The holiday calendar comes jampacked in San Diego, giving you multiple chances—and multiple ways—to celebrate the season! Let’s take a quick look at some of the festive delights fast coming down the pike…

Ship Spectacle

On Sunday, December 18, the second round of the Port of San Diego Parade of Lights will see some 100-odd colorfully illuminated and decorated vessels flourish their finery on the waters of San Diego Bay between Shelter Island and the Ferry Landing on Coronado. The parade—the theme of which this year, “It Began With a Roar,” pays homage to the San Diego Zoo’s centennial celebration—commences at 5 PM. Good onshore viewing spots include the Embarcadero, Marina Park, and Seaport Village; the shoreline procession takes roughly an hour or hour-and-a-half to fully pass any given vantage.

Bowl Action

December, of course, also sees two lively NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision bowl games going down at Qualcomm Stadium. This year’s Poinsettia Bowl on December 21 features the BYU Cougars and the Wyoming Cowboys, while the Minnesota Golden Gophers take on another passel of Cougars, Washington State’s to be exact, in the Holiday Bowl on December 27.

Pre-Bowl Action

Both those football battles have their own equally popular preliminaries. At 6 PM on December 19, the marching bands and spirit squads from BYU and the University of Wyoming do their own squaring off during the Poinsettia Bowl Gaslamp March, a spectacular (and free) Battle of the Bands just a few blocks from the Sofia. And the day of the Holiday Bowl kicks off with the biggest balloon parade in the U.S., the Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade. Epic balloons, escorted by a whole gaggle of floats, marching bands, and drill teams, will promenade along downtown’s waterfront to the delight of 100,000-plus spectators.

Embrace Wintertime Romance—on Ice!

Given our balmy winter weather, it may come as a surprise that San Diego also comes stacked with awesome opportunities for ice-skating! Nothing like slicing up the rink within improbable view of palm trees. Track down topnotch outdoor skating at venues such as Liberty Station (“Fantasy on Ice”), the Viejas Outlet Center, and Hotel del Coronado’s Windsor Lawn.

Get in on this holiday action: Come stay with us at the Sofia Hotel, your house of good cheer this December!