There is nothing quite like spending the holidays in San Diego! You might not see any snow, but the holiday festivities are in full effect! All up and down the coastline there are parades, festivals, and shows. Most of these activities are annual and some of them are even free! I have rounded up my top favorites so you can celebrate the holidays with a SoCal twist!
North County, San Diego:
Photo courtesy of Omni La Costa
Omni La Costa Tree Lighting – This is one of the holiday festivities that I look forward to every year! Omni La Costa really knows how to do holiday festivities, we come here every Fourth Of July as well. Their tree lighting ceremony includes carolers, crafts for kids, and a holiday market.
Encinitas Holiday Parade – This is our favorite holiday parade (not just because it is the closest to our house, ha!). People line the streets of Coast Highway 101 to watch decorated floats, marching bands, and classic cars. Get there early and you can set up a blanket or chairs.
Oceanside Harbor Parade of Lights – Not as big as the boat parade I will mention below, but still so much fun! This parade also includes boats of all sizes, including kayaks!
Garden Of Lights – San Diego Botanic Garden – The garden is transformed into a magical winter wonderland with over 100,000 lights. There are horse drawn wagon rides, holiday crafts, visits with Santa, and marshmallow roasting. They even have snow and sledding some nights. Highly recommend for families!
Candy Cane Lane – A neighborhood in Poway where each house is estimated to have over 50,000 lights. You can either drive around or what we like to do is park a block away and then walk around. This has become a Christmas Eve tradition for us! (Location: Hickory Court, Hickory Street, off Twin Peaks Road)
Closer To Downtown San Diego:
Photo courtesy of Hotel Del Coronado
Hotel Del Coronado Ice Skating – I might be a little biased since I got married here (you can see some photos here) But come on, an ice rink on the beach!? It doesn’t get more Christmas in California then that! There is also a giant Christmas tree in lobby that is worth checking out too!
Dr. Suess’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas – The the Old Globe Theater in Balboa Park. What a performance! They even allow toddlers in at select showings. Also, the outside area of the theater is decorate like Whoville, which is always fun to check out.
Balboa Park’s December Nights – This is one of the largest free festivals in San Diego. The entire park will be covered in festive holiday lights for this family-friendly festival. There will be fun, food, and attractions. Some museums are also offering free admission!
Photo courtesy of Seaport Village
Surfin’ Santa – Located in Seaport Village, Santa arrives on the beach by boat and visitors can take photos with him and his giant surfboard in a pretend wave. After that, there is a parade with Santa riding in a red convertible down the boardwalk. It doesn’t get much more San Diego then this!
Jungle Bells – The San Diego Zoo is transformed into a winter wonderland with holiday performances and festive food. My favorite part is the light sculptures of animals! Highly recommend, especially if you are a local and already have Zoo passes like us!
Photo courtesy of Port of San Diego
San Diego Bay Parade of Lights – More then 80 boats all decorate with lights parade along downtown San Diego’s coastline. We like to park in Seaport Village for the best view!
Gaslamp Holiday Pet Parade – This is a fun one to watch! Pet owners and their furry friends get all dressed up in costumes and parade through Downtown San Diego. They have a costume contest for a ton of different categories and then it’s followed by a pet market.
Ocean Beach Holiday Parade – Floats, marching bands, and even the VW Beetle club all parade down Newport Ave in Ocean Beach.
Photo courtesy of Port of San Diego
San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade – One of the country’s largest balloon parades. There are also marching bands and floats, all along the scenic streets of Downtown San Diego.
The Nutcracker Ballet – I saw it a few years ago and it was absolutely incredible! I am dying to go back and take my oldest daughter to see this since she has been taking ballet lessons.
There really is so much to do around the holidays here in San Diego! Do you have any other favorites to add to this list? Leave them down below so we can check them out too! Happy Holidays!