What’s the Best Way to Spend the Holidays in San Diego? Start in Little Italy.

It’s December in San Diego, and the season shows up a little differently. Palm trees wear string lights. Locals linger on patios in light sweaters. The air smells faintly of salt and something sweet drifting from the panetteria. 

 

At the heart of it all is Little Italy. All twinkle, charm, and festive spirit. Carté Hotel sits at its center, and during the holidays, the neighborhood becomes the celebration.

 

Little Italy: San Diego’s Brightest Holiday Block

Step outside, and you're wrapped in Little Italy’s holiday transformation. The Little Italy Tree Lighting & Christmas Village brings out everyone: toddlers in footie pajamas, couples in statement scarves for the photo op. Stroll beneath the glowing Christmas trees, sip something warm, and browse stalls offering gift-boxed cookies, teas, California olive oil, art prints, and jewelry. There’s live music, 10-foot-tall nutcrackers, and Santa, too, of course—a holiday postcard waiting to happen.

 

After taking in the festivities, head to Canvas to enjoy a special Little Italy Tree Lighting Happy Hour offered all night long, featuring festive new Christmas cocktails like the Grinch-Hopper and Snowfall.

 

 

The Little Italy Mercato runs all season, overflowing with warm breads, local honey, and hand-poured candles that smell like California pine. Nearby, the Female Maker Market showcases women-owned businesses and handmade goods from local artists, perfect for those stocking stuffers your mom didn’t know she needed. And the best part? No planning required. Just step outside and follow the jingle bells.

 

Beyond the Neighborhood: San Diego’s Holiday Hit List

 

Where to See Holiday Lights in San Diego

San Diego may not do cold, but we don’t skip the sparkle. Start with Balboa Park’s December Nights, the city’s largest free holiday festival. Historic facades glow, museums stay open late, and the scent of tamales and churros mingles with live music under the palms.

 

At Liberty Station, Hanukkah is honored with a menorah lighting and cultural performances, while up the coast, Lightscape at the Botanic Garden offers a mile-long trail of sculptural light and sound installations, curated by international artists.

 

And when the water lights up? Pure magic. The Bay Parade of Lights floats a holiday-lit procession through the San Diego Bay. This year’s theme, An Out of This World Christmas, brings illuminated boats dressed in galactic sparkle. 

 

If you just want to drive around and look at the lights, head to Christmas Card Lane or Candy Cane Lane, two suburban streets so elaborately decorated they feel like scenes straight out of a storybook.

 

Pop-Ups With a Side of Peppermint

For those who prefer their holiday spirit poured into a coupe glass, San Diego’s seasonal pop-ups offer immersive cheer with a twist.

 

Santa’s Lair is a Christmas fever dream: twinkle lights floor to ceiling, cocktails garnished like cookies, and s’mores stations glimmering over mini fire pits. At Good Night John Boy, they’re serving disco-era nostalgia with peppermint espresso martinis, and Emo Christmas is exactly what it sounds like: eyeliner, early 2000s anthems, and cocktails that taste like teen angst.

 

Classic Holiday Traditions, San Diego Style

The best parts of the season? Still here. Skates, carousels, and tutus twirling across the stage. 

 

At Rady’s Ice Rink in Liberty Station, skaters loop past palm trees with 70-degree breezes on their cheeks. Down at Petco Park, the Holiday Wonderland turns Gallagher Square into a frosty playground with carousel rides, a Christmas train, snowy sledding hill, and nightly flurries falling under a 40-foot tree. 

 

And at the Civic Theatre, The Nutcracker returns with sugarplum fairies, toy soldiers, and the magic that makes the season feel official. A classic, in every sense. Bring the kids for that first-time-in-the-theater feeling. 

 

The Holiday Wind-Down

After a day in the swirl of it all, Carté Hotel feels like a soft landing. 

 

Step into the lobby, and the season greets you with a Gin-gle Bell cocktail. A holiday garnish station invites you to embellish it your way: a sugared rim, a sprig of rosemary, a twist of something unexpected. Just a little sparkle to mark the moment. 

 

Upstairs at The Rooftop, string lights and skyline views set the scene for a festive toast or a quiet moment to take it all in. Downstairs, Canvas Café and Lounge serves a holiday menu that leans just the right amount indulgent: surf & turf, caramelized onion soup with aged local Gruyère bubbling over your bowl, a chocolate tart that reimagines s’mores with a little finesse.

 

Later, back in your room, the lights of Little Italy flicker against floor-to-ceiling windows. The perfect last scene of the day.

 

You won’t find snow here (at least not the kind that doesn’t require a machine), but with the neighborhood lit like a holiday movie, a glass of something sparkling in hand, and Little Italy humming like a Christmas carol on loop, this is San Diego’s version of a snow globe. One with palm trees, ocean air, and a holiday state of mind. 

 

Book early and receive up to 20% off your holiday stay in San Diego—our little gift for planning ahead.