Whether you’re into professional wrestling or shop small ‘til you drop, San Diego County dishes out holiday markets, tree lightings, live music and sports to keep your post-Thanksgiving calendar as full as your stomach.
Youth dance company BalletCenter Studios reimagines the holiday classic with Clara & the Nutcracker Soldier at the Joan B. Kroc Theatre in Rolando, following orphan Clara’s journey to find family as nursemaids become Sugarplums and a greedy headmistress transforms into the Rat Queen. Performances run Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $32 – $63.
Draft Republic in San Marcos wraps up its Wicked pop-up this weekend with an Emerald City-inspired speakeasy serving themed cocktails such as Galinda’s juice alongside Wicked Wings and Popular Pink Pasta. Catch the all ages experience Friday 4 p.m. to close and Saturday-Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to close.
Liberty Station kicks off festive season with its Holiday Tree Lighting Friday from 5-9 p.m. in the North Promenade and Vesper Venue. The event includes lighting of an 88-foot Norfolk pine, live entertainment, firetruck rides, free photos with Santa and an outdoor showing of The Grinch.
More tree lightings around the county include Holiday Lights in Downtown El Cajon Saturday from 4-8 p.m. on Prescott Promenade with a snow zone, train rides, artisan vendors and a 6:15 p.m. ceremony led by Mayor Bill Wells. Chula Vista Center’s annual tree lighting runs Saturday from 3-6 p.m. with live mariachi, kids’ crafts and handmade gifts. The East Village Tree lighting at Fault Line Park offers a holiday market, live music, Santa photos and family activities Sunday from 4-8 p.m.
The San Diego Made Holiday Market at Liberty Station got a weather reprieve and is rescheduled this weekend – perfectly timed for Small Business Saturday. More than 125 local makers and artisans will fill NTC Park at 2455 Cushing Road, along with live music, gourmet food trucks and seasonal workshops. The outdoor festival runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 (free for kids under 10), available online or at the door, with a $10 option that includes a limited-edition canvas shopping bag.
For neighborhoods celebrating Small Business Saturday across the county, check out our guide. In Ocean Beach, the MainStreet Association hosts Shop Small Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – spend $50 or more at local businesses, then spin a prize wheel at the OBMA Welcome Booth in Veterans Plaza Park for swag and gift cards. Pick up an OBeachy Bingo card and hunt for “OB Parrots” hidden in 96 businesses through Dec. 19 for more prizes. Cap off the day at City Tacos’ OB Playground (4896 Voltaire St.) with a 5:30 p.m. tree lighting, Santa photos, free hot chocolate, cookies and Christmas coloring pages for the kiddos.
Jazz fans can catch trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos leading an all-star ensemble through John Coltrane’s Blue Train Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Jacobs Music Center with tickets starting at $42. No More Tears: A Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne features San Diego musicians performing Ozzy and Black Sabbath classics Saturday at 8 p.m. at Brick by Brick in Bay Park for $16. Southern California swing revival band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy hits The Magnolia Performing Arts Center in El Cajon Saturday at 7:00 p.m. with tickets starting at $37.
You might want to stretch and make sure you have Gatorade on hand for a massive weekend of sports in San Diego.
The third annual Rady Children’s Invitational moves to Jenny Craig Pavillion on the University of San Diego campus this year, tipping off Thanksgiving Day followed by third-place and championship games Friday. This year’s field features a power-conference showdown with the Big Ten’s Wisconsin Badgers, the SEC’s Florida Gators, the Big 12’s TCU Horned Frogs and the Big East’s Providence Friars. Tickets start at $72.
It’s been nearly 18 years since WWE brought a premium live event to San Diego with Survivor Series: WarGames at Petco Park Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The matches showcase the region’s rich wrestling heritage, featuring Chula Vista native Rey Mysterio, Jr. and his son Dominik in a title match against former Mission Beach resident John Cena. Tickets start at $107.
Beyond the main event, the Survivor Series Superstore is open all weekend at the San Diego Convention Center’s Hall H, offering merchandise and paid photo ops with WWE superstars. Nearby venues are joining in: Borrego Rooftop Kitchen + Cocktails at Hotel Indigo is serving “The Finisher,” a bourbon cocktail with cherry and spice, while San Diego-founded Dr. Squatch is selling WWE soap.
San Diego FC hosts the Western Conference Final Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium, taking on the Vancouver Whitecaps after becoming just the second expansion team to reach the round in its inaugural season. The match sold out in less than 24 hours, but fans who missed out can still join the action at five official playoff hubs:
- Mavericks Beach Club (Pacific Beach)
- Tony Pepperoni’s Pizzeria (Escondido)
- Fairplay (North Park)
- El Chingon (Gaslamp)
- La Nacional (Chula Vista)
More than 75 partner pubs across the county will also host watch parties. Whoever comes out on top Saturday moves on to the 2025 MLS Cup, the league’s championship game, on Dec. 6. Let’s gooooo!
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