A fond farewell to 2025 and a warm welcome to 2026. The holidays whizzed by in a whirl of activity. Months of preparation. Weeks of holiday parties and festive events. Days of fun family gatherings. Then, poof! It’s over. I’m sad the kiddos are gone but grateful for the adventures we shared and memories we created.
My husband and I squeezed in some local holiday events between wrapping the presents and decorating the tree. The holiday season always seems to be the busiest time of the year. We kicked off the season by attending December Nights in Balboa Park, an annual family-friendly holiday festival that has been ongoing for almost half a century. There was tasty food, festive music, twinkling lights, and more. Plus, the museums allowed free entry each evening. We also participated in the Las Posadas procession in Old Town and indulged in some seasonal sweet tamales.
Next, we wandered through a sparkling mile-long illuminated trail during the Lightscape at San Diego Botanic Gardens. Over one million lights created glowing floral canopies, tunnels, fire fly gardens, artistic sculptures, and visual displays. Since I love twinkling lights, we also attended the Jungle Bells celebration at the San Diego Zoo. There were minstrels, jugglers, and trails alight with interactive illuminated structures. I’d recommend seeing the animals during the daylight and then staying to enjoy the holiday lights at night. It was extremely difficult to see the animals in the dark, except the hippos who floated peacefully in the water.
To extend the holidays, we accompanied our daughter and her family on an excursion to Los Angeles. We rung in the New Year by attending Marina del Rey’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks & Glow Party. There was a DJ and live entertainment, wandering street performers, face painting, balloon animals, food trucks, and more. The waterfront fireworks show was spectacular. The steady drizzle didn’t dampen our spirits, just frizz our hair.
There are always a ton of fun and festive holiday events around town. So many activities. So little time. I pick a few each year and add others to my to-do list for next year. Can’t wait!
