December Nights San Diego
Our December Night’s FUN Guide to celebrating San Diego’s beloved family friendly holiday tradition. This San Diego tradition draws more than 350,000 visitors to Balboa Park for festive, family-friendly fun, which includes live music, arts and crafts, drinks and food from across the globe and, of course, plenty of twinkling holiday lights.
- Entertainment line up of live music, dancing, choirs, puppetry and more.
- Free Museums
- Food Vendors
- Parking Information
- Map
- Gift Guide
December Nights is back for 2024!
San Diego is the place to be to celebrate the holidays. One of San Diego’s most beloved holiday traditions will once again take the spotlight at Balboa Park this season: December Nights. The free, festive event — returning for its 47th year — goes down from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Dec. 6 and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Dec. 7 in the heart of the landmark.
The two-day, multicultural celebration of the season is Balboa Park’s biggest event of the year and the city of San Diego’s largest free community event.
NEW! Make your holiday plans with our December Nights & Holiday Fun Guide here. We’ll give you the inside scoop on which museums are free this weekend and where to go for the best holiday light shows and events.
The Museums
The museums are FREE!! Yes, that’s right. On Friday and Saturday from 5 – 9 p.m. the museums in the Park offer free admission. Balboa Park contains 18 different museums, each of which are bursting with FUN entertaining displays of history, culture, and artistic works.
Participating Museums Include
- Comic-Con Museum ( Fri. 3- 9 p.m. Sat. 2-7 p.m. Lobby & Gift shop only)
- Fleet Science Center (5-9 p.m.)
- ICA San Diego, Central (5-9 p.m.)
- Japanese Friendship Garden (3-7 p.m.)
- Mingei International Museum (5-9 p.m.)
- Museum of Us (5-9 p.m.)
- San Diego Museum of Art (5-9 p.m.)
- San Diego Air & Space Museum (4 to 10 p.m)
- San Diego Automotive Museum (5- 8:30 p.m. with Santa visits from 5:30-8:30 p.m.)
- San Diego History Center (5-9 p.m.)
- San Diego Model Railroad Museum (5- 9 p.m. with Santa visits from 5:30-8:30 p.m.)
- San Diego Natural History Museum (3-9 p.m.)
- Timken Museum of Art (4-9 p.m.)
Discover unique, inspired holiday gifts for everyone on your list at the museum stores in the Park or in our new Holiday Gift Guide. Shop local and support your favorite museum. Not sure what to get or need a last-minute gift? Museum memberships are the perfect choice. Download yours in the twinkling of an eye.
The Entertainment
There’s a reason 350,000 people start their holidays with December Nights! You’ll find four stages featuring live music, dancing, choirs, puppetry and more. And don’t miss the tree lighting starting at 6 p.m. on Friday night. Click here for the full entertainment line-up.
December Nights is excited to host a Family Zone at December Nights in the Palisades area as a place for families to enjoy themselves with free activities!
- Photos with Santa
- Face Painting
- Holiday Hat Making
- Arts & Crafts
- Games
- Free Children’s Books (while supplies last)
- Diaper changing and lactation station; a safe and less crowded place for new
parents or families tending to baby/toddler needs. - Altus
- Academy of Our Lady of Peace
FIND THE ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE HERE
Eat & Drink
Enjoy international delicacies, sample homemade treats, or sip on something to keep you warm.
The family-friendly event brings the community together to enjoy the lights, the sounds, the attractions, and of course, the amazing food of the holiday season. The food is kind of a big deal, many people come to December Nights specifically for the food.
The International Cottage Christmas Festival is a foodie favorite with authentic cuisine, music and holiday traditions from more than 30 countries. You’ll find empanadas from Argentina, bratwurst from Germany, palak paneer from India, Viking pea soup from Norway, pancit from the Philippines and borscht from the Ukraine. There will also be kebabs, tacos, hot dogs, pizza and more. Plus all your favorite food trucks will be lined up near the Spanish Village Art Center.
FIND THE FOOD GUIDE HERE
Transportation and Parking
With an expected crowd of more than 350,000 people, this family-friendly event is know for heavy traffic and parking issues. In order to make your December Nights experience more enjoyable, find the Parking & Transportation Tips page here with a list to help you get to Balboa Park and enjoy the festivities without losing your mind.
