Los Angeles County stretches from the Hollywood Hills to the Pacific, but the stretch that changes most with the seasons sits at its southwestern edge, on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. This is where Terranea Resort sits on 102 oceanfront acres above the water, close enough to the city for a weekend escape and far enough from it that the pace slows the moment the drive ends. As autumn settles over the bluffs, the resort’s calendar fills with the kind of fall programming that turns a short trip into a full season: a champagne dinner in October, a shoreline harvest festival the same month, and a run of holiday traditions that carries guests from Thanksgiving through the first days of January. For anyone searching for fall things to do in Los Angeles that don’t require fighting traffic to a pumpkin patch or a downtown food hall, Terranea’s own stretch of coastline offers a quieter, more coastal version of the season.
An October Wine Dinner Above the Water
On October 22, Terranea’s Vine to Ocean series welcomes Laurent-Perrier, the storied Champagne house founded in 1812 and known for its pursuit of purity, freshness, and balance. At Mar’sel, a multi-course tasting menu is composed around a progression of Laurent-Perrier Champagnes, each course considered in concert with the glass beside it. Michelle DeFeo, President of Laurent-Perrier US, joins the evening to guide guests through the pairings. Intimate in scale and singular in setting, the dinner brings champagne’s character to the Southern California coast for one evening.
A Los Angeles Harvest Festival by the Ocean
Three days later, on October 25, Terranea’s Harvest Festival moves outdoors to The Meadows. Pumpkins line the bluffs, cider is poured, and seasonal fare is served as live music drifts across the lawn. The light softens over the Pacific, the air stays warm, and the familiar signs of autumn take on a distinctly coastal character.
Thanksgiving on the Bluff
Thanksgiving at Terranea, held November 26 and 27, begins before the first plate is served. Guests can start the morning on foot, tracing the resort’s trails above the Pacific, before the afternoon buffet takes over: roasted turkey and all its usual company, stuffing, cranberry, and the sides every family already knows by heart. For a family weighing a Los Angeles Thanksgiving getaway against a flight home or a house full of dishes, the appeal is straightforward: the traditional plate stays the same, but the view and the cleanup do not.
Christmas by the Sea
Terranea’s holiday season runs from November 28 through January 2, and it announces itself early. The tree along the front drive is lit for the first time of the season, and pine and citrus thread through the sea air well before guests reach the lobby. Just steps away, the Gingerbread Lounge stands entirely of its namesake, gingerbread walls and windows built with the same precision as any other structure on the property, with festive cocktails poured inside through the new year. Santa keeps a regular calendar of visits throughout the season, and younger guests find their own rhythm to it all: letters written for the North Pole, ornaments strung by hand, and each morning spent tracking down wherever the resort’s elf has turned up overnight. Families staying through the holidays can dress their own villa or suite for the occasion, turning the stay into a home settled into for Christmas rather than a room simply booked for it. Anyone searching for Christmas in Los Angeles that still feels like a proper holiday, tree and all, without leaving the coast will find it here.
Three Ways to Ring In the New Year
New Year’s Eve at Terranea offers three distinct ways to see out the year, each shaped for a different kind of celebration. Kids Club hosts its own late-running party for younger guests, while a family dinner brings everyone together under one roof. For adults, a Masquerade Party unfolds above the Pacific, with dinner, dancing and live entertainment carrying the evening toward midnight. As the year turns, champagne is poured, and the celebration continues against the dark water and distant lights of Catalina. Most New Year’s Eve celebrations end with a countdown and a skyline. Here, the ocean sets the scene for the first moments of the year ahead.
Plan a Fall or Holiday Stay at Terranea
From an October wine dinner to a New Year’s toast over the Pacific, Terranea’s fall and holiday calendar gives visitors reason to book a stay on the coast at nearly any point in the season, whether the trip is built around a single evening or stretched across a full week. Because dates for the wine dinner, Harvest Festival, and holiday programming tend to book up as the season progresses, earlier planning generally means better availability, particularly for the Laurent-Perrier dinner and Christmas week. Contact your Coastline Travel Group advisor to check current availability and begin planning your stay.