Thanksgiving in San Diego

Thanksgiving in San Diego - Things to Do in November & More

By Katie Sagal

Thanksgiving is a very special time of year in San Diego. It marks the beginning of the holiday season and for lots of people, it's their favorite family holiday. It’s a time to spend with loved ones, indulge in the best traditional foods, and perhaps watch some football with the family.

Making plans for a fun-filled Thanksgiving celebration in San Diego? Check out these suggestions for local activities and more seasonal things to do in November. Exciting attractions and things to do for Thanksgiving in San Diego, include...

  • San Diego Zoo
  • Thanksgiving Day Camps at Living Coast Discovery Center
  • San Diego Natural History Museum
  • Thanksgiving Dinner at the Hotel del Coronado
  • Thanksgiving Dixieland Jazz Fest & Swing Extravaganza
  • Santa at Seaport Village

1. San Diego Zoo

giraffe-calves-by-palm-trees-on

If you're looking for someplace to take your out-of-town relatives after Thanksgiving, then a visit to the San Diego Zoo will be perfect. As one of the city's top family attractions, you know kids and adults alike will love the chance to explore this massive zoo. Plus, with hundreds of animals scattered across engaging exhibit spaces, you'll be able to spend an entire day here.

If you're considering visiting on Thanksgiving itself, you might be interested to know that they offer special Thanksgiving meals at a few of their restaurants. These meals are typically priced separately from zoo admission. A visit to the San Diego Zoo would make it a Thanksgiving to remember!

2. Thanksgiving Day camps at Living Coast Discovery Center

What better way to entertain the kids during their Thanksgiving break than with an exciting natural venture at the Living Coast Discovery Center? It’s the perfect opportunity for your kids to uncover the wonders of nature as they learn to track wildlife, use a microscope, and interact with many fascinating creatures, from feeding sharks to petting sea turtles.

Sea turtles

Of course, you can also visit the Living Coast Discovery Center without plunking down for the day camps. With up to ten different habitats and exhibits to choose from, including the Shark and Ray Experience, Eagle Mesa, and the Native Plant Gardens, the whole family can enjoy exploring the flora and fauna of the coastal ecosystems.

The Turtle Lagoon is a particularly popular destination for the little ones. Here you can peek at giant green sea turtles from an underwater, face-to-face perspective. You can even feed the turtles for a small upgrade fee.

3. San Diego Natural History Museum

balboa-park-natural-history-museum

This fall, take advantage of a new season of special exhibits at the San Diego Natural History Museum, one of San Diego's most popular museums. Known affectionately to the locals as the NAT, this educational institution offers permanent exhibits alongside rotating exhibitions that cover a wide range of topics. For one, their Fossil Mysteries exhibit showcases the rich paleontological history of the San Diego region.

Visitors also get to interact with real archaeological tools. With a more modern focus, the Coast to Cactus in Southern California exhibit highlights the diversity of plant and animal life across the diverse ecosystems of the region. Families looking for Thanksgiving things to do in San Diego are bound to enjoy the exhibits.

4. Thanksgiving Dinner at the Hotel del Coronado

We like to enjoy our Thanksgiving dinners at home, but sometimes it’s just marvelous to have someone else cook for a change. So why not luxuriate in a Thanksgiving meal prepared by the expert chefs at the Hotel del Coronado? You’ll have an oceanfront view for your magnificent meal, complete with live musical performances and seasonal decorations.

Thanksgiving at Hotel Coronado

If you fall in love with picturesque Coronado, pay a visit to the Coronado Museum of History & Art while you're there. This small but diverse museum showcases the fascinating history of this tiny little island through artifacts, photographs, and works of art.

Please note that reservations are required for Thanksgiving dinner at the Hotel del Coronado. Be sure to make them early, as this is a very popular event.

