It's hard to feel the holiday vibe in San Diego when the temps hover at 80 degrees and the only trees you see are of the palm variety. But when traditional events like the Balboa Park's 32nd annual December Nights roll around, it starts to feel a lot like Christmas.

San Diego's kick-off to the season will take place December 4 from 5 to 10 p.m. and December 5 from noon to 10 p.m. in Balboa Park. More than 300,000 revelers are expected to attend December Nights, the largest free community festival in the city. Start off the festivities at the International Christmas Festival at the House of Pacific Relations Cottages. There you can get eats from all around the globe like Polish kielbasa, Panamanian fried plantains and Filipino lumpia, a yummy kind of egg roll. But wait, there's so much more...]]> Jennifer Kester 2009-11-19T16:09:30-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/17/211536/15

Obviously, the biggest Turkey Day festivities happen in New York City, but a good second option is Chicago's 76th annual McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade. The name doesn't carry the panache that Macy's does, but it's probably the country's second-most-famous parade to see gargantuan balloons, floats, marching bands and numerous performers.

Dress warmly and go to iconic State Street early to get a head up on the 400,000 spectators expected to attend. The action steps off at Congress Avenue from at 8 a.m. and heads north, ending at Randolph Street at 11 a.m. We recommend snagging a spot in front of Macy's on State Street. It'll be crowded, since it's the parade end point, but it's also the spot where all of the dancers and other acts stop to perform. You could also shell out $50 for the VIP treatment, which allows you to see the first-hour performances live with television zone seating, a continental breakfast and VIP-only restrooms.]]> Jennifer Kester 2009-11-18T11:28:56-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/16/133010/75

What is going on with travel today? Airlines are throwing out all these new fees, hotel rooms start from $1, and everybody's twittering about it all from 35,000' up. Here at Jaunted, we make sense of it all for you with the latest news, our own tried-and-true travel experiences, and of course— any free WiFi codes to keep you connected. If you follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or just regular old right here, then why not follow us in real life for a night?

On Thursday, December 3, we're talking with a few top travel friends at the 92Y Tribeca. The event, "Travel Gets Social: The New World of Travel Media," brings together Bowen Payson, Virgin America Manager of Online and Digital Marketing, NY Times Frugal Traveler Matt Gross, Adam Wallace, New Media Director for Roger Smith Hotel and others, moderated by the man who started it all: Mark G. Johnson, founder of Jaunted, HotelChatter and VegasChatter.

All the details, after the jump. ]]> JetSetCD 2009-11-16T17:39:15-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/13/172215/77

· Sydney
It's the final weekend to catch some large-scale sculpture snuggled up the sandy shores of Bondi Beach up to Tamarama as Sculpture By The Sea ends on Sunday, November 15. Works by over 100 artists sit half-buried in the sand, or perched on rocks, or just chilling in the surf. The best part of making it a day and seeing all of the sculptures, aside from the amazing photographs you can take, is that it's all free. See examples from last year and find out more information at their official website.]]> JetSetCD 2009-11-13T17:45:52-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/13/739/90187

Technically it’s still fall, but we got one of those overpriced red cup beverages at Starbucks yesterday, so we say it’s time to talk about the winter. The Winter Beer Festival is coming to Seattle in just a few weeks on December 4 and 5. The beer may be cold, but after a few samples, you’ll be feeling nice and toasty.

Things will take place at Hale’s Palladium within Hale’s Ales Brewery, and the tasting is open on Friday evening from 5 to 10pm and on Saturday afternoon from 1 to 10pm. Tickets are $25—save $2 for getting them in advance—and they’ll get you a tasting glass along with six 5.5 ounce samples. That’s a lot more than the usual beer festival offering, so be sure to pace yourself and savor the flavors. ]]> kjb 2009-11-13T11:24:26-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/5/135025/624

Here at Jaunted, we love us some flash mobs and all of the fun and city exploration that come with them. But this upcoming Monday, November 9 in Berlin, a flash mob will take on a somber note as up to 33,000 people gather to recreate the Berlin Wall on the 20th anniversary of the night it came down.

The "Mauer Mob"—know that "mauer" means "wall" in German— will happen at approximately 8:15pm on Monday, lasting for about 15 minutes so that visitors, Berliners, and even those who were there for the original tearing down of the wall can commemorate the date and capture photos of the scene. Already almost 6,000 people have registered to participate on the event's official site, and if you're in the vicinity, you should not miss this opportunity.

For tips on what to see and what to skip while you're not becoming part of a human Berlin wall in the city, be sure to check out our Berlin Field Trip series.

Related Stories:
· Temporarily Recreating The Berlin Wall [Kottke]
· Mauer Mob [Official Site]
· Walk The Path Of The Berlin Wall And Crash Into A Starbucks [Jaunted]
· Berlin coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Jaunted]]]> JetSetCD 2009-11-05T14:49:07-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/4/25132/1367

Almost every famous hilarious comic got his or her start at Chicago's Second City, a training center, theater and overall jokester factory. Its alumni includes John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, John Candy, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey, Chris Farley, Rachel Dratch. The list goes on forever because this marks the company's 50th year in the funny business. Of course, Second City has to throw itself a big birthday party to celebrate.

The company's illustrious alums will come back for a weekend-long bday party, December 11 to 13. Although it's only three days, there are a ton of events. Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Harold Ramis, Martin Short and other cast members from the cult hit television show SCTV will return for two special reunion performances December 11. There will be a panel on the Colbert Report on December 12, and a Saturday Night Live panel with former players Tim Kazurinsky, Horatio Sanz and Rachel Dratch as well as current staff writer John Lutz will be December 13.]]> Jennifer Kester 2009-11-04T12:40:13-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/