San Diego Weekend Guide: June 13-15 December – Good news
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San Diego Weekend Guide: June 13-15 December – Good news

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

Holiday boat parades
Oceanside’s Harbor Parade of Lights, one of the region’s holiday celebrations on the water. Photo credit: Screenshot, SanDiego.org

What matters more: the holiday spirit or the ghost of Friday the 13th? We say go for the holiday spirit, and thank goodness, but we have plenty of ways to get you in the spirit this weekend in San Diego – on land and sea.

Firstly, we offer holiday relief (so to speak):

  • Is Almost Nakey Santacon really that festive? Regardless, it returns to Belmont Park on Saturday at 1pm and the long stage features Franc Moody, Whethan, Yung Joc, Devault, Ardalan and Cut Snake. Tickets start at $85 for a four-pack.
  • San Diego FC, the MLS team making its debut next year, added some important pieces to the puzzle this week. Celebrate at 10 a.m. Sunday at Snapdragon Stadium at the final stop of the club’s Chrome Ball Tour, a gathering in communities across the region. Watch a 5v5 tournament and DJ, and shop at the merch trailer and food trucks.

It’s all holidays from here on out, folks. How about a show? From Charles Dickens to Langston Hughes, literary greats have written Christmas plays – and there are Christmas songs too:

  • The old globe A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story Told by Jefferson Mays enters its first weekend with the Tony winner taking on all the roles of the holiday classic. Tickets start at $59 and are extremely limited through December 22nd. And don’t forget the Globe’s perennial favorite, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!Duration until December 31st.
  • The San Diego Symphony presents “Noel Noel” at the Jacobs Music Center downtown with guest conductor Christopher Dragon, the San Diego Master Chorale and the San Diego Children’s Choir. Tickets for evening shows and matinees start at $39 through Sunday.
  • Common Ground Theater Black nativity scenea gospel musical originally written by Langston Hughes, runs through Sunday for four performances at the Educational Cultural Complex, 4343 Ocean View Blvd. continued. General admission is $35.

But if you prefer a parade, sleigh and Christmas lights, phew, there are so many presents under your proverbial tree:

Friday

  • Solana Beach, 2:30 p.m. Santa’s sleigh ride begins and ends at the Community Fire Station, 500 Lomas Santa Fe Drive.
  • Poway, 3:30 p.m. – “Christmas in the Park” at Old Poway Park includes carols, live music, Santa Claus, children’s crafts, model train demonstrations and more. The Poway Midland Railroad offers a night ride through the park. Continued on Saturday.
  • Del Mar, 4 p.m., Coastal Christmas Holiday Light Spectacular begins on select dates through December 26 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. With ice skating, Santa Claus, fun zone and the Tipsy Elf cocktail bar. Admission starts at $24, with BOGO nights available.
  • Valley Center, 4 p.m., Christmas at Valley Center over two days at Bates Nut Farm, 15954 Woods Valley Road. Santa Claus will appear and so will the Grinch.

Saturday

  • Pacific Beach – Put on a Santa suit at the 12th annual San Diego Santa Run at 8 a.m., then grab a bite and head to the Holiday Parade on Garnet Avenue between Haines and Bayard streets at 1 p.m
  • Escondido, 10 a.m. – The 73rd Annual Jaycees Christmas Parade begins south at Escondido Boulevard and Woodward Avenue.
  • La Mesa, Noon – Holiday in the Village features ice skating, mini golf, a Mrs. Claus reading nook, a gingerbread house photo op and an elf adventure trail. On La Mesa Boulevard between Spring and 4th Streets.
  • Gaslamp Quarter, 1:00 p.m. – The Gaslamp Pet Parade & Pups in the Pub Party begins with a costume vote and festive pet accessories, as well as photos with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. At the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp.
  • Chula Vista – The Starlight Parade and Starlight Festival begins at 3:00 p.m. with the festival and Santa Claus, followed by the tree lighting at 5:45 p.m. and the parade at 6:00 p.m. Along Third Avenue between E and I Streets, more in the middle, Memorial Park.
  • Along Mission Bay, 5:30 p.m. – Mission Bay Yacht Club hosts the Parade of Lights. The event begins with SeaWorld fireworks, followed by decorated boats on the bay. Choose a hotel for spotting including the Catamaran Resort, San Diego Mission Bay Resort, Bahia and Paradise Point.
  • Oceanside, 7 p.m. – The Harbor Parade of Lights welcomes fishing boats, sailboats, yachts, kayaks and inflatables to Oceanside Harbor.

Sunday

Along San Diego Bay, 5:30 p.m. – The second weekend of the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights with up to 80 ships. Best places to watch – the launch from Shelter Island, continuing to Harbor Island, North and South Embarcadero, Cesar Chavez Park Pier and the ferry dock in Coronado.

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