Top Ten Holiday Events in San Diego

Enlarge Photo

Looking to get into the Christmas spirit? Good news: You don't need to be snowed in under six feet of hard park to find it, San Diego has its own way of ringing in the holidays without a flurry in sight. Here's a list of the premium holiday events San Diego has to offer this season.

1. December Nights in Balboa Park, Dec. 7 (6-10pm), Dec. 8 (12-10pm)
December Nights in Balboa Park is a quintessential holiday event in San Diego. The largest free community festival in the county, December Nights is expected to attract more than 300,000 visitors over two days. Most of the parks museums are open to the public both nights, seasonal music and dance stages are everywherem and holiday food literally surrounds you. Highlights include the International Cottages Open House (over 30 countries sharing cultural holiday traditions in food dance and music), the Cirque du Soleil preview of Corteo, and the International Cottages Spirits and Beer Garden where you can circumnavigate the globe through the miracle of booze.

2. San Diego Bay Parade of Lights, Dec. 9 and 16, (5:30-9pm)
Tis the year of the pirate, and the 36th annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights is joining in the fun with their "Yo Ho Ho...A Pirates Christmas!" theme. The San Diego boating community goes all out for this annual event that parades private sea vessels decorated with holiday lights from Shelter Island to Downtown and beyond. This event is easily viewed from just about anywhere along the bay but some of the best spots are the north and south ends of the Embarcadero, Shelter Island, Harbor Island, and the bay side of Coronado.

3. Del Mar Holiday of Lights, Nov. 22, 2007 - Jan. 1, 2008 (5:30-10pm)
Driving around neighborhoods looking for Christmas Lights is a family tradition for many San Diegans, but when you want to see how the professionals do it, stop by the Holiday of Lights at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. This is an awe inspiring drive through light show and exhibit. There are over 400 displays separated into 7 different themes: Candy Cane Lane, Toyland, San Diego County Fair, Treasures by the Lake, Del Mar Racetrack, the Twelve Days of Christmas, and Elves at Play. The route is about a mile and a half long and takes a good 15-20 minutes to take it all in. Expect traffic, they get about 600 cars a night. It'll cost you $13 per car, for up to five people.

4. An American Christmas at the Hotel Del Coronado, Dec. 9th-30th, except the 25th (6:30pm)
Stay Classy San Diego! That sentiment rings especially true at the Hotel Del in December. An American Christmas, performed by 30 artists from the award-winning Lamb's Players Theatre, is a delicious 5-course meal in the Grand Ballroom accented with music, dance, stories, and songs from over 100 years ago, brought to you by "The Marshal family." This is an unforgettable three hour event. It runs between $110-$145 per person, depending on the date.

5. Wild Animal Park's Festival of Lights, Dec. 7th-30th closed Christmas Day
If you prefer your Holiday lights a little on the "wild side" head over to Wild Animal Park's Festival of Lights. In addition to the normal fun you'd have at the Wild Animal Park at night, they've lit the place with tons of animal themed Christmas lights. They also have a kiddie snow area to play in and a snow hill with separate sides for kids big and little. The African elephants are getting 15 tons of snow on the 15th, and on the 16th the gorillas get to play with eight tons of the fluffy white stuff. For the ultimate Festival of Lights experience, take a ride on a tethered helium balloon floating 400 feet above the park on the Balloon Safari.

6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas at The Old Globe Theater, Nov. 25th- Dec. 30th, various show times
The Dr. Seus children's Christmas classic "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is brought to life on stage at The Old Globe Theater in Balboa Park. One of only two theaters in the world permitted to produce the musical, The Old Globe does it right with the experience beginning before you even enter the theater, as the courtyard is decorated with unmistakably Seusical characters from Whoville, and even the Grinch himself. Once inside it's edge-of-their-tiny-seat excitement for the kids, with wide eyed gasps and cheers through the whole show. This performance is fun for adults too, as it's easy to get caught up in your own Christmas nostalgia.

7. Ice Skating at the Hotel Del, Nov. 21st-Dec.16th
For another unique Southern California experience head to the Ice Rink at the Hotel Del Coronado. For shear novelty this event can't be beat. You can actually ice skate on an out-door rink, literally on the beach, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The rink is small, pricey, wet, and often crowded, but for some reason none of that matters. For goodness sake- you're ice skating on the beach! What can be better than that? Oh yeah, watching people fall as they're ice skating on the beach.

8. 94.9's Holiday Hootenanny, Dec 15th (5pm)
For a non-traditional Christmas event look to San Diego's independent radio station. Featuring Queens of the Stone Age, local boys Pinback and Louis XIV, The Kooks, Mute Math, and Rogue Wave, FM 94.9's Holiday Hootenanny will blow "Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer" out of the water. Tickets are $37 with $1 from every ticket going to the "About The Music Fund." It's an all-ages show at UCSD's Rimac Arena; get there early to catch Reeve Oliver's pre-show BBQ in the Beer Garden.

9. La Jolla Symphony & Choir's Messiah Sing-a-Long, Dec. 16th (4pm)
The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus gives a new spin to a longstanding holiday tradition. Seeing Handel's Messiah artfully performed by a talented symphony and chorus always gets people in the Christmas spirit, and now you can join in on the fun. As you walk in the door you will be asked which part you'd like. For men, you're either bass, tenor, or baritone. For the women, you only have to know whether you sing like a Disney character or not (soprano vs. alto). The La Jolla Chorus members are mixed in with the audience, so when you sing loudly and off key - they will sing louder and on-key, nullifying your lack of pitch. Tickets are $15, and it's at the Saint Elizabeth Seaton Catholic Church in Carlsbad.

10. SeaWorld Holiday Celebration, Dec. 1st-31st
San Diego SeaWorld has gotten into the holiday spirit this year by decking the halls, lighting the Skytower Tree of Lights, providing strolling carolers with musicians, and putting together special holiday themed shows. Clyde and Seamore's Night Before Christmas provides the comic relief as Shamu's Holiday Night Show provides the "wow" with it's usual acrobatic orcas and a live choir and musical soloists. Breakfast with Shamu and Santa is for those of us who want to tell Santa we want a killer whale for Christmas - but would rather just point.

Looking ahead:
San Diego New Year's Eve party guide
San Diego holiday party hairstyle headquarters