This holiday travelers can trade their snowboards for surfboards in San Diego and still catch the season's spirit. With sunny Thanksgiving parades and turkey trots, ice skating rinks by the beach, festive lights, and the chance to sip holiday drinks under the palm trees, San Diego offers winter wanderers a unique getaway during the typically brisk months.

Here are 11 enchanting ways to jingle all the way to a warmer and brighter holiday celebration in San Diego:

1. Everybody loves a parade, and San Diego is home to the Mother Goose Parade, the largest type of its kind west of the Mississippi. The annual holiday kick-off celebration happens on Nov. 21, 2021, in El Cajon, which is located in San Diego's East County, and features themed floats, marching bands, equestrian units, special characters, performing artists, celebrities, giant helium balloons and, of course, Santa Claus.

    

2. Families looking to burn off some calories before their Thanksgiving feast can join one of San Diego’s many turkey trots or 5k runs, including the Coronado 5K Turkey Trot, Fallbrook Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot and O’side Turkey Trot. After working up a sweat, runners can make their way to the Hotel Del Coronado for its Thanksgiving Dinner in the magnificent Crown Room and Coronet Room. The elegant buffet features traditional trimmings prepared with local ingredients with live music to add to the ambiance.

    

3. For a uniquely San Diego holiday tradition, visitors will want to head to the Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park for its storied production of Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. From Nov. 3 through Dec. 31, 2021, snow-covered Who-ville comes alive to usher holiday cheer for all the Whos, far and near. From Nov. 19 through Dec. 26, 2021, The Old Globe will also host the family-friendly Ebenezer Scrooge's BIG San Diego Christmas Show, a fast, funny and highly theatrical reimagining of one of the most beloved holiday stories ever told. All the traditional elements of Dickens's A Christmas Carol are intact—including the iconic ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Future—but with local twist.

    

4. San Diego’s attractions are certainly not sitting on the sidelines this holiday season. Families can get in the seasonal spirit at SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration from Nov. 12 through Jan. 2, 2022, where they can sip on hot chocolate with candy toppings while visiting sea otters, flamingos, sea lions, turtles and bat rays. There are also plenty of opportunities to capture picture-perfect moments of good cheer amid the lavishly decorated 100-acre park, including a sea-themed Christmas tree and a holiday music-activated tunnel of lights. Families also can feel the excitement build every Saturday and Sunday from Nov. 20 through Jan. 8, 2022, at Holidays at LEGOLAND, which showcases holiday characters, a LEGO® Christmas tree with over 400 LEGO ornaments along with a life-size model of LEGO Santa on his sleigh that’s pulled by his trusted reindeer.

    

5. From Nov. 22 through Jan. 2, 2022, visitors can glide on ice while watching the surf break at the Hotel del Coronado's Skating by the Sea®. This spectacular beachfront ice rink features stunning views of the ocean and benefits Make-A-Wish® San Diego. Guests can also reserve their own rink side lounge at Frostbite – A Place to Chill, which features plush seating around a roaring fire pit with full food and beverage service.

    

6. The North Pole is just a train ride away. From Nov. 26 through Dec. 18, 2021, passengers can hop aboard the Santa Train North Pole Limited. Leaving from the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in Campo and then chugging through San Diego’s backcountry, the Santa Train North Pole Limited includes Santa’s elves singing Christmas carols, reading popular Christmas stories and passing out cookies and hot chocolate. The North Pole Limited will also stop at Santa’s Workshop to pick up Santa and Mrs. Claus so they can visit with passengers on the return trip to Campo Depot.

    

7. Travelers who want to get transported back in time for a more rustic holiday should head to the historic mountain village of Julian in San Diego’s East County. The old-fashioned town kicks off the holiday season Nov. 27, 2021, with the Julian Country Christmas Tree Lighting from 2 to 7 p.m. at Pioneer Park. Guests are welcome to enjoy Julian’s legendary apple pie and hot apple cider while they admire the town’s holiday decorations and lights along its always-quaint Main Street.

    

8. Foodies can make their way to Taste of December Nights in Balboa Park on Friday, Dec. 3 through Sunday, Dec. 5 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. to enjoy some tasty treats. The three-day event will feature fan-favorite food vendors, food trucks and entertainment in a festive drive-through setting.

    

9. Movie lovers are invited to cozy up and enjoy some of Hollywood’s holiday hits under the stars. Movies by the Bay at Hilton San Diego Bayfront will offer guests hot cocoa and delicious treats while they enjoy films like “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Christmas Vacation,” and “A Christmas Story.” The Hotel Del Coronado will feature Holiday Movies on the Beach from Oct. 16 through Dec. 31, with cozy upgrades available that include a private bonfire with s’mores and a plush daybed. Standout movies include “Elf” and “Big.”

    

10. Nothing says seasons greetings in San Diego like boats adorned with colorful twinkling lights floating along the water. On Dec. 12 and Dec. 19, 2021, the iconic and always free 50^th annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights returns, with over 80 lavishly decorated boats in the spirit of this year’s theme “The 12 Days of Christmas.” The parade will proceed from Shelter Island to the pier at Cesar Chavez Park before making the turn to Coronado, giving spectators more places to view the parade.

     

11. To be sure, San Diego's vibrant cocktail scene offers more than spiked hot chocolate and eggnog. This year, annual holiday cocktail pop-ups Miracle and Sippin’ Santa are returning to town with inventive holiday-themed drinks and decorations from Nov. 22 through Dec. 31, 2021. Must-imbibe options include Miracle’s classic cocktails, “the gingerbread-y snowball old fashioned” and the “spiked jingle balls nog” as well as new concoctions like “elfing around,” which is made with prosecco, gin, mulled wine, grapefruit shrub and bitters. Miracle is setting up shop at Polite Provisions on Adams Avenue and popping up at the Roxy Encinitas while Sippin’ Santa will be transforming The Grass Skirt in Pacific Beach.

Happiness is calling you back to San Diego. For more information on San Diego’s offerings, including exciting vacation packages and valuable coupons for attractions, restaurants and more, visit the San Diego Tourism Authority’s website at www.sandiego.org.