‘December Nights' Were Nights to Remember

Largest free event in San Diego attracts over 100,000 people in first night

San Diego’s largest free event attracted hundreds of thousands of locals – which, with the exception a few parking glitches, kicked off a jubilant holiday season.

The annual holiday tradition December Nights began Friday evening at 5 p.m. and featured a number of events, including a tree lighting ceremony with Mayor Jerry Sanders at the Organ Pavilion.

Saturday, the event got an early start at noon and continued until 10 p.m. It featured a variety of music and artistic exhibitions, including dance performances from countries around the world.

On Friday night, while there were fewer police reports than usual, there was a much bigger crowd than expected, which impacted parking, a spokesperson said. The zoo parking lot filled up before 6 p.m., and crowds were stuck waiting for shuttle pickups in the remote locations.

Saturday, more shuttles were arranged to pick up the crowds at Petco Park and other remote locations like the County Administration building and City College, the spokesperson said.

Did you go to December Nights? What was your favorite event? Comment below or send us a Tweetvia Twitter @nbcsandiego or add your comment to our Facebook page.

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