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San Diego's December Nights Spread Holiday Cheer Under The Palm Trees

Where: 1549 El Prado [map], San Diego, CA, United States, 92101
November 19, 2009 at 4:09 PM | by | Comments (0)

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...

We recommend that you be sure to walk around the lovely grounds, which will be all decorated for the season and lit with Christmas lights. While you stroll, try to catch some of the event's many performances, including international choirs, and music and dance presentations from the San Diego Junior Theatre, San Diego Civic Youth Ballet (performing the Nutcracker, natch) and others. The Del Cerro Baptist Church will perform The Christmas Story Tree, a production that presents the story of Christmas in music and living scenes courtesy of an 80-voice choir, a 20-piece orchestra and a drama team. Bring the children to the puppet shows and storytelling sessions. As you walk around, you may want to duck into one of the many museums at the park, which will offer free admission from 5-9pm on both days of the festival.

Cap it off by doing some holiday shopping at Spanish Village, which has great arts and crafts from local artisans. After picking up hand-blown glass vases and jewelry, bring the kiddies to chat with Santa, who will be stationed in the area. Of course, nothing makes you feel more Christmasy than St. Nick.

Related Stories:
· Five Ways To Score Better Airlines Seats For Holiday Travel [Jaunted]
· How To Get Tickets To See The Rockettes' Radio City Christmas Spectacular [Jaunted]
· Holiday Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photos: Richard Benton]

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