Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend: December 5-6, 2026

This weekend at a glance

Every event below has dates confirmed on its organizer’s 2026 page. Check each official site again before you leave, since holiday schedules can change.

• Saturday, December 5: Balboa Park December Nights, noon to 10 p.m., free.
• Sunday, December 6: La Jolla Christmas Parade and Holiday Festival, from about 1 p.m., free.
• Both days: Santa photos at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (with park admission).
• Both days: Skating by the Sea at Hotel del Coronado, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Both days: Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG San Diego Christmas Show at The Old Globe (ticketed; check performance times).
• Both days: the Yuletide Medieval Festival in Lakeside, Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (ticketed).

Saturday: December Nights in Balboa Park

December Nights is the City of San Diego’s largest free holiday festival, and in 2026 its big day is Saturday, December 5, from noon to 10 p.m. (it opens the evening before, Friday, December 4, from 4 to 10 p.m.). Expect holiday lights, entertainment on several public stages, food and drink vendors and shopping across the park.

The city also runs a sock drive at the event benefiting PATH San Diego, so tuck a few new pairs of socks in your bag if you want to give. Saturday evening is the most crowded time. If you prefer room to move, aim for early afternoon, or go Friday night instead and keep Saturday for something else.

While you are in the park, The Old Globe is mid-run with its 29th annual production of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, which plays through December 31. Tickets for weekend shows go quickly, so book ahead rather than hoping for walk-up seats.

Sunday: the La Jolla Christmas Parade

The La Jolla Christmas Parade and Holiday Festival marks its 70th year on Sunday, December 6, 2026. The parade lasts about 90 minutes and kicks off at Girard Avenue and Kline Street in La Jolla village, while the festival side runs from 1 to 5 p.m. at the La Jolla Recreation Center at Draper and Prospect streets. The event is free and, according to organizers, has never been canceled for weather in its history.

Parking in the village is tight on parade day, so leave extra time. Organizers offer an ADA parking area by advance request; details are on the parade’s official site. Afterward, the coastline is a short walk away for a sunset stroll.

All weekend: Santa, skating and holiday shows

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park lists Santa photos on December 5 and 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Note that the Safari Park’s evening Wild Holidays light event is not running this weekend; its December nights begin on the 18th. The San Diego Zoo’s evening Jungle Bells celebration usually starts in mid-December, so check the zoo’s site before planning around it.

Over in Coronado, Hotel del Coronado’s beachfront rink, Skating by the Sea, is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday during the first half of December. Skating at dusk, with the ocean beside you, is a very San Diego way to spend a December evening.

For theater, The Old Globe’s Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG San Diego Christmas Show runs November 20 through December 27, alongside the Grinch.

A day out east: Lakeside and El Monte County Park

If you want to get out of the city, head east. In Lakeside, the Yuletide Medieval Festival opens its first weekend at El Monte County Park, recreating a holiday in England in 1420 with jousting, a battle pageant, guild encampments, St. Nicholas, Father Christmas and Krampus. It is a ticketed event bought online in advance.

Nearby, Lake Jennings offers a fairly flat 5.15-mile walk around the lake, and the trout season there begins around November. Lindo Lake County Park in the center of Lakeside is a natural lake known for birdwatching, with 1.5 miles of ADA-friendly trails.

Free and low-cost outdoor ideas

Not every plan needs a ticket. Early December is cool, quiet and good for getting outside before the holiday rush.

Mission Trails Regional Park, run by the City of San Diego with its nonprofit foundation partner, covers about 8,000 acres of rugged hills, valleys and open land, with trails from easy strolls to the steep climb up South Fortuna. In Santee, Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve is a 190-acre park with seven lakes fed by recycled water and stocked with sport fish year-round, plus playgrounds, walking trails and roughly 230 bird species.

For a bigger hike, El Capitan County Preserve near Lakeside has about 11 miles of trail with views of three reservoirs. The county calls it strenuous, with very little shade, so start early and carry plenty of water.

Weekend weather: what early December is usually like

No reliable forecast exists this far ahead, so here is the typical picture. NOAA’s 1991-2020 normals put San Diego’s average December high around 66°F and the low around 50°F at Lindbergh Field. Inland, El Cajon averages about 68°F by day but drops to about 42°F at night.

Plan for comfortable afternoons and chilly evenings. If you are staying out for December Nights or heading east after dark, bring a warm layer. Check the National Weather Service forecast in the days before the weekend; many of these events, including the La Jolla parade, go ahead rain or shine.

Tips for a smooth weekend

• Do Balboa Park and La Jolla on different days: Saturday for December Nights, Sunday for the parade.
• Book theater and skating tickets ahead; weekend slots sell out.
• Carry some cash for food and vendors at outdoor events.
• Allow extra time for parking anywhere near a free festival or parade.
• Whale season at Cabrillo National Monument starts in late December, so save whale watching for later in the month.

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