5. Mother Goose Parade in El Cajon

Is there a more appropriate way to celebrate Thanksgiving than with a parade? Anyone in San Diego for Thanksgiving has to see the Mother Goose Parade in El Cajon. This vivacious parade is a wonderful spectacle of festive holiday fun, with over a hundred floats, performing groups, equestrians, clowns, balloons, and more. You’ll also see special guests like celebrities, musical artists, and the big man himself, Santa Claus.

This is a wonderful alternative to big commercial parades like the one in NYC, and you’re much more likely to get a great spot along this parade route to enjoy all of the fun and excitement without worrying about crushing crowds or oppressive traffic. The annual Mother Goose Parade has free admission, and everyone is welcome.

6. Thanksgiving Dixieland Jazz Fest & Swing Extravaganza

Dixieland Jazz and swing

San Diego’s annual jazz festival is a favorite with the locals. Known as “the crown jewel of jazz festivals,” this annual Thanksgiving-time tradition is the perfect event for music lovers. The festival is held every year at the Town & Country Hotel and Convention Center in the Mission Valley neighborhood of San Diego.

This is not only is it a fun way to enjoy your vacation time. It’s also an opportunity to expand your musical knowledge and take in high-quality performances by artists from around the world. This event is not one to be missed. Admission is ticketed with options for single or multi-days available in advance.

7. Santa at Seaport Village

happy-family-santa-hats-christmas-gifts

It doesn’t get any more Californian than this. Picture a flip-flopped, surfing Santa disembarking from his Christmas ship right onto the boardwalk at Seaport Village. The ultimate way to kick off holiday celebrations in San Diego. A visit to this truly unique Santa experience is a distinctive holiday tradition the kids will love. Where else can you get your photo taken with a tanned surfer Santa?

Plus, USA Today considers this one of the ten best Santa sightings in the entire country. Seaport Village, of course, has much to offer beyond Santa Claus (though we mean no offense to the big man). After the kids get to pass along their holiday wishes, you can shop, dine, and stroll to your heart's content.

If you head a bit farther north on the waterfront, you can also pop by the USS Midway Museum. The museum is typically closed on Thanksgiving Day itself. But you can enjoy a visit to this inspiring institution for the rest of the month.

Happy Thanksgiving from the folks at Go City!

Whatever you choose to do to celebrate Thanksgiving in San Diego, remember to treasure the time with family and friends.

Can't choose? No need, see it all with Go City® 

With an All-Inclusive Pass from Go City, you can visit both attractions for a fraction of the cost. Plus, you could save up to 50% on all your San Diego must-sees. Or pick an Explorer Pass, if you've chosen your fave and have a specific bucket list you're dreaming of ticking off.  

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10+ Things to Do in Downtown San Diego During Your Vacation