Parking in Balboa Park during December Nights is available. You can save money by purchasing your parking pass ahead of time. There is limited free parking, free ADA parking and pre-paid as well as drive-up paid vehicle parking. All other areas require a permit. Find the parking details here.
PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION GUIDE
- Alcazar Lot – Closed to Public Access Dec 5 at 6AM (Staging for Equipment)
- Village Place – Closed to Public Parking Access Dec 5 at 6AM
- The Palisades Lot – Closed to Public Access Dec 5 at 10PM
Paid Parking Options in Balboa Park
LOT A, General Paid Parking – $27.95 in advance, $30 at the event (debit/credit only, no cash)
Located at Inspiration Point, the General Paid Parking lot will be open to the public at 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1 and at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2. We recommend accessing the lot from northbound Park Blvd. Buy parking now.
LOT B, Preferred Paid Parking – $42.95 in advance, $45 at the event (debit/credit only, no cash)
Located at the Federal Lot,, the Preferred Paid Parking lot will be open to the public at 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec.1 and at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2 We recommend accessing this lot from northbound Park Boulvard. Buy parking now.
Roosevelt Middle School Parking – $40 at the event only, first-come, first-served
The Friends of Roosevelt will provide limited parking at the school for December Nights attendees. The Roosevelt parking area will be open between 3:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1 and between 1 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2. Access lot 1 from Upas Street, and lot 2 from Park Blvd. to Zoo Drive. Proceeds from parking sales support Roosevelt Middle School. Get directions.
San Diego High School Parking – $25 at the event only, first-come, first-served
The San Diego High School PTSA will provide limited parking at the school for December Nights attendees. Two parking lots at SDHS will be open between 3:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Friday, December 6 and between 1 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Saturday, December 7. Access our small parking lot from Park Blvd., or our main parking lot from 16th Street. Proceeds from parking sales support SDHS Athletics and School Clubs. Get directions.
Paid Parking Options nearby, serviced by free December Nights Event Shuttle
ACE Parking lots, 3rd Avenue and San Diego Civic Center Parkade
These lots are easily accessed and convenient to the downtown core, and with the nearby free event shuttle stop at 3rd Avenue and A Street you can catch a free ride to December Nights.
- Fleet Science Center Lot (Free ADA for Public)
- Federal Lot (Limited Free ADA for Public)
- Organ Pavilion Lot (Limited ADA with designated permit)
Free Parking Options
San Diego Zoo Parking Lot, Balboa Park
Zoo Place will be exit only during the event; use Zoo Drive to access the parking lot. We recommend access from southbound Park Blvd. to Zoo Drive. Parking is first-come, first-served. Get directions.
City College Parking Garages (nearby, serviced by free December Nights Event Shuttle)
Access free parking at one of three City College parking garages. Spaces are first-come, first-served. Find the parking garages here:
- 16th Street and Russ Blvd. (Enter on 16th Street)
- 16th Street and Broadway (Enter on 16th Street)
- 17th Street and C Street (Enter on 17th Street)
The free December Nights shuttle picks up at the corner of 16th Street and B Street.
Parking for People with Disabilities $27.95 in advance, $30 at the event (debit/credit only, no cash)
For people who have state-issued disabled parking credentials, two parking lots are available at the Fleet Science Center on Space Theater Way, and at the Natural History Museum on Village Place, both of which are adjacent to the El Prado event area. Spaces are limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. You must display a valid hanging placard or license plate to access the parking area. Purchase Parking Here.
Zoo Drive in front of the San Diego Zoo Administration Building also features several free disabled parking spaces. Get Directions.
Additionally, there are a limited number of disabled parking spaces in the general paid Lot A at Inspiration Point, and in the preferred paid Lot B at the Federal Lot. The preferred paid Lot B is nearby the event’s Family Zone and Palisades areas.
December Nights Entertainment Line-Up
Please Support the San Diego Museum Council
Your gift helps make museums more accessible for all! Support the Museum Council and its programs like “Kids Free San Diego” and family half-priced “Museum Month.” Your gift helps us strengthen San Diego’s cultural community by making museums, aquariums, cultural centers and parks more accessible for kids and families.
You can help remove economic barriers so that kids and families from all communities can enjoy our museums and learn about our world.
Now is the time to make a charitable, tax-deductible gift and help us do more of what we do best: make museums more accessible for all and promoting San Diego’s diverse museums and cultural centers to the world. Please donate today!
