Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Certain activities that mean Christmas

Snow day in Chula Vista, Holiday train rides in Campo, Nutcracker tea, USD Lessons and Carols, toy giving at Lincoln High

Snow Day San Diego features winter tubing, ice skating, miniature train rides, and a 12-foot gingerbread house.
Snow Day San Diego features winter tubing, ice skating, miniature train rides, and a 12-foot gingerbread house.

This New England girl has finally adjusted to the warm weather Christmas season. It only took 20 years. During those years, I felt patronized by fake snow painted on windows, manmade snow hills, and ice skating on the beach in 70-degree weather. I finally grew used to all of it — more than used to it, charmed by it. But you can’t take the New England out of a gal. There will always be certain activities that mean Christmas, such as the Nutcracker, the Messiah, snow, and giving from the heart.

Snow Day

Place

Rohr Park

4548 Sweetwater Road, Bonita, CA

“I’m dreaming of a White Christmas.”

And dreaming is all this Connecticut gal usually gets here in San Diego. But not this year. Rohr Park will be turning into a synthetic snow wonderland of white come December. Winter tubing, ice skating, miniature train rides, a giant 12-foot gingerbread house, a snow globe photo booth, enough holiday gladness to make even Bing Crosby proud. Purchase online and early. As I type, some days are already sold out. Tickets, which start at $12, are still available for Friday and Saturday, December 22 and 23, and Monday, December 25, through December 30. Winter fun runs from 6:00 to 10:30 p.m.

Sponsored
Sponsored

North Pole Limited holiday train rides

Place

Pacific Southwest Railway Museum

State Highway 94 and Forrest Gate Road, Campo

“Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring-ting-tingling, too.”

But change those sleigh bells to train whistles. Trains and Christmas have been hanging together since the mid-20th century when everyone seemed to have an electric train whistling around their tinsel-draped Christmas trees. Well this year, pack up the kiddies and hop aboard the 1920s restored vintage commuter car the North Pole Limited for a 90-minute ride. Caroling with Santa’s elves, cookies, and hot chocolate, a holiday read-aloud, and even a stop at Santa’s Workshop to pick up the big man himself for photos and visiting. The train runs from December 1st through the 23rd on Friday and Saturday evenings, departing either at 5:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. Purchase tickets in advance: adults, $35; children 3–12 for $25; under 3 for $10.

Nutcracker Holiday Tea

Place

Fairmont Grand Del Mar

5300 Grand Del Mar Court, Del Mar

“The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads…”

The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Waltz of the Snowflakes, the Russian dancers — come each December, visions of the Nutcracker dance in this child’s head. On Saturday, December 23, the Nutcracker Holiday Tea will commence, with a show at 10:45 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. Sit back and enjoy an abridged version of the holiday classic performed by the Scripps Performing Arts Academy while enjoying tea sandwiches and French pastries. Adult tickets are $65, children (age 4–12) are $38. Ten dollars of each ticket goes to Isabella’s Giraffe Club, a nonprofit that provides emotional and educational support for parents with infants in intensive care.

Lessons and Carols

“Once in Royal David’s City stood a lowly cattle-shed.”

Place

USD: University of San Diego

5998 Alcalà Park, San Diego

This Christmas carol is the opening song for a festival tradition dating back to 1918 when the first Lessons and Carols were held on Christmas Eve in King’s College, Cambridge. The service includes readings from the Old and New Testament of the Bible amid music, a service focused on the birth of Jesus. Here in San Diego, at one of our most beautiful churches, Founders Chapel at the University of San Diego, the festival will be presented Saturday, December 9, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 10, at 2:00 p.m. Free.

Toys for Joy

Place

Lincoln High School

4777 Imperial Avenue, San Diego

“Christmas time is here, happiness and cheer/Fun for all that children call their favorite time of year.”

This world needs more gratitude, more generosity, more compassion. What better way to instill those qualities than to volunteer. This holiday season, the event Toys for Joy, on Saturday, December 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., will be one such opportunity. Volunteers are needed to help pass out free toys, free lunch, free groceries and free gently used clothing to those in need at four locations around San Diego. Entertainment and kids’ activities also provided. El Cajon Valley, Southwest, and Vista High Schools host Toys for Joy events the same day.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Making Love to Goats, Rachmaninoff, and Elgar

Next Article

Didja know I did the first American feature on Jimi Hendrix?

