{"id":81335,"date":"2025-12-04T14:14:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T14:14:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/81335\/"},"modified":"2025-12-04T14:14:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T14:14:09","slug":"san-diego-weekend-guide-dec-5-7-merrymaking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/81335\/","title":{"rendered":"San Diego Weekend Guide: Dec. 5-7 \u2013 Merrymaking"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Children played in real snow at last year\u2019s \u201cLight Up Logan\u201d event. (Photo courtesy of Logan Heights CDC)<\/p>\n

The holiday season has officially kicked into high gear across San Diego County and this weekend is bursting with enough yuletide cheer to make even even the Grinch crack a smile \u2013 and yes, Dr. Suess penned that green grouch right here in La Jolla, which technically makes it a local.<\/p>\n

Logan Heights Community Development Corporation<\/a> is turning up the twinkle with its annual \u201cLight Up Logan\u201d celebration Friday from 2-8 p.m. at The Soap Factory in Barrio Logan. The free fiesta brings all the holiday essentials: kids\u2019 crafts, real snow, Santa ready for wish lists, live music and a tree lighting. This event also doubles as distribution day for the organization\u2019s holiday toy drive, which is facing a significant shortage. Logan Heights CDC urgently needs the community\u2019s help to bring joy to 568 local children ages 0-17, with toys for older kids (ages 6-17) in particularly short supply. Toys can be dropped off at 3040 Imperial Ave. or make a financial contribution<\/a> to help fill the gaps.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s tiiiiime! Yes we\u2019re channeling our inner Elphaba for this one. December Nights<\/a>, Balboa Park\u2019s beloved free holiday extravaganza, returns Friday where there is much to see, do and taste. Hear live music, ride the Ferris wheel in front of the Air and Space Museum and enjoy museums with complimentary admission. Stroll through 120 vendors brimming with handcrafted treasures and global flavors. Will you go for the pillowy pierogies at the Poland House? Or perhaps a refreshing Pisco Sour at the International Spirits Garden? Spoiler: the answer is both. Gates open at 3 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday.<\/p>\n

Petco Park\u2019s Holiday Wonderland<\/a> opens for the season Friday, bringing its fifth year of festive fun to Gallagher Square on select dates and times through Dec. 23. You can expect sparkling light displays, meet-and-greets with Santa and other characters, rides on the grand carousel and Christmas train, real-snow sledding and live entertainment. Tickets start at $18 for kids and $25 for adults, and children under 36 inches tall get in free with a ticketed adult.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When the sun dips low, the city of Lemon Grove<\/a> invites the community to gather around the glow at its 28th annual bonfire on Friday from 4:30-8:30 p.m. at Treganza Park. The free, family-friendly event includes live music, a kids\u2019 zone and food for purchase. Special highlights include the lighting of the bonfire at 6 p.m. followed by an ugly sweater contest at 7 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Craving cobblestone without the transatlantic flight? Downtown Escondido turns into a European-style winter village starting Friday with Market on the Plaza<\/a>, where twinkling lights, artisan treasures and the scent of homemade goodies fill the air. But here\u2019s the real showstopper: a temporary roller rink<\/a> through Jan 3. Catch the magic Fridays from 4-8 p.m., Saturdays from 12-8 p.m. and Sundays from 12-4 p.m. through Dec. 21.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Move over, Mariah \u2013 the true Queen of the Holidays is coming to town! RuPaul\u2019s Drag Race All Stars 10 winner Ginger Minj takes the stage Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with a new holiday spectacular<\/a> at the Epstein Family Amphitheater on UC San Diego\u2019s campus in La Jolla. Tickets range from $30-$80, and using the promo code FESTIVE25 provides discounted admission.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The magic of the season ignites Friday when The Forum Carlsbad flips the switch on its 23rd annual Tree Lighting Celebration<\/a> from 6-8 p.m. The festivities kick off with the La Costa Canyon High School Marching Band, followed by Santa\u2019s arrival with syrup-loving Buddy the Elf, the tree lighting and a snowfall finale. Between the spectacle, snap memories with Santa, test your skills at carnival game booths and strike a pose inside a vintage photobooth bus with nostalgic charm.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro<\/a> presents Holidays in Hawai\u2019i Sunday at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach. The dynamic repertoire combines his signature favorites with holiday classics, including \u201cWe Three Kings,\u201d \u201cO Holy Night,\u201d and \u201cAll I Want for Christmas is You.\u201d He\u2019ll be joined by bassist Jackson Waldhoff and singer-songwriter Justin Kawika Young for two shows at 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Tickets range from $55-$97.<\/p>\n

Beep beep! \u201cCars for Cause<\/a>\u201d rolls into Liberty Charter High School in Alpine Sunday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., bringing families, car lovers and local businesses together for a day of retro rides and holiday fun. But this isn\u2019t just about horsepower and nostalgia. The event benefits the San Diego Autism Society and includes more than 50 classic and specialty cars, car judging, raffle, holiday vendor market, live classic rock DJ, kids\u2019 zone and photos with Mr. and Mrs. Claus.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>A decked out car at last year\u2019s \u201cCars for Cause\u201d show. (Photo courtesy of Cars for Cause Alpine)<\/p>\n

The 8th annual Nutcracker Tea<\/a> brings all the enchantment of a winter wonderland to life at the Liberty Station Conference Center Sunday. Watch as the San Diego Ballet dancers pirouette through Tchaikovsky\u2019s beloved tale in an interactive performance that puts little ones right in the action. Between sips of hot cocoa and bites of festive cookies, aspiring ballerinas and danseurs can try out their own pli\u00e9s during a mini ballet lesson, meet the performers up close and share their wishes with jolly St. Nick himself. Tickets start at $71 with two showtimes at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Children 7 months and younger sit free on a parent\u2019s lap.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you need a holiday breather, believe it or not, there are a handful of other activities:\u00a0<\/p>\n

The San Diego Gulls<\/a> take on the Texas Stars Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. at Pechanga Arena in the Midway District. Tickets start around $30.
\nCelebrate British author Jane Austen\u2019s 250th birthday<\/a> Saturday from 2-4:30 p.m. at the North Clairemont Branch Library with a cozy afternoon of Emma on screen, Regency-themed crafts and cream tea. Guests are encouraged to dress in period attire \u2013 bonnets welcome! Registration is required.\u00a0
\nMaybe you\u2019re already sick of sweets and you\u2019re craving chili? SoNo Fest & Chili Cook-Off<\/a> is Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. in North Park at the intersection of 32nd and Thorn streets. The free-to-attend event includes live music, kids\u2019 activities, food trucks and a chili cook-off where attendees can purchase tasting passes to vote for their favorite chili.\u00a0<\/p>\n

READ NEXT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Children played in real snow at last year\u2019s \u201cLight Up Logan\u201d event. (Photo courtesy of Logan Heights CDC)…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":81336,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[46464,30214,46465,46466,46467,46468,46469,46470,39727,46471,74,32859,76,75,46472,24183],"class_list":["post-81335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-cars-for-cause-alpine","tag-december-nights","tag-ginger-minj","tag-jake-shimabukuro","tag-jane-austen","tag-lemon-grove-bonfire","tag-light-up-logan","tag-market-on-the-plaza","tag-nutcracker-tea","tag-petco-park-holiday-wonderland","tag-san-diego","tag-san-diego-gulls","tag-san-diego-headlines","tag-san-diego-news","tag-sono-fest-chili-cook-off","tag-the-forum-carlsbad"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81335\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}