Coronado is always a great place to visit or call home, but during the holiday season Coronado is particularly magical. eCoronado.com will continue to add to this list of holiday events as more are announced, so be sure to bookmark this handy page so you don’t miss a thing!
| November | |
| 24 | Christ Church Thrift Shop’s 17th Annual Christmas Boutique The Christmas Boutique will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Beautiful holiday decorations, wrappings, clothing, jewelry, linens, books, toys, collectibles, and gift items that the all-volunteer staff has been accumulating for the past eleven months will be for sale. Proceeds are donated to church ministries and to various community, national and international philanthropic organizations. For more information, please click here. |
| 27 | Free Thanksgiving Movie at the Village Theatre The Optimist Club is once again sponsoring a FREE MOVIE at the Village Theater for kids on Thanksgiving morning so Mom can get the turkey and fixin’s ready. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will play at 9:30 a.m. Following the thirty-minute film and a 15 minute intermission, The Lion King will play at 10:15 a.m., ending at 11:45. The Optimist Club wishes to thank Lance Alspaugh, owner of Village Theatre, for helping the Optimist Club make this annual event happen. |
| 27 | Thanksgiving at the Hotel del Coronado The resort’s holiday programs will kick off Thanksgiving weekend, beginning with brunch in the 12,567 square-foot Ballroom on November 27. The oceanfront Ballroom and magnificent Crown Room will feature elegant buffet dinners decked with decadent trimmings and live musical entertainment. 1500 OCEAN and Sheerwater restaurants will offer seasonal menus to pair with The Del’s spectacular views. For more information, please call reservations at 619-435-6611 or visit The Del’s website at hoteldel.com/holidays. |
27 through January 4 | Skating by the Sea at the Hotel del Coronado Don’t miss the Coronado attraction that the Travel Channel recently named to it’s list of the ten most festive holiday spots around the world. Skating by the Sea is returning for its 11th year from November 27 to January 4 with a portion of all skating proceeds benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of San Diego. For out-of-town visitors or locals looking for a staycation, families can purchase a Sea & Skate package including overnight accommodations, one ice skating session for two adults and two children, $25 daily resort credit and discounted self-parking. For more information, please call reservations at 619-435-6611 or visit The Del’s website at hoteldel.com/holidays. |
29 through December 28 | Festival of Christmas Northern Lights See the show that the North County Times called “Holiday Story Telling At It’s Best!” as the Lambs Players Theatre brings back one of the company’s favorite FESTIVAL scripts, “Northern Lights,” last produced 10 years ago. In this year’s show, three generations adjust their traditional holiday plans after the pipes burst at the family home. Surprise guests, family discoveries, and a magnificent night sky all make for one memorable Christmas. It’s a show the entire family will enjoy packed with great music of the Season, both old and new. Appropriate for ages 5 and up. Adult tickets range from $22 to $72, depending on the seating section and day of the week. Youth, ages 5 17 & Active Military (with ID) are half price. Click here for more information. |
| December | |
| 1 | Light Up the Night at Loews Coronado Loews Coronado is inviting the Coronado community to join them to “Light Up the Night” on December 1st at 6pm. There will be a tree-lighting ceremony, complimentary treats, photos with Santa and activities for the whole family to enjoy. The event will be located in the Bay Terrace. Address is 4000 Coronado Bay Road. Please bring an unwrapped toy to help spread joy to local families of deployed service men and women. Click here for more information. |
| 1 – 14 | Letters to Santa Claus This Christmas, we invite your child to bring their “Letters to Santa” to deposit in the “North Pole Express Mailbox.” This mailbox will be located in the Coronado Community Center lobby is a direct route to the North Pole, so all letters deposited will receive a response from Santa before Christmas. Please address all letters to Santa Claus, North Pole Express Mail. At this time of year, Santa is rushed for time, so be sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelope. |
| 3 | Hotel del Coronado Holiday Festival On Wednesday, December 3, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., The Del will host a special event for the entire family, “Holiday Festival A Family Celebration.” In addition to the outdoor ice rink, there will be hot cocoa and libations, a private fireworks display, performances by Coronado school children, photo opportunities with Santa and his elves, and holiday booths with games and prizes. UPDATE: This event is on, despite the rain, but will be held indoors. See the full update here. |