Richard Meltzer goes through the Germs, Blue Oyster Cult, Ray Charles, Elvis, Lavender Hill Mob
Snow Day San Diego features winter tubing, ice skating, miniature train rides, and a 12-foot gingerbread house.
Snow Day San Diego features winter tubing, ice skating, miniature train rides, and a 12-foot gingerbread house.

This New England girl has finally adjusted to the warm weather Christmas season. It only took 20 years. During those years, I felt patronized by fake snow painted on windows, manmade snow hills, and ice skating on the beach in 70-degree weather. I finally grew used to all of it — more than used to it, charmed by it. But you can’t take the New England out of a gal. There will always be certain activities that mean Christmas, such as the Nutcracker, the Messiah, snow, and giving from the heart.

Snow Day

Place

Rohr Park

4548 Sweetwater Road, Bonita, CA

“I’m dreaming of a White Christmas.”

And dreaming is all this Connecticut gal usually gets here in San Diego. But not this year. Rohr Park will be turning into a synthetic snow wonderland of white come December. Winter tubing, ice skating, miniature train rides, a giant 12-foot gingerbread house, a snow globe photo booth, enough holiday gladness to make even Bing Crosby proud. Purchase online and early. As I type, some days are already sold out. Tickets, which start at $12, are still available for Friday and Saturday, December 22 and 23, and Monday, December 25, through December 30. Winter fun runs from 6:00 to 10:30 p.m.

Sponsored
Sponsored

North Pole Limited holiday train rides

Place

Pacific Southwest Railway Museum

State Highway 94 and Forrest Gate Road, Campo

“Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring-ting-tingling, too.”

But change those sleigh bells to train whistles. Trains and Christmas have been hanging together since the mid-20th century when everyone seemed to have an electric train whistling around their tinsel-draped Christmas trees. Well this year, pack up the kiddies and hop aboard the 1920s restored vintage commuter car the North Pole Limited for a 90-minute ride. Caroling with Santa’s elves, cookies, and hot chocolate, a holiday read-aloud, and even a stop at Santa’s Workshop to pick up the big man himself for photos and visiting. The train runs from December 1st through the 23rd on Friday and Saturday evenings, departing either at 5:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. Purchase tickets in advance: adults, $35; children 3–12 for $25; under 3 for $10.

Nutcracker Holiday Tea

Place

Fairmont Grand Del Mar

5300 Grand Del Mar Court, Del Mar

“The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads…”

The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Waltz of the Snowflakes, the Russian dancers — come each December, visions of the Nutcracker dance in this child’s head. On Saturday, December 23, the Nutcracker Holiday Tea will commence, with a show at 10:45 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. Sit back and enjoy an abridged version of the holiday classic performed by the Scripps Performing Arts Academy while enjoying tea sandwiches and French pastries. Adult tickets are $65, children (age 4–12) are $38. Ten dollars of each ticket goes to Isabella’s Giraffe Club, a nonprofit that provides emotional and educational support for parents with infants in intensive care.

Lessons and Carols

“Once in Royal David’s City stood a lowly cattle-shed.”

Place

USD: University of San Diego

5998 Alcalà Park, San Diego

This Christmas carol is the opening song for a festival tradition dating back to 1918 when the first Lessons and Carols were held on Christmas Eve in King’s College, Cambridge. The service includes readings from the Old and New Testament of the Bible amid music, a service focused on the birth of Jesus. Here in San Diego, at one of our most beautiful churches, Founders Chapel at the University of San Diego, the festival will be presented Saturday, December 9, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 10, at 2:00 p.m. Free.

Toys for Joy

Place

Lincoln High School

4777 Imperial Avenue, San Diego

“Christmas time is here, happiness and cheer/Fun for all that children call their favorite time of year.”

This world needs more gratitude, more generosity, more compassion. What better way to instill those qualities than to volunteer. This holiday season, the event Toys for Joy, on Saturday, December 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., will be one such opportunity. Volunteers are needed to help pass out free toys, free lunch, free groceries and free gently used clothing to those in need at four locations around San Diego. Entertainment and kids’ activities also provided. El Cajon Valley, Southwest, and Vista High Schools host Toys for Joy events the same day.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Top Websites To Buy Instagram Likes + Bonus Tip!

Next Article

Croome Brothers Trio, Jack Tempchin, Ricky, Swami & the Bed Of Nails, Kahlil Nash

Acoustic and electric in Del Mar, La Jolla, Little Italy, and City Heights
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.