San Diego’s holiday season offers a delightful blend of sunshine, festive lights, and unique activities. Whether you want to see some festive lights or if you want to ice skate on the beach, San Diego has it all. From beach celebrations to cozy winter activities, San Diego offers many options this holiday season.

A really fun and classic option is ice skating. In San Diego, we have indoor and outdoor skating options. All the way until January 4, 2026, you can visit The Rady Children’s Ice Rink at Liberty Station or the ice rink at The Hotel Del Coronado if you prefer to ice skate outside. San Diego.org says, “When the forecast says beach day but your plans say ice skating, give one of these fun seasonal rinks a spin.” As for indoor rinks, there are many to choose from, including the UTC ice rink in La Jolla, Poway Ice rink, and San Diego Ice Arena located in Mira Mesa. Whether you prefer to skate indoors or outdoors, San Diego has many options for you to choose from.

Another fun holiday activity to do this Christmas season is to go to a parade. With friends or family, a holiday parade never fails to cheer you up. Natalia Kincart, a freshman as Cathedral says, “One of my favorite things to do around the holidays is going to the Coronado holiday parade!” San Diego offers many locations for holiday parades. Some locations include Coronado, Ocean Beach, Encinitas, and La Jolla. Find your local parade and cheer on the cheer!

Lastly, a very unique option is to visit local Christmas markets here in San Diego. A really fun market is in Petco Park. Chelsey Explores says, “This market runs through December 24th and will give you a little taste of what Christmas markets in Europe are like.” These markets bring a very festive spirit to San Diego and are definitely worth visiting. With the many options these markets give you can find a gift for anyone. Some other places you can find a festive market are in Carlsbad, Balboa Park, and La Mesa.

San Diego offers a variety of holiday activities, whether you are looking for a beach celebration or a cozy activity, San Diego’s got it. These are just 3 of the many fun holiday activities you can do. Find more local activities or have a fun Christmas movie night in for some extra holiday cheer. Have a happy holiday season!