Things to do in San Diego for Pride Day

By <a href="#author-bio">Stuart Bak</a>
By Stuart Bak
Couple gazing at the sea from San Diego's cliffs

While the rest of the planet celebrates Pride in June, San Diego (contrary as ever) holds its party in July. Why? Well, SoCal’s famous ‘June Gloom’ almost saw the parade rained off completely back in 1990. It was the last straw in a long and bitter weather-based war of attrition, which ultimately led to a permanent shift of date to July’s more reliably clement climes. The result: a far sunnier week-long celebration that pulls in some 300,000 spectators for its climax: the Pride Parade and two-day Balboa Park festival/love-in. Now we’ve cleared that up, read on for our guide to all the best things to do during Pride Week in San Diego.

Pride Week Events

Pride festival 'love is love' placard

July sees San Diego painted all the colors of the rainbow, with flags, bunting and balloons bedecking the streets from Hillcrest to La Jolla. Uptown Hillcrest is the beating heart of the city’s LGBTQ+ scene and therefore, perhaps unsurprisingly, the epicenter of all the best Pride Week events and activities. We’re talking beer-fueled bacchanalias at the world’s first gay brewery, drag pageants and karaoke nights, and club all-nighters with celeb DJs. Pride Week usually takes place mid-July, with the Parade landing on a Saturday and the festival running through the weekend. Check the official Pride website for info on specific Hillcrest and Pride Week events, and read our guide to fun things to do in Hillcrest here. Don’t miss:

She Fest

This celebratory event kicks off the Pride Week party in earnest, with a colorful Hillcrest shindig that includes live performers, workshops, community-building activities and more.

Spirit of Stonewall Rally

Getting the people parade-ready on the eve of the big march, the Spirit of Stonewall Rally recognizes and honors LGBTQ+ community leaders with a range of awards for achievements in activism, leadership and fundraising, before raising the Hillcrest Pride flag in front of a crowd of thousands.

Pride Parade

Happy revelers at a Pride festival

San Diego’s Pride Parade is one of the biggest in the States, with a 1.5-mile rainbow route that draws around 300,000 cheering spectators. Expect flamboyant floats, outlandish costumes and marching bands as the parade weaves its way from the Hillcrest Pride flag to Balboa Park. The fun starts at 10AM.

Pride Festival

There are four stages of live entertainment at this epic Balboa Park festival, which brings the Pride party to a close with a bang across Parade weekend. This event is ticketed, but relatively cheap, at under $40 for a weekend pass. More info and tickets here.

Pride 5k

And, if all that Pride partying has left you needing to offset the martinis and mimosas with a little light exercise, the Pride 5k may be for you. The annual race takes place at 8AM directly before the Pride Parade and welcomes runners (and walkers) of all abilities. Register to take part here.

LGBTQ+ Attractions in San Diego

The Botanical Building and lily pond in Balboa Park

Not only is San Diego’s epic Balboa Park central to many of the Pride Week celebrations, it’s also at the heart of the city’s cultural scene, with eye-catching Spanish-Colonial architectural gems galore, a Japanese garden, a pavilion, an old-school carousel, and more world-class museums than you can shake a very large stick at. Insta-perfect edifices along the broad El Prado boulevard, including the ornate Casa del Prado and lavish California Building bell tower, are adorned with LGBTQ+ flags and bathed in rainbow light in the evenings, and the park takes on a carnival atmosphere throughout Pride Week. Hit up the San Diego Museum of Art for Pride-affiliated performances (including music, dance, spoken word, visual art) and self-guided tours of celebrated works by LGBTQ+ artists including Berenice Abbott, Jasper Johns and Marsden Hartley. The nearby Museum of Us also usually hosts a Pride party with activities like crafting with drag queens, cookie-decorating contests, and more.

Group of friends drinking beer

Just north of Balboa Park, Hillcrest is of course where it's at for all things LGBTQ+. There’s an LGBTQ+ community center that’s been running a variety of social and cultural programs here since 1971. Then there are the many gay bars, cocktail joints and nightclubs, both here and in the similarly LGBTQ-friendly North Park neighborhood next door. Not to mention the endless cute brunch spots, cool boutiques, and the quite fabulous Hillcrest Brewing Company, self-styled ‘first gay brewery in the world’, with a colorful cast of craft ales that includes its signature Crotch Rocket and hangover-guaranteeing Banana Hammock (10% ABV!).