| 4 | Photos with Santa at the Glorietta Bay Inn Santa arrives early for photos with the community and guests of Glorietta Bay Inn when he stops at the hotel from 3:30-5:30 p.m. This free event is open to the Coronado Island community. Enjoy milk and cookies while you share your holiday wish list with Santa! Bring a new toy in exchange for a raffle ticket to win a one-night stay! All toys will be donated to the Coronado Fire Department Toy Drive. Please RSVP to Kelsey at kelsey@gloriettabayinn. |
| 5 | Christmas Parade and Events
Click here for more information about the parade and other events. |
| 6 | 42nd Annual Artisan’s Alley Craft Fair 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Located in the Village Elementary School playground at Seventh Street and H Avenue. Click here for more information. |
| 6 – 7 | Alternative Christmas Market If you are interested in purchasing meaningful gifts for your loved ones this Christmas Season — gifts that are guaranteed to make a positive impact in the lives of the less fortunate — then Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church’s Alternative Christmas Market is an event not to be missed. Local and international charities will be represented at the event, and shoppers are able to purchase a gift (make a donation) from the charity of their choice, which can then serve as their Christmas gift to a loved one. Shoppers will receive a gift description insert they can then slip into a Christmas card or add them with other gifts. The Alternative Christmas Market will be held on the 6th of December, a Saturday evening from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and again Sunday morning, December 7th, from 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Click here for more information. |
| 10 | Mistletoe Magic Coronado & San Diego locals bring your naughty or nice shopping lists and enjoy a fun evening on Orange Avenue! Join us for some Mistletoe Magic throughout the Coronado village shops on Wednesday, December 10, from 2 to 8 p.m. Click here for more information. |
| 13 | Breakfast with Santa Your family can enjoy hot buttermilk pancakes, steaming sausages, orange juice, coffee, and applesauce in the Community Center’s banquet room. Create holiday crafts, spin the prizes wheel, enjoy a visit from Santa, and more. Bring you camera to capture your little ones with Santa. A limited number of tickets are available for this event at $11 for adults and $9 for children under 16. |
| 14 and 21 | San Diego Parade of Lights (lighted boat parade) Great views from Coronado Ferry Landing. The procession will start at 5:30 p.m. and will follow the predetermined parade route. Participants in this year’s cherished holiday event will decorate their boats following the theme “Children’s Stories on the Big Bay.” Presented by the San Diego Unified Port District, the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights brings more than 100,000 San Diego residents and visitors to the shores of San Diego Bay each December. The procession of about 80 lavishly decorated boats has become one of the most iconic holiday events of the region. Get the details here. |
| 15 – 27 | An American Christmas The Del is pleased to present the 23rd annual production of An American Christmas performed by the award-winning Lamb’s Players Theatre, for a limited engagement in the Ballroom. The Marshall family welcomes you to an interactive, lavish feast and celebration set in the year 1914. The Marshall’s, a group of 27 multi-talented performers, entertain and regale guests with stories, songs, dance and laughter, all woven around a sumptuous five-course holiday meal prepared by The Del’s master chefs. San Diego Magazine calls An American Christmas “a perfect melding of food, ambience and showmanship.” |
| 26 | Port of San Diego Big Bay Balloon Parade Click here for more information. |
Another Coronado tradition not to be missed is Coronado’s own Candy Cane Lane, located in a quiet cul-de-sac at the end of Country Club Lane (600 block), has been a Christmas tradition since the early 1960s. Each December, residents in the neighborhood adorn their lawns with large painted plywood decorations to create an exquisite Christmas display down the whole block. Though participation is not exactly a requirement of residency in the area, most people go all out with decorations and enjoy being part of this Coronado Christmas tradition. Learn more about this annual tradition here.
Have a favorite Coronado holiday tradition that we haven’t included? Let us know in the comments and we will add it as we continually update this list all season long.
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Brooke Prouty
Community Manager
eCoronado.com
Contact us with your Coronado story ideas.