While most tourists focus their San Diego explorations on Balboa Park, there is so much to see and do in the downtown area that it would be a shame to skip it. In fact, you can make an entire trip out of roaming Downtown San Diego alone! From top-notch museums to exhilarating whale watches to historic homes, you can find it all in this exciting neighborhood. So, if you’re looking for things to do downtown during your trip to San Diego, check out our list of the best local activities and attractions, including... USS Midway Museum Whale Watch Harbor Cruise PETCO Park Tour Museum of Contemporary Art And more! Save on Downtown San Diego Attraction Admission Admission to many of these top San Diego attractions and activities and more are included on the Go San Diego® Card. Choose as you go from dozens of top attractions and save up to 50% on combined admission vs. paying at the gate. See all available passes, attractions & prices – Learn more. Things to Do in Downtown San DiegoUSS Midway Museum Harbor Cruise by Hornblower Cruises Whale Watch by Hornblower Cruises PETCO Park Tour GoCar Tours Hop aboard the world’s first GPS-guided storytelling car for a ride you’ll never forget. Explore San Diego’s top downtown sites with informative, guided narration that stops and starts when you do. Ride the entire half hour straight through for uninterrupted narration, or pause where you like to explore a bit and resume when you get back in. Either way, it’s bound to be a blast! Getting In: San Diego GoCar Tours are included on the Go San Diego® Card. The New Children’s Museum   Thoroughly interactive and delightfully entertaining, the New Children’s Museum is also one of the best educational experiences for kids in the entire city. They can explore interactive and passive exhibits, get their hands dirty with arts and crafts activities, and engage their minds with demonstrations and activities. A visit here is a valuable opportunity for them to learn and play at the same time. Getting In: New Children’s Museum tickets are included with the Go San Diego® Card. Museum of Contemporary Art William Heath Davis House   There's no better way to explore Downtown San Diego than to visit the one-time residence of William Heath Davis, the first person who attempted to build a Downtown San Diego. Built by Davis in 1850, this historic home is the oldest building in downtown San Diego. It’s been home to a number of famous people and has seen many of the most important historical events in the development of San Diego. Each room is decorated to represent a different era in the house’s history, so a visit here is truly a walk back in time. Getting In: William Heath Davis House tickets are included with the Go San Diego® Card. Seaport Village One of the most popular places to for locals and visitors alike to explore, Seaport Village is a bustling area filled with shops, restaurants, fountains, ponds, and more. It’s a great place to souvenir shop, dine, and just relax and people watch. Spend an hour or so here in the afternoon, or come for an evening waterfront stroll. Getting In: Admission to Seaport Village is free. Maritime Museum of San Diego   This is a great companion attraction to the USS Midway Museum. Located right nearby, the Maritime Museum of San Diego is dedicated to exploring the city’s impressive naval history and the history of the world’s maritime endeavors through the restoration of historic ships. Board beautifully restored historic ships, attend special events, and enjoy interactive exhibits. This is a truly unique thing to do in Downtown San Diego! Getting In: Admission to the Maritime Museum of San Diego is separately ticketed and not included on the Go San Diego® Card. To purchase tickets and for more information about this attraction, please visit the attraction website. The Gaslamp Quarter Remember to Save on Attraction Admission There you have it - a few great recommendations for things in downtown San Diego. Don’t forget -- many of these fun attraction options and more are included on the Go San Diego® Card, where you can save up to 50% on combined admission vs. paying at the gate. We hope you consider adding a few of these great options to your San Diego vacation plans.
Katie Sagal
Endangered California condor in flight.
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San Diego Zoo Vs LA Zoo Comparison in California

