San Diego Convention Center – Local Festivals

There’s always something going on in the greater San Diego area. Luckily, those visiting the San Diego Convention Center are right in the middle of the action. Events span many areas of interest, including food, art, music, and holidays.

Whether you plan to visit one of these famous festivals or happen upon one serendipitously, you’re in for an unforgettable experience. We’ve narrowed down 10 events to provide an overview of the variety of festivals sunny San Diego has to offer.

 

San Diego Comic-Con

San Diego Convention CenterOne of the most popular events in San Diego is the world-famous San Diego Comic-Con. What started out as a modest one-day festival has turned into a massive cultural event with more than 100,000 attendees. This enormous cultural phenomenon sells out every year and has taken place in the San Diego Convention Center for decades.

Comic-Con is a celebration of all things pop culture, including movies, comics, video games, science fiction, and television. Many attendees dress up as their favorite characters, watch never-before-seen trailers of upcoming blockbusters, attend panels of famous actors and directors, and celebrate with fellow fans.

One main reason San Diego Comic-Con is such a huge event is because of its proximity to Hollywood. This makes it easy for the casts of huge television shows and movies to attend and interact directly with fans. San Diego Comic-Con takes place right inside the San Diego Convention Center each July.

 

San Diego Festival of the Arts

Art lovers will surely want to mark the San Diego Festival of the Arts on their calendar. This annual festival takes place each June at Waterfront Park, which boasts a beautiful view of the bay. More than 200 artists gather to showcase their handcrafted art that spans all categories. Awards are given for the best in each group, including ceramics, textiles, jewelry, painting, photography, and sculpture.

More than 8,000 guests from all over the country attend the San Diego Festival of the Arts each year. There’s more than just critically acclaimed art to enjoy too. The festival also features a silent auction, a beer and wine garden, and delicious cuisine. Waterfront Park is just seven minutes from the San Diego Convention Center, making it easy for guests to enjoy this outstanding showcase of art.

 

San Diego Brew Festival

The San Diego Brew Festival is an exciting experience for beer lovers, with 70 breweries serving more than 150 beers. Tickets to the event provide access to unlimited beer tasting, live musical performances, and some of San Diego’s most popular food trucks. This 21-and-over event takes place each year at Ingram Plaza in San Diego, just 15 minutes from the San Diego Convention Center.

All proceeds from the San Diego Brew Festival go to Noah’s B-ark, a nonprofit that provides food, shelter, and medical help to rescued animals. This event is rain or shine, so grab your tickets and experience the San Diego Brew Festival this June!

 

San Diego International Film Festival

Every fall, the San Diego International Film Festival takes over town. This five-day festival was founded by the San Diego Film Foundation in 2001. Since then, it has unveiled prominent films such as The Blair Witch Project, Napoleon Dynamite, 12 Years a Slave, and Academy Award-winning Hidden Figures. The San Diego International Film Festival receives more than 2,000 film submissions each year, and only the best make it through to screening.

Both La Jolla and the Gaslamp Quarter play host to the events during the San Diego International Film Festival. These include film screenings, panels, networking events, VIP lounges, and parties that all celebrate cinema. Tickets run from $80 to $600, depending on the type of experience attendees are interested in.

 

Fiesta Old Town Cinco de Mayo

One of the most lively holiday celebrations in the San Diego area is the three-day Cinco de Mayo event in Old