Mosey over to University Heights to catch queer cabaret shows and more at the Diversionary theater, or take it easy on Black’s Beach, a secluded LGBTQ+ beach beneath the Torrey Pines bluffs, with golden California sands, and epic weekend parties to boot.

Best of the Rest: San Diego’s Top Attractions

Flamingos at San Diego Zoo

Don’t miss the opportunity to check out some of San Diego’s best tours, activities and attractions when you’re in town. You could save up to 50% with a Go San Diego pass, which just happens to include a few of the attractions mentioned in this blog, such as the Museum of Us and the San Diego Museum of Art. It also includes entry to several other San Diego bucket-listers, such as:

  • Meeting the cute (and not so cute) critters at San Diego Zoo
  • Sampling some of that world-famous boysenberry pie (and the rides, of course) at Knott’s Berry Farm
  • Ogling majestic blue whales up close on a whale-watching bay cruise
  • Touring Petco Park, home of the legendary San Diego Padres
  • Topping up your California tan with La Jolla bike, snorkel and surfboard rental
  • Nabbing a selfie with Madonna and Marlene Dietrich at Madame Tussauds
  • Getting spooked at the Whaley House Museum, said to be America’s most haunted house
  • ….and many more!

Find out more about the different types of Go San Diego pass and choose yours here.

Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Freelance travel writer

Stu caught the travel bug at an early age, thanks to childhood road trips to the south of France squeezed into the back of a Ford Cortina with two brothers and a Sony Walkman. Now a freelance writer living on the Norfolk coast, Stu has produced content for travel giants including Frommer’s, British Airways, Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith, and now Go City. His most memorable travel experiences include drinking kava with the locals in Fiji and pranging a taxi driver’s car in the Honduran capital.

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San Diego Zoo Safari Park
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Wild rides or wild animals? Belmont Park vs San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Surf, snacks and seaside fun, or elephants, lions, giraffes and stunning savanna views? Let’s decide!
Parasailing off the cliffs of La Jolla, San Diego
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Adventurous Things to do in San Diego

San Diego is an adrenaline fiend’s playground, a sprawling city of beaches, cliffs, canyons and theme parks that promise all manner of thrills, from century-old wooden rollercoaster rides to paragliding from the bluffs high above La Jolla’s pristine sands. Brace yourself for our pick of the 10 most adventurous things to do in San Diego... Kayak Through the Sea Caves Set sail from La Jolla Shores and paddle your way gently across the San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park, an astonishing marine reserve with gin-clear waters where you might spot friendly leopard sharks, stingrays, sea turtles, harbor seals and bright orange Garibaldi fish darting under your boat. You’ll soon reach the seven secret sea caves at La Jolla Cove. Steer your kayak inside to follow in the footsteps (boatsteps?) of smugglers who snuck alcohol and opium into San Diego via these same secret passageways during the Prohibition era. Kayaks are available for rent at La Jolla Shores. Ride a 100-Year-Old Rollercoaster Expect thrills galore with a healthy dollop of nostalgia at Belmont Park, an oceanfront fairground that’s been operating at San Diego's Mission Beach since 1925. Amid ultra-modern scream machines that perform high-speed vertical drops and stomach-flipping somersaults you’ll find more sedate old-fashioned amusements such as mini golf, bumper cars and an aerial assault course. The Giant Dipper rollercoaster is the undisputed jewel in the park’s crown. Here since the park opened, this traditional wooden construction provides rickety thrills aplenty along its 2,800 feet of track. Hop aboard, if you’re brave enough. Hit the Surf San Diego’s gentle rolling waves make for ideal surfing conditions, attracting thousands of surfers to its shores every year. Hire a board to give it a go yourself. Sheltered areas at La Jolla Shores and Pacific Beach are particularly forgiving for newbies, and your inevitable first wipeout should be considered a rite of passage. But, if a mouthful of sand and seawater is enough to confirm that surfing isn’t for you, look on the bright side: you can always plonk your board upright in the sand and use it as a sunshade while you admire the views. Brave California’s Longest Zipline Thrillseekers rejoice! For here’s an extreme sport that will really get the adrenaline pumping. Set in an Indian reservation north of the city in the verdant Pauma Valley, the La Jolla Zip Zoom boasts the longest zipline in California. Here, brave souls can soar high over canyons, forest canopies and the San Luis Rey River at speeds reaching up to 50mph. There’s over 6,000 feet of ziplines to whiz down across the whole reservation, with the longest a whopping 2,500 feet. Not for the faint of heart. Lace up your Boots San Diego’s unique landscape makes for some excellent walking opportunities. Hit the hiking trail through Torrey Pines Nature Reserve, 2,000 acres of rugged cliffs and wild plateaus named for the endangered Torrey pine, which is unique to this reserve. You’ll also find colorful wildflowers, towering cacti and monolithic rock formations; maybe even the occasional cheeky raccoon or lizard. Head to Yucca Point Overlook for fine views across the La Jolla bluffs to the golden beaches and shimmering ocean below. There are also guided tours available at Mission Trails Regional Park and Tecolote Canyon. Rent a Jet Ski Do you feel the need... the need for speed? Tear up the waters of San Diego Bay on a Yamaha Waverunner jet ski ride against the picturesque backdrop of the Downtown skyline. These streamlined dream machines can reach speeds of up to 65mph so you can visit bay attractions including the USS Midway aircraft carrier, Shelter Island and the curvaceous Coronado Bridge in no time at all. Keep your eyes peeled for playful seals and dolphins frolicking in the surf and maybe even racing alongside you! Leap off La Jolla’s Cliffs San Diego activities don’t come much more adventurous than leaping into the unknown on a paragliding experience from the cliffs at Torrey Pines. Take a tandem ride from the Gliderport here and let your expert guide do all the hard work while you admire sweeping views of the coastal bluffs and spot leopard sharks cruising the clear waters below. Top tip: paragliding is also a mesmerizing spectator sport, so those without a head for heights can simply bring along a picnic and enjoy the colorful spectacle from terra firma. Have a Whale of a Time San Diego is prime whale-watching territory, with majestic blue whales often spotted off the coast in summer and fall, and gray whales migrating to and from the warm lagoons of Baja en masse for calving season in winter and spring. Get up close to these magnificent creatures on a boat tour. If you’re lucky you might even spot a mother swimming with her calf, or get close enough to feel the sea spray from a blowhole or disappearing tail fin. Dozens of trips depart daily from Downtown and Mission Bay, with many guaranteeing a refund if you fail to see anything. Sample Unusual Beers San Diego is the craft beer capital of the USA, with dozens of microbreweries concocting weird and wonderful beverages for your delectation, and taprooms on nearly every street corner. It would be simply remiss not to sample a few while you’re here. Head to Hillcrest Brewing for unusual brews including Crotch Rocket Irish Style Red Ale and Banana Hammock Scotch Ale. And stagger on down to North Park for a punchy, hazy Technomancer at Modern Times’ taproom, known locally as ‘the Flavordome’. Major beer festivals hit town in June, October and November, when sampling the gamut of beers, from stouts to sours and frothy IPAs to flavored brews, is positively encouraged. Go Ghost-Hunting Here’s a way to increase your heart rate without going to the extreme lengths of e.g. jumping off a cliff strapped to a man with a big parachute. Once described by LIFE magazine as ‘the most haunted house in America’, The Whaley House in San Diego’s Old Town has seen its fair share of grisly deaths over the years and was reputedly built on the site of a former gallows. Eek. Scare yourself silly on one of the museum’s spooky evening tours – if you dare. Save on adventurous things to do in San Diego Save on admission to San Diego attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Mission Beach, San Diego
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Things to do in Mission Beach San Diego

San Diego’s Mission Beach is the laidback California lifestyle writ large, all golden sands, buzzing boardwalks, and tanned kids playing beach volleyball in the warm sunshine. Add to this some of the most amazing theme parks in the region and you have all the ingredients for a fantastic day out. Read on to discover our favorite things to do in Mission Beach San Diego. Hit the Beach Close your eyes and picture sun-kissed Californian sands and chances are you’ll conjure up a pretty accurate image of San Diego’s Mission Beach. The neighborhood’s mile-long stretch of perfectly powdery sand offers any number of ways to while away a day or six. Of course, you may choose to simply recline on a lounger with a paperback in one hand and an ice cream in the other. But other beach activities abound here, from volleyball and over-the-line to swimming, surfing and stand-up paddleboarding. Checkered flags mark out the safe zones for water-based fun and the reassuring lifeguard presence might even give you the impression you’ve walked onto the set of the latest Baywatch remake. Bit cold for a dunk in the Pacific, but still fancy a dip? Make for Plunge San Diego, an enormous indoor pool with a floating obstacle course and a retractable roof for sunny days. Which, to be fair, is most days here. Behind the beach, the broad boardwalk throngs with locals whizzing to and fro on all manner of wheeled transport: expect to dodge skateboarders, cyclists and rollerbladers as you make your way across to the beachside cafés and restaurants. Head to Cannonball for delicious sushi, Pacific Rim-influenced California cuisine and craft cocktails served high above the boardwalk at the biggest oceanfront rooftop restaurant in San Diego. Nearby Draft South Mission, with its whopping selection of over 100 brews is the place for sampling some of San Diego’s famous craft beers at sunset. Perhaps not all at once though. Old-Fashioned Entertainment One of Mission Beach’s undisputed highlights, Belmont Park is an old-fashioned seaside amusement park that’s guaranteed to charm even the most world-weary of travelers. You can’t visit the park without riding the Giant Dipper, a century-old wooden rollercoaster that has been designated a National Historic Landmark. There are also bumper cars, drop rides, mini golf, climbing walls and a traditional carousel, as well as amusement arcades and plenty of fairground food stalls. Not far south of Mission Beach, you’ll find the aptly named South Mission Beach. No less beautiful than its more popular sibling, it’s certainly less crowded. This is the place to come for relative solitude on the sands, though there's a range of beach and watersports to enjoy here too, should the mood take you. The long Mission Bay Jetty is a great spot to cast out a line and catch dinner. There’s an abundance of bass and halibut to be had and – because you don’t require a permit to fish here – the jetty is popular with both experienced fishermen and young kids angling for their first catch. Locals up the ante during lobster season by diving beneath the jetty and attempting to corral their own lunch by hand. Mission Bay Directly behind Mission Beach’s narrow sandbar lies Mission Bay, the largest man-made saltwater bay of its kind on the planet, with 27 miles of shoreline and 4,600 acres of waterways, islets and beaches to explore. Of course, this makes for some great walking and cycling trails, and bikes are available to rent at a number of outlets around the area. This is also the place to get wet, with watersports galore including jet skiing, wakeboarding, paddleboarding, surfing, sailing, and just about any other watery activity that tickles your fancy. Kid-friendly beaches here are also perfect for picnics and building sandcastles. Make like Huckleberry Finn and take to the bay’s tranquil waters on a nostalgic Mississippi-style steamboat, or head out along the coastline on a sightseeing cruise. During the winter migration season, you may even be lucky enough to spot gray whales as they make their majestic way south to Baja’s warm lagoons. A number of sport-fishing excursions also depart regularly from Mission Bay, with options for half-day, full-day and multi-day trips. SeaWorld San Diego Mission Bay is also where you’ll find SeaWorld San Diego. There’s plenty here to keep you occupied for a day or two. And it’s not all about the sea creatures either (though there are plenty of those, too). This sprawling complex also has stacks of high-octane rides, including the absolutely terrifying Electric Eel. The highest and fastest rollercoaster in San Diego, it makes Belmont Park’s Giant Dipper seem positively quaint by comparison. Ride the Shipwreck Rapids for a rapid drenching and take in all the best coastline and San Diego skyline views from the Bayside Skyride gondolas and 98-meter-high Skytower. Kids will love getting up close to the many inhabitants of SeaWorld’s 19 aquariums. Walk through a glass underwater viewing tunnel as sand tigers and whitetip reef sharks cruise silently past, meet loggerhead, hawksbill, and green sea turtles at Turtle Reef, and visit the touch pools at Explorer's Reef to interact with (thankfully harmless) bamboo sharks, rays and horseshoe crabs. You can even enjoy – if enjoy is the correct word for it – the unusual sensation of shoals of tiny cleaner fish nibbling at your fingers. Don’t miss the cuteness overload that is the sea otter zone and, at the other end of the size spectrum, huge killer whales at the Orca Encounter. Save on things to do in Mission Beach San Diego Save on admission to San Diego attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak

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