Los Angeles shines bright. City lights shine brighter during the holidays in the United States when compared with the rest of the year, as shown using a new analysis of daily data from the NASA-NOAA Suomi NPP satellite. Dark green pixels are areas where lights are 50 percent brighter, or more, during December. Graphic courtesy NASA's Earth Observatory/Jesse Allen
L.A. SHINING BRIGHT: City lights shine brighter during the holidays in the United States when compared with the rest of the year, as shown using a new analysis of daily data from the NASA-NOAA Suomi NPP satellite. Dark green pixels are areas where lights are 50 percent brighter, or more, during December. Graphic courtesy NASA’s Earth Observatory/Jesse Allen

When the weather gets cold and a little bit dreary, we like to have a bit of light to brighten our nights. Maybe not a little. Maybe enough to see from space so the astronauts and satellites can enjoy them as well.

City street decorations and your neighborhood LED enthusiast may bring some twinkle to your evenings, but here are a few spots you can really get your fix of glowing holiday lights.

Universal Studios Hollywood – Grinchmas

Universal Studios Hollywood entrance. Photo by Colleen Park.
Universal Studios Hollywood entrance. Photo by Colleen Park.

Whether you’ve gone to Universal Studios enough times to memorize every line in the Waterworld stunt show, or not, it’s worth seeing the lighting extravaganza of Grinchmas. The $92 ticket price is a bit steep, but get an annual pass and make your first trip one for the holidays (blackout dates start from the second visit). InsideUniversal.net has a pretty great in-depth overview. Grinchmas runs Dec. 19 through Jan. 3.

L.A. Zoo Lights

The real animals are probably sleeping or trying to sleep when the zoo brings out all the lasers, 3D projections and mesmerizing LED displays of your holiday dreams. Tickets are $13 and the event runs through Jan. 4.

Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade


Lights…on BOATS! Watch multi-colored lights dance off the the dark waters as decorated yachts, boats, kayaks and canoes float by. The five-night parade starts Wednesday with actress Leslie Mann and Sugar Ray frontman Mark McGrath as Grand Marshals. Free admission (but you can pay for reserved seats).

The Queen Mary – CHILL

YouTube Poster

The Queen Mary has LED lights a plenty but the glowing ice sculptures shed a softer light and elegant holiday feel. The ice kingdom is perfect for anyone obsessed with Elsa’s ice castle-raising scene in “Frozen.” The icy experience stays up through Jan. 11.

Nokia Plaza L.A. LIVE – LA Kings Holiday Ice

Nothing reminds Angelenos of the holidays more than outdoor ice skating and the LA Kings Holiday Ice brings a giant, light-laden tree to the middle of the action. Nokia Plaza L.A. LIVE is usually a bright, eye-dazzling place regardless of the season, so the LED holiday-themed light screens really amp it up. $15 for ice skates and admission through Dec. 31.

—Colleen Park, MyNewLA.com

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