Best Free Winter Activities in San Diego, CA
Stretch a Luxury Vacation Budget With These Top 5 Things to Do
Oct 15, 2009
As the weather gets colder around much of the country, San Diego becomes an even more appealing place to take a luxury vacation. There are so many free annual activities in this outdoorsy part of the country, that it's easy to fit that trip into a travel budget that's been squeezed by economic pressures. Save money on activities, and put it towards the luxury hotel and fine dining instead. Here are Luxury Travel's picks, in no particular order, for the five best free things to do in San Diego, California.
Spreckels Organ Pavilion, in Balboa Park, has free organ concerts every Sunday at 2:00 PM. The largest outdoor pipe organ is right here, with 32 foot lead alloy pipes. Listening to show tunes, classical music, and seasonal holiday favorites at the Organ Pavilion adds a bit of class and culture to a San Diego vacation.
Balboa Park is beautiful all year round, and in the winter it's a great respite for people traveling from colder climes. There are always plenty of free things to do in Balboa Park, from simply enjoying the view and strolling the grounds, to the free admissions to certain museums every Tuesday. The Old Globe Theater puts on an annual holiday production (in 2009 it is Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas), and while there are fees for tickets to the shows, there are usually artwork related to the theatrical productions decorating the plaza outside the Old Globe Theatre.
Seaport Village has an annual "Surfing Santa at Seaport Village" event, typically around Thanksgiving. Activities include a fun, child friendly parade, live music, craft making for kids, "hanging ten" (i.e. surfing) with Santa, and a lot of photo opportunities to commemorate this family centered free San Diego activity.
The Big Bay Balloon Parade is not just California's biggest balloon parade, it's the largest in the entire country. The Big Bay Balloon Parade is typically held right before New Year's Eve (in 2009 it is on December 30). It is held downtown, along the San Diego Bay. Special Grandstand Tickets aren't free, but offer the best parade views.
The Pointsettia Bowl Battle of the Bands lets visitors rock out! The rockin' battle of the bands here is held in December (December 21 in 2009) two days before the Poinsettia Bowl. The bands show their stuff in the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego, which is the most hip part of the city. The Poinsettia Bowl itself, though, is played in San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium. The rocking battle takes place at the opposite ends of Gaslamp's Fifth Avenue.
San Diego is fun all year round. Winter and Spring are Luxury Travel's favorite time to visit this part of Southern California, as summer may be too hot. These seasonal free activities help stretch anyone's winter vacation budget.
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