga Canyon Boulevard since its Woodland Hills run opened on Monday, Nov. 2. Just north, at 6600 Topanga Canyon, Westfield Topanga is getting ready for Santa photos in Target Court starting Nov. 13. Just south, at 5800 Topanga Canyon, Warner Park has a free festival on the calendar for the first Saturday in December. Nearly every holiday event in Woodland Hills this year falls within that 800-number stretch of one boulevard.
That compact layout makes the season easy to reach. The calendar takes more planning, because the events don't spread evenly over the next seven weeks. They pile up on two weekends, Nov. 13–15 and Dec. 5–6, and how you handle those two weekends will shape your season more than any single event.
Three addresses, one stretch of road
| Venue | Address | 2026 dates | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circus Vargas | 6104 Topanga Canyon Blvd. | Nov. 2–16 | Ticketed |
| Westfield Topanga, Santa photos | Target Court, Level 1, 6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd. | Nov. 13–Dec. 24 | Photo packages sold separately |
| Ice at Canoga Park | Westfield Topanga | Nov. 20–Jan. 11, 2027 | $15 to $22 per skater |
| Holiday Arts & Music Festival | Warner Park, 5800 Topanga Canyon Blvd. | Dec. 5, 1–5 p.m. | Free |
Only the circus has a hard end date this month. Its Woodland Hills run closes Monday, Nov. 16, with a 6 p.m. show. It also schedules the most shows on the same weekend Santa arrives. That's where the first crowded weekend comes from.
The weekend everything overlaps: Nov. 13–15
Here's what's on the calendar for that Friday through Sunday, taken from each venue's own listings:
- Friday, Nov. 13. Santa photos open at Westfield Topanga, 3–7 p.m. LEGO hosts a build-a-reindeer-and-take-it-home event on Level 1, 5–7 p.m., while supplies last. Circus Vargas has shows at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 14. Santa is in from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., the longest of the three opening sessions. The circus runs three shows, at 1, 4 and 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 15. Santa is in from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The circus has three more shows, at 12:30, 3:30 and 6:30 p.m.
On Friday, an evening LEGO build at the mall and a 7:30 p.m. circus show are a short drive apart on the same boulevard. If your household wants the circus but not those crowds, the lighter dates come earlier in the run. Shows are scheduled at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, and three times each on Saturday, Nov. 7, and Sunday, Nov. 8, before the mid-month surge.
Four kinds of Santa, on four kinds of schedule
Once opening weekend passes, the season's main decision is about which Santa fits your household, not about circus tickets. Between them, Westfield Topanga and Warner Park offer four versions:
- The standard visit at Westfield Topanga runs daily from Nov. 13 through Dec. 24 in Target Court on Level 1. Reservations are recommended, walk-ins are taken as availability allows, and professional photo packages are sold separately. On the Where Is Santa booking page, several families can share each 15-minute booking window, and online reservations can be rescheduled for free up to 48 hours before the visit.
- Pet Night with Santa runs Tuesdays from 4 to 7 p.m., Nov. 17 through Dec. 8. That works out to four Tuesday evenings, and Westfield encourages reservations.
- Sensory Santa is a single sensory-friendly session on Sunday, Dec. 6, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
- Free Santa photos at Warner Park come with the Valley Cultural Foundation's Holiday Arts & Music Festival on Saturday, Dec. 5. Organizers say the photo will be emailed to families.
Mall Santa runs for six weeks. The others are tied to specific dates. If a pet portrait is your goal, there are only four Tuesday evenings to choose from. If a calmer setting is your goal, there's one hour on one Sunday morning. If a free photo is your goal, there's one Saturday afternoon. Those three dates belong on the calendar before you book the standard visit.
From Nov. 20, the rink takes over the evenings
The second half of the season starts the Friday after Santa arrives. The West Valley Visitors Bureau, which describes itself as a privately funded nonprofit and produces the rink, lists Ice at Canoga Park at Westfield Topanga from Nov. 20 through Jan. 11, 2027. The bureau bills it as "real ice" and an outdoor rink "under the SoCal sky."
The posted schedule follows school and work hours:
| Days | Session hours |
|---|---|
| Monday–Thursday | 3–9 p.m. |
| Friday | 3–10 p.m. |
| Saturday | 11 a.m.–10 p.m. |
| Sunday | 11 a.m.–8 p.m. |
| Winter break, Dec. 20–Jan. 4 | 11 a.m.–10 p.m. daily |
Sessions last 90 minutes, and skate rental is included. Adults pay $22 and kids 12 and under pay $17. The day's last session, called Twilight, is $15 for everyone. Watching from rinkside is free.
With those prices, a household of two adults and two children pays $78 for a regular session and $60 for Twilight. Twilight saves more for adults, $7 each, than for children, $2 each. Monday through Thursday the last session ends at 9 p.m., so Twilight is an after-dinner outing rather than a late night. The bureau notes that holiday hours may change and points skaters to its @visitwestvalley account for updates.
Dec. 5 and 6, the second crowded weekend
The first weekend of December repeats the mid-November pattern at a different spot on the boulevard.
On Saturday, Dec. 5, from 1 to 5 p.m., Warner Park hosts the free Holiday Arts & Music Festival. The Valley Cultural Foundation lists free Santa photos, a "Fresh Snow Play Zone," a kids' arts and crafts area, local vendors and food trucks. The rink is open that Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. That leaves room for a park afternoon followed by an evening skate up the road, all on one Saturday.
On Sunday morning, Dec. 6, Sensory Santa runs from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. On Tuesday, Dec. 8, the last Pet Night runs from 4 to 7 p.m. After that, the special-format visits are done. The standard mall visit continues through Christmas Eve, and the rink runs through winter break.
What's next to the tent
Part of what makes this season feel different is in the same part of Warner Center. The Promenade, the Warner Center mall Kroenke bought in 2022, is gone. Valley News Group reported in January 2026 that demolition had begun, and the Daily News covered the teardown that same month. By August, Urbanize LA reported that the mall had been reduced to rubble and the property was being prepared for Rams Village. That's a proposed phased, mixed-use development of more than 5.2 million square feet on about 52 acres, with revisions submitted to the city's Planning Department for review.
So this year, Warner Center's holiday events go on near a cleared site that's waiting on its next chapter. Two restaurant additions show where the area's dining is heading next. Valley News Group reported on Oct. 23 that Original Tommy's will open at 20032 Ventura Blvd. in January 2027, with a drive-through and outdoor patio seating. At Westfield Topanga, What Now Los Angeles reported in September that Cache 58 is on the way. It's a fine-dining Mexican concept led by Ruben Barragan.
The Promenade site matters well beyond December. A parcel that size in Warner Center changes what the neighborhood's main boulevard will look like over the next several years. If you own in Woodland Hills and want to talk through what Rams Village could mean for your street, or you're just curious how the plans are moving, Tholfaqar Al Emara is happy to walk you through what's on file with the city. Let's Connect.
