Christmas carnivals in La Habra.

A Christmas carnival laid out for La Habra.

Visitors pass under the holiday balloon arch first, a red-and-white arch trimmed with candy canes, peppermint balloons and gingerbread figures. A row of striped booths follows, red-and-white beside green-and-white, each with candy-cane signs and warm string lights overhead. A host picks the games, and prizes go to the players at every booth. Concession booths sit to one side so a queue for nachos never blocks a game, and the host can ask for a loop, an L or a straight row to fit the space.

The Santa and Mrs. Claus station has the photo-op backdrop to itself, and the snow globe inflatable gives families a second place for pictures (a prop only, with nothing falling inside). A host looking at Portola Park asks the city whether the park can host an event and on which dates. A host at the La Habra Community Center, the La Habra Tennis Center, the Children's Museum at La Habra or the Depot Theater confirms with that venue what space is open and when, since each is set up for its own programs.