Torrance's Holiday Season Has a New Starting Line This Year
For years the Torrance Turkey Trot started and finished in the Sam's Club parking lot on Skypark Drive. This Thanksgiving it doesn't. The City has moved check-in, the start and the finish across the street to the Lowe's lot, and nobody can park at Lowe's.
The Torrance Santa Float has changed too. It has rolled through local streets since 1969 and went through a rough few years recently. Now a new group of partners keeps it running, and the season opens with a Saturday evening event where Santa arrives by helicopter.
Both traditions are familiar to longtime households, and both work differently in 2026. If you've done them for years, you'll need to adjust your plans a little.
| Date | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 20 | Last day of regular Turkey Trot registration | Online at Torrance.rec.us, by mail or walk-in |
| Sat., Nov. 21, 4–8 p.m. | Santa Takes Flight kickoff; Santa lands at 4:30 p.m. | Robinson Helicopter Company, 2901 Airport Dr. |
| Mon.–Tue., Nov. 23–24 | No Turkey Trot registration accepted | — |
| Wed., Nov. 25, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. | Late registration | City Hall West Annex, 3031 Torrance Blvd. |
| Wed., Nov. 25, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. | Advance packet pickup | Ken Miller Recreation Center |
| Thu., Nov. 26, 8 a.m. | 46th Harry Sutter Memorial Turkey Trot | Lowe's lot, 2700 Skypark Dr. |
| Sun., Nov. 29 | Santa Float begins its 22-night neighborhood tour | Every residential neighborhood |
| Dec. 1–3 and 5–6 | Torrance Memorial Holiday Festival | 3330 Lomita Blvd. |
The registration gap is the easiest thing to miss. Anyone who doesn't sign up by November 20 has two days with no way to register, then pays the late fee starting November 25.
The Turkey Trot is older than many of the homes along its route. A 2012 Torrance Tribune article in Herald Publications credits the idea to Harry Sutter, a City of Torrance recreation supervisor who came up with a family fun run for Thanksgiving. The event still carries his name.
For most of its recent history the run started at Sam's Club, 2601 Skypark Drive. The City's 2025 event listing names that lot as the location, and the 2025 registration page says the run began there. In its 2019 coverage, the Daily Breeze described a course that started at Sam's, went down Hawthorne Boulevard, turned back toward Skypark from Madison Street and finished where it began.
In 2026, check-in, the start and the finish all move to the Lowe's parking lot at 2700 Skypark Drive. The City's Turkey Trot page calls it a new location and hasn't said why it moved. The 2026 entry form has a course diagram showing where the run starts and finishes.
The old lot is still part of race morning. It's now one of the places to park. Here's how the morning works on the City's instructions:
Lowe's itself is off limits for parking. The City says so twice on its page and asks everyone to note the new location before race day. One part of the page also lists Costco as a parking option, but the updated flyer names only Sam's Club, Torrance Crossroads and Home Depot. If you want to be safe, use one of those three.
The fee depends on when you register. Early registration was $30 and closed October 15. As of this week, registration costs $35 until November 20. The late fee is $40, and none of the fees are refundable. You can register online at Torrance.rec.us, where first-time users need to create a Rec account and can add family members from their household. Paying by card adds a surcharge.
The City's sources give different details for the day before the race. The event page lists advance packet pickup on November 25, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., at Ken Miller Recreation Center, 3330 Civic Center Drive. The updated flyer says Ken Miller Recreation Center Plaza, 3341 Torrance Boulevard. The City's October 20 news release puts late registration that afternoon at the Community Services Department, City Hall West Annex, 3031 Torrance Boulevard, and race-day late registration in the Sam's Club lot. Late registration is cash or check only. Because the addresses differ, call the Community Services Department at (310) 618-2930 before you drive over.
Some rules haven't changed. All ages can run. Pets, skateboards, rollerblades and bicycles aren't allowed on the course. Everyone has to be registered. The City also asks runners to bring canned food for its Thanksgiving Day food drive. Registered participants get a commemorative shirt while supplies last. Past drawing prizes have included mountain bikes, gift cards and gym memberships.
The Saturday before Thanksgiving, the season's other big tradition gets its own start. The second annual Santa Float Kickoff, called "Santa Takes Flight," runs Saturday, November 21, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Robinson Helicopter Company, 2901 Airport Drive. A GlobeNewswire release says Santa will arrive in a Robinson helicopter at 4:30 p.m.
Entry is free, but you need to register on Eventbrite. The organizers list:
Local businesses can apply for a Christmas market booth through the Torrance Police Foundation. Booth and sponsorship money goes to the foundation's youth programs, community outreach and officer training.
The kickoff exists because of the float's recent history. The Torrance Police Officers' Association started the Santa Float in 1969. In 1992, six officers rebuilt it from scratch on a new trailer, starting from a sketch on a napkin. The release says the float ran into operational problems in recent years. Robinson Helicopter Company then joined the TPOA, the Torrance Police Foundation and the Van Lingen Group to keep the tradition going. The Van Lingen Group tows the float.
So when you show up at Airport Drive on November 21, you're supporting the arrangement that keeps the float running. Speaking for the Police Foundation in the same release, Rachael Steven said the organizers hope the kickoff "becomes a Christmas tradition families look forward to year after year."
Starting Sunday, November 29, Torrance Police Foundation officers will escort the float on a 22-night tour of every residential neighborhood in the city. The organizers say detailed route maps and dates will come out in mid-November. That's after this post goes up and a week or so before the kickoff. The Torrance Police Foundation's events page is the place to check for your neighborhood's night.
The tour reaches into December, and so does the city calendar. The Torrance Memorial Holiday Festival at 3330 Lomita Boulevard runs December 1, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.; December 2, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; December 3, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; December 5, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and December 6, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The City's listing says the festival is free, while the fashion show and gala dinner need tickets.
Before Thanksgiving morning, put the Lowe's lot at 2700 Skypark Drive in your phone and plan to walk over from Sam's Club or Torrance Crossroads.
The team at Jason Sikola follows local changes like these, such as a moved start line, a revived float tour or a new Saturday event, because they're part of everyday life in Torrance. If you're thinking about a move this season and want to talk timing around the holidays, let's talk real estate.
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