Here’s a clash of titans and no mistake. Two of the biggest and best in the States, the zoos in San Diego and LA are Sunshine State behemoths, welcoming millions of wildlife-loving visitors every year. Each has enough going on to while away an entire day or more, with hundreds of species and thousands of critters between them, ranging from tiny Honduran hummingbirds all the way up to ginormous giraffes. But which is best? San Diego Zoo with its enviable location in sprawling Balboa Park, or LA Zoo with its epic elephant and gorilla enclosures? We took a closer look to discover what these California giants have in common, and what sets them apart. But first... Zoos have a tendency to split opinion due to issues around conservation and animal welfare, so let’s address the (ahem) elephant in the room straight away... Conservation and Animal Welfare Both San Diego and LA zoos are committed to conservation and have mission statements that clearly reflect a desire to preserve endangered species and contribute towards a better future for our shared planet. And they’re not all talk either. Far from it. San Diego Zoo pioneered the cageless, open-air exhibits that you’ll now find in most zoos worth their salt, while their Institute for Conservation Research has helped reintroduce more than 30 endangered species back into the wild. LA Zoo is no slouch either, having made perhaps the greatest single contribution to the number of California condors now in the wild, thanks to its intensive breeding program for this rare, threatened animal. Both run a number of talks and demonstrations aimed at educating visitors (especially younger visitors) in how best to appreciate, interact with and protect all wildlife. San Diego Zoo Vs LA Zoo: A Short History San Diego Zoo opened way back in 1916, taking abandoned exotic animal exhibitions from the previous year’s Panama-California Exposition as its starting point. Over a century later, it's the most-visited zoo in the US, welcoming over four million visitors annually to its 100-acre corner of Balboa Park, just north of downtown San Diego. As well as around 650 species and somewhere in the region of 12,000 animals, San Diego Zoo is also a designated botanic garden with well over half a million exotic plants, which really help bring the jungle/rainforest vibe to the various zones. Quirky fact time! Did you know that San Diego Zoo is also where the first ever YouTube video upload was filmed. No? Well now you do. Entitled ‘Me at the zoo’, this 19-second piece of internet history is commemorated by a marker near the elephant enclosure. LA Zoo is an even bigger beast, covering some 133 acres of Griffith Park east of the Hollywood Hills, its permanent location since 1966. Also a designated botanical garden boasting everything from Mexican fan palms to Hong Kong orchid trees, the zoo is home to more than 2,100 mammals, amphibians, birds and reptiles covering around 270 species, of which about a quarter are considered endangered, including regal snow leopards, brightly colored phantasmal poison frogs, and the famous California condor. Quirky fact time! In 2016, a California-based prankster left flyers containing comical fake facts all over the zoo. Highlights included the claim that southern crested screamers can see ghosts (‘that’s why they scream’) and that first US President George Washington was in fact ‘9 koalas stacked on top of each other’. San Diego Zoo: What to See and Do There are a number of ways to explore San Diego Zoo: on foot, by bus (which provides a guided tour of the entire zoo in around 35 minutes), on the aptly-named hop-on hop-off Kangaroo Bus, via miniature train or – best of all – aboard the Skyfari Aerial Tram, which soars over the treetops, affording epic views of the zoo and surrounding Balboa Park, with its many cool museum buildings, formal gardens and eye-popping pavilions. There are also loads of distinct zones to explore around the zoo. Get your giant lizard fix in the Komodo Kingdom, wander the Lost Forest to spot hippos, tigers, gorillas and more, and hit up the Northern Frontier for cute snow foxes and fearsome polar bears. You can also book special experiences like the early morning cheetah safari and exclusive VIP guided tours of the zoo. LA Zoo: What to See and Do LA Zoo has its own share of must-see attractions, too. You’ll want to check out the vast Elephants of Asia enclosure where you can watch these majestic creatures bathing beneath the waterfall, and the Rainforest of the Americas, where you can get up close (but not too close!) to tropical critters including jaguars, howler monkeys, red-bellied piranhas and Goliath bird-eating spiders. Like San Diego, LA Zoo runs an excellent program of special experiences, like wining and dining with spectacular nighttime views of the zoo and its inhabitants. Don’t miss the free bird shows, seal demonstrations and messy giraffe feedings, and check daily schedules for free talks, feedings and keeper shows at both zoos. Fast facts: San Diego Zoo Tickets You can save by buying tickets in advance online at the official San Diego Zoo website. A range of options are available, from one-day zoo passes to multi-passes that include zoo entry as well as tickets to San Diego Safari Park and SeaWorld San Diego. The All-Inclusive attraction pass from Go City also includes all three of those attractions, plus more including Knott’s Berry Farm theme park and the San Diego Museum of Art. Opening Hours Open daily from 9AM to 5PM, with some seasonal variation. Getting There San Diego Zoo is at 2920 Zoo Drive, San Diego, CA 9210. Rapid 215 and Route 7 bus routes connect the zoo to downtown San Diego. Parking at the zoo is free. Fast facts: LA Zoo Tickets Buying advance tickets from the official LA Zoo website is recommended as walk-in entry cannot always be guaranteed at busier times. An attraction pass from Go City also includes entry to the zoo, plus many more LA highlights including Universal Studios Hollywood, La Brea Tar Pits and Madame Tussauds. Opening Hours Open daily from 10AM to 5PM, with some seasonal variation. Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Getting There LA Zoo is at 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027. You’ll find the entrance at the northeast corner of Griffith Park, at the junction of the I-5 (Golden State) and the 134 (Ventura) freeways. The LA Metro bus line 96 route serves the zoo from Burbank and downtown LA.
Stuart Bak

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