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San Diego Weekend Guide: June 6-8 December – Holly Jolly

Posted on by Taylor Reeves
San Diego Weekend Guide: June 6-8 December – Holly Jolly

Christmas parades
Are you feeling festive? There’s a parade or holiday celebration for you this weekend. Photo credit: Screenshot, oceanbeachsandiego.com/

You can have a Christmas party in San Diego this weekend, but when there are lots of festivals and parades, why bother? Walk out your door and discover festive sights everywhere.

Maybe we should start with some alternatives to Christmas – and one of them comes with chili:

  • Gingfest – meet the underground music scene at SOMA on Sports Arena Boulevard, Friday, 7:30 p.m., featuring Gingsu, Silver Bullet, Big Fun and more. Tickets start at $13.
  • NoSurf Fest – at the Oceanside Museum of Art, Saturday, 6 p.m., with two stages – Indie and House. With Ashes to Amber, Buppy and Monción. Tickets, $40.
  • SoNo Fest & Chili Cook-Off – at Thorn and 32nd Street, on the border of South Park and North Park, Sunday, 11 a.m. Sample the best chili from dozens of chefs at neighborhood restaurants. Mmmmmm. Tickets start at $25.

But we know you’ll be here for the holidays. Two of the biggest local events begin this weekend:

  • April nights? June nights? No, December Nights, Balboa Park’s free holiday festival with so much to see and do (and taste). See more than 1,000 artists on four stages and sample treats and find gifts from 120 food and retail vendors. Some museums also offer free entry. Gates open at Friday 3 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m.
  • Participants in the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights will glide through the bay beginning at 5 p.m Sunday, 5:30 p.m. 80 boats are expected. See them from Shelter and Harbor Islands, Seaport Village, the Embarcadero, Cesar Chavez Park and Coronado’s Ferry Landing.

But communities across the region are bringing the spirit with them this weekend. Join in the merriment:

  • Coronado presents its holiday parade and tree lighting Friday, 6 p.mwith a 120-foot-tall tree decorated with 18,175 twinkling lights at Rotary Plaza on Orange Avenue.
  • Santa Claus arrives on the Holiday Express at Village Walk in Chula Vista’s Eastlake Saturday lunchtime. Children ride the train for free and can also make a Christmas craft. Also enjoy the light show and Christmas carols on the weekend.
  • Winter Wonderland at Wells Park in El Cajon begins at 2 p.m. with train rides, photos with Santa (and letters for the big one, too), crafts and a late-night movie.
  • The leaning tree stands along Newport Avenue just in time for the OB Holiday Parade Saturday, 5 p.m. And the topic? “Hippie Holiday Hoedown,” you know, just as you might have guessed. Can’t take part? Check it out on Newport Cam!
  • The Christmas Parade and La Jolla Christmas Festival – the theme is “Palms and Poinsettias – A California Christmas” – take place back to back. At 11:30 a.m. Sunday The festival opens at Girard and Wall streets. The parade follows at 1:30 p.m. at Kline Street and Girard.
  • North Pole by the Sea in Del Mar starts at Sunday, 1 p.m with Santa Claus, carols and a Christmas tree lighting at 5 p.m.; at Del Mar Village, 1540 Camino Del Mar.
  • The North County Kiwanis Clubs are hosting their 27th annual “Toys on Parade” holiday parade. Sunday, 1 p.m in San Marcos. The route extends 2.5 miles from Palomar College east on Mission Road to the Civic Center.

Do you need to do a little shopping? We can also help with:

  • The Makers Arcade Holiday Fair begins with a three-day stay at Broadway Pier with over 140 craft vendors, cocktail/mocktail and beer bars, a food truck plaza, make-and-take stations and live music. Opens Fridays at 2 p.m., Saturdays at 10 a.m. and Sundays at 11 a.m. Tickets are $7.
  • Before the San Marcos parade, North City hosts the Chamber of Commerce’s fifth annual Christmas market with more than 140 vendors, treats, a beer garden and a pet adoption rescue series. It starts on Sunday at 10 a.m. Look for Santa between 12 and 3 p.m

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