You don’t need snow to enjoy Christmas. If you visit San Diego in warm and sunny Southern California over the December holidays, you’ll find that sand makes a delightful substitute – no shoveling required! Southern Californians have put their own unique stamp on the Christmas holidays. In San Diego, Santa arrives by surfboard, not sleigh. Surfin’ Santa comes ashore at Seaport Village at 1 p.m. on November 30 to get the holidays off to a festive start.
Unless you’re visiting Disneyland, don’t expect to see Christmas parades marching down Main Street. Lighted boat parades are the holiday tradition along the scenic Southern California coast. The San Diego Bay Parade of Lights on December 8 and 15 is a stunning spectacle you won’t want to miss. Beginning at 5:30 p.m., more than 80 lavishly decorated boats will parade across the bay from Shelter Island past Harbor Island, the Embarcadero and Seaport Village to Ferry Landing in Coronado.
Holiday light displays are a universal Christmas delight and San Diego goes all out. The Garden of Lights at the San Diego Botanic Garden is breathtaking with more than 100,000 sparkling lights illuminating the garden. The event is open from 5-9 p.m. from December 7-30, but will be closed December 24-25. Santa will be on hand to greet children of all ages and live music will fill the air. Visitors can take a ride in a wagon pulled by blonde Belgian draft horses, admire a special display of more than 50 nutcrackers, roast marshmallows over a burning campfire, sip mulled wine or hot cocoa, snack on Christmas goodies and more. You can even bring a sled and go sledding on a special snow hill. Some activities are only offered on select dates, so check Botanic Garden the website for daily schedules.
A Christmas vacation in San Diego is a memorable experience. Book your San Diego vacation rentals on iTrip.net today!