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December 19, 2025
By Brian Hews
For 66 years, the Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration has marked Christmas Eve not just as a seasonal event, but as a civic tradition rooted in inclusion, community, and public service. What began in 1959 as a simple idea by then–Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth “Kenny” Hahn has endured for more than six decades, becoming one of the county’s longest-running and most cherished public gatherings.
Hahn, who served on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors from 1952 to 1992, remains the longest-serving supervisor in county history. Representing District 2 throughout his 40-year tenure, he believed deeply that government should be visible, accessible, and connected to the everyday lives of residents. The Holiday Celebration was a direct expression of that belief, created as a free event meant to bring families together and reflect the cultural diversity of Los Angeles County.
The origins of the celebration are closely tied to the creation of the Music Center itself, a connection that Hahn’s daughter, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, has often shared when reflecting on her father’s legacy. “When Dorothy Chandler set out to build the Music Center, she came to the Board of Supervisors for support. My dad, Supervisor Kenny Hahn, said yes—with one important condition: that the Music Center open its doors to the public for free at least one day every year. And from that promise, this beautiful celebration was born.
“Over the decades, the show has changed. I remember when it was 12 hours long and featured everyone from local bands to my own school choir!
“It makes me so proud that the event has been kept alive. For so many families across LA County—including my own—this Christmas Eve tradition at the Music Center is something we look forward to year after year. If you want to make it part of your holiday celebrations this year, you can reserve a ticket on the Music Center’s website or watch the show live on KCET.”
Before his time on the Board of Supervisors, Hahn served on the Los Angeles City Council from 1947 to 1953, representing the 8th District. His public career spanned a period of dramatic growth and change in Los Angeles, and his influence reached nearly every corner of county life. He helped spearhead the creation of Los Angeles County’s paramedic program, introduced emergency call boxes along freeways, authored key transit funding measures, and played a role in establishing Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center. He was also instrumental in bringing the Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles and in expanding parks and open space, including what is now the Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area.
Yet among all of those accomplishments, the Holiday Celebration stands out as one of Hahn’s most personal and enduring legacies. From its earliest years, the event featured performances representing a wide range of cultures, traditions, and faiths, blending music, dance, and storytelling tied to winter holidays celebrated across the world. Hahn viewed the celebration as both a cultural showcase and a statement of values, one that emphasized unity and shared identity in a county defined by its diversity.
Over time, the celebration grew in scale and prominence, eventually finding a home at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at The Music Center. It became a professionally produced program broadcast to audiences beyond the concert hall, while remaining true to its original mission. Admission has always been free, and the focus has remained on bringing people together rather than selling tickets or exclusivity.
This continuity mirrors Hahn’s broader philosophy of public service. He believed government should do more than manage departments and budgets; it should foster community, dignity, and pride. The fact that the Holiday Celebration has endured for 66 years speaks not only to the strength of the event itself, but to the clarity of purpose behind it.
That legacy continues today through Hahn’s family, most notably his daughter, Janice Hahn, who serves as a Los Angeles County Supervisor. Those who know her also know how deeply she respected and loved her father, and how seriously she takes the responsibility of public service that defined his life. While the celebration belongs to the county as a whole, its continued presence reflects a rare and genuine continuity in civic leadership and values.
Kenny Hahn died on October 12, 1997, but his influence remains woven into the fabric of Los Angeles County. Each Christmas Eve, as families gather at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion or watch from home, the Holiday Celebration serves as a living reminder of a public servant who understood the power of bringing people together. More than six decades on, the event remains exactly what Hahn intended it to be: a shared moment of community, culture, and connection in one of the most diverse counties in the nation.
Ticket information, scan the QR code below:
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