Things to do this weekend in San Diego: December Nights, Jingle Jets and Starlight Parade and Festival

There’s always something fun to do in America’s Finest City. Our Weekend events guide is here to help. Get up. Get out. Play!

👪 Family-friendly | 🆓 Free | ⭐Must-see| 🎉 Concerts | 🎫 Ticketed event | 🍴🍺 Food/drinks

Friday, Dec. 1

👪|🍴🍺|December Nights 2023
This weekend at Balboa Park
December Nights is back in Balboa Park with thousands of twinkling lights, delicious festive treats, and unlimited fun. We created a guide with everything you should know about the annual holiday party. Click here for details.

👪|Wild Holidays at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Select nights
Take a holiday expedition of light and travel through places that glow and twinkle with holiday cheer. Holiday tunes set the mood, and seasonal food treats tempt you throughout your journey. Ticket information here. 

👪|🎫|Lightscape
5 p.m. at the San Diego Botanic Garden
This year features new installations along with returning fan favorites on the one-mile loop. Tickets for non-members are $29 and children ages 3 to 12 is $18.  

👪|Jingle Jets
5:30 p.m. at the USS Midway
The museum will deck out the carrier from bow to stern with hundreds of thousands of twinkling and shimmering lights to celebrate this year’s holidays with “Jingle Jets,” its inaugural festive lighting experience.

Saturday, Dec. 2

👪|Ice Skating Rinks
Around town
We're finally entering the season of pop-up ice skating attractions around town. Looking to get your skating on? We have a full guide of ice skating rinks around town, here.

👪|🆓|Encinitas Holiday Parade
5:30 p.m. in Encinitas
The Holiday Parade is a long-standing tradition in Encinitas, bringing together the community for an evening of family fun for everyone. Click here for details.

👪|Little Italy Tree Lighting & Christmas Village
4 p.m. at Little Italy
Transforming into a winter wonderland with Christmas twinkle lights down all the streets, the urban neighborhood will be adorned with 10-foot tall nutcrackers and kinetic tree holiday displays on street corners, Christmas songs and more.

👪|OB Holiday Parade
At sunset
Newport Avenue is lined with colorful OBceans and visitors all eagerly awaiting the commencement of the 44th Annual OB Holiday Parade at Sunset.

Sunday, Dec. 3

👪|🆓|Chula Vista Starlight Parade & Festival
3 p.m. on Third Avenue
After a three-year hiatus, the Starlight Parade & Festival is back. The festivities start at 3 p.m. and will include a holiday market, live musical performers, kid’s crafts, and a Santa photo op. Don’t miss the tree lighting at 5:45 p.m. that will mark the start of the parade. More details, here.

🍴🍺|🎫|SoNo Fest & Chili Cook-Off
11 a.m. at North Park
The festive and fiery SoNo Fest & Chili Cook-Off promises everything a person could want in a fun day including craft beer, wine, shopping music and chili. Finde more details, here.

👪|🆓|La Jolla Christmas Parade & Holiday Festival
11:30 a.m. in La Jolla
You'll see floats, marching bands, community groups, drill teams, vintage vehicles, horses and Santa Claus. Church bells peal with a fly-over. There is also a Holiday Festival called Santa's Village. More details, here.

👪|🆓|41st Annual Scripps Ranch Tree Lighting
3 p.m. at Hoyt Park
This is our 41st Annual Tree Lighting ceremony. The Eileen Rodriguez Holiday Tree is decorated by volunteers from the city contractor employees as a gift to the community.

👪|🎫|Ebenezer Scrooge's BIG San Diego Christmas Show
7 p.m. at the Old Globe
All the traditional elements of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol are intact—including the iconic ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future—but with a comic local twist.

👪|🎫|Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
5 p.m. at The Old Globe
Back for another incredible year, the family favorite features the songs “Santa for a Day,” “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” and “Welcome, Christmas (Fah Who Doraze),” the delightful carol from the popular animated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Tickets start at $39.