25 delightful December days 🎁

25 San Diego holiday activities

December is finally here, so we’re making a list and counting down to Christmas with 25 seasonal suggestions you can find around our city.

You can try following along like an Advent calendar, or you can choose your own adventure from our list of festive treats, gatherings, and shopping experiences that make the holiday season a special time in San Diego.

Family Christmas Tree Farm El Cajon — Pick your tree at Family Christmas Tree Farm.

1. Oh Christmas tree. Head to a highly-rated local farm to pick out your holiday centerpiece, like Family Christmas Tree Farm in El Cajon.

2. December Nights returns on Dec. 2 + Dec. 3. Bring your appetite, and head to Balboa Park to see the tradition in its full form.

3. Take an urban lights tour. Old Town Trolley’s Holiday Sights and Festive Nights Tours start Dec. 3.

4. Write a letter to Santa, and mail it to him at the mailbox at the Piazza della Famiglia in Little Italy. All letters submitted by Sunday, Dec. 11, will get a response from the man in red.

5. Time for eggnog — try Dark Horse Coffee Roasters’ Egg Nog Cold Foam Cold Brew, or warm it up and get a specialty latte.

6. It’s time to decorate, so head to City Lights Collectibles in Bay Park to support a local, family owned business that sells ornaments + holiday lights.

7. Check out the Old Globe Theatre to view its Whoville-themed decorations, or make a night of it and get tickets to “Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!”

8. Feed your sweet tooth by visiting a local candy shop, or stock up on novelty candies at IT’SUGAR in the Gaslamp Quarter.

9. Eat your holiday attire by indulging in an Ugly Sweater Donut from Donut Bar.

10. Give yourself — or someone else — the gift of energy with Modern Times’ “Holiday Radness” trio of coffee roasts.

2021 San Diego bay Parade of Lights boat — Cruising through the 2021 San Diego Bay Parade of Lights.

11. Your FantaSEA is coming true — the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights returns on Dec. 11 + Dec. 18.

12. Head to Salt & Straw to try its seasonal flavors — Gingerbread Cookie Dough sounds delicious.

THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES

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Thursday, Dec. 1

2022 Holiday Market | Thursday, Dec. 1-Friday, Dec. 23 | 4-10 p.m. | Petco Park, 100 Park Blvd., San Diego | $10-$20 | The annual event lights up the ballpark with more decorations, vendors, food + drinks.
A Christmas Carol | Thursday, Dec. 1-Saturday, Dec. 24 | 7 p.m. | Lamb’s Players Theatre, 1142 Orange Ave., Coronado | $22-$86 | Kerry Meads’ adaptation of the Charles Dickens story returns.
Turnover | Thursday, Dec. 1 | 8 p.m. | The Observatory North Park, 2891 University Ave., San Diego | $25 | A night of live rock music.
Holiday “In” — Jazz at the Ballroom | Thursday, Dec. 1 | 8-9:30 p.m. | California Center for the Arts, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido | $30-$50 | Swing into the holidays with tributes to Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and other Hollywood + Broadway legends.

Friday, Dec. 2

Kid’s Night Out | Friday, Dec. 2 | 4:30-9 p.m. | Oak Hall at the Mickey Cafagna Community Center, 13094 Civic Center Dr., Poway | Free | A night for kids in grades 1-5 to enjoy games, crafts + activities.
Soul of a Decade | Friday, Dec. 2 | 8:30 p.m. | The Merrow, 1271 University Ave., San Diego | $12 | Music, cocktails + dancing.

Saturday, Dec. 3

Little Italy Tree Lighting & Christmas Village | Saturday, Dec. 3 | 4-8 p.m. | Piazza della Famiglia, 555 W. Date St., San Diego | Little Italy kicks off the holiday season with its annual community festival.
The Psychedelic Furs | Saturday, Dec. 3 | 8 p.m. | The Music Box, 1337 India St., San Diego | $77 | The longtime post-punk band headlines this 21+ show.

Sunday, Dec. 4

Moon Voyage Market | Sunday, Dec. 4 | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | Adams Avenue Theater, 3325 Adams Ave., San Diego | $10 | Adams Avenue Theater, La Loupe Vintage + Chrome City team up for this curated showcase of local makers, artists, and vintage vendors.
La Jolla Christmas Parade and Festival | Sunday, Dec. 4 | 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. | La Jolla, 1008 Wall St., San Diego | Free | Enjoy live entertainment + seasonal activities, followed by the 66th annual parade at 1:30 p.m. along this route.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

UNBOX MORE EVENTS

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Weather

60º | Cloudy | 5% chance of rain

Sunrise + Sunset

Rise: 6:32 a.m.
Set: 4:41 p.m.

Tide

Low: 10:42 a.m. + 10:41 p.m.
High: 4:46 a.m. + 4:13 p.m.
Water Temperature: 58º

Environment

Looking for a New Year’s resolution? Try wasting less. The City of San Diego plans to roll out 300,000+ “green bins” in January for organic waste like yard trimmings and food scraps. The initiative will be free for residents, and aligns with California Senate Bill 1383’s efforts to reduce landfill waste by 40%. 🗑️ (Fox 5)
The San Dieguito River is rising as it receives water from Lake Hodges. This will help maintain the condition of the reservoir’s century-old dam due to increased water from recent rainfall. No flooding is expected, but anyone visiting the San Dieguito River should take precautions due to higher water levels. 💧 (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Travel

Gas prices are staying in reverse. For the first time since March 3, the average cost of a gallon of regular, self-serve gasoline in San Diego County fell below $5. Yesterday, this average hit $4.978 thanks to a 6-cent drop — the 19th day in a streak of declines. ⛽ (KPBS)

Civic

Del Mar has a gift for visitors: free parking. The city won’t enforce 2-hour limits on weekends in December and for a holiday break from 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16-9 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 1. Other regulations will remain enforced, like 20-minute spaces and metered spots on Maiden Lane + Coast Boulevard. 🅿️ (Fox 5)

Real Estate

For the fourth month in a row, home prices are leveling down. Data from the Case-Shiller Index revealed that prices in the San Diego metro area fell 2.1% in September when compared to August — but are still 9.5% higher than August 2021. 📉 (Times of San Diego)

Arts

Artist Jon Savage is preparing for a colorful display, coming to The Studio Door in Hillcrest. His exhibit “7250” is a collection of works celebrating SoCal culture and his experiences as a deaf artist. Its grand opening is this Saturday and it will run through Friday, Dec. 30. 🖼️ (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Cause

Nova Easy Kombucha is giving back like a pro. The brand will host its Holiday Social Hour Fundraiser at its Ocean Beach Taproom on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 5:30-8:30 p.m., to benefit Corazón de Vida. Guests will be joined by two US Olympic athletes, three players from San Diego Loyal, and Padres pitcher Daniel Camarena. 🥇

Feel Good

Happy birthday, Grandma — a Galapagos tortoise who is the San Diego Zoo’s oldest resident turned 138, making her older than the zoo itself. The shelled senior celebrated by devouring a birthday treat made of flowers, fruit, grass, and leaves. 🐢 (NBC 7)

Shop

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Walkin’ in the winter wondersands 🎶

Ocean Beach welcomes its 2022 Christmas tree

OB Christmas tree, OB Christmas tree…

A waterfront tradition has returned to Ocean Beach. Right where Newport Avenue ends, a 65-ft Christmas tree is rising from the sands.

Installing the OB Christmas tree 2022 — Leaning into our love for OB.

For more than 40 years, a tree has been donated to the community by a local, harvested from a yard because it was overgrown or needed to be removed. This year, OB’s holiday tree was gifted by a Midway District resident.

And just like in previous years — it’s a little crooked — but the eclectic beach community likes it that way.

This week, the tree is getting dressed for the holidays so it will be ready for the 43rd annual OB Holiday Parade on Saturday, Dec. 3, at 5 p.m. Santa Claus will also be visiting the tree that day, with additional appearances on two following Saturdays: Dec. 10 + Dec. 17.

THE WRAP

Editor’s pick: Good morning, San Diego. I hear sleigh bells ringing — my stereo is in full Christmas mode. It’s no secret that Monica and I are big Mariah Carey fans, so we fit right in with other San Diegans.

According to Apple Music, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is the top Christmas song among locals. If that’s not your tune, “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms is the city’s second most popular holiday song.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Get ready for the full return of December Nights.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Monica Garske, Michael Beausoleil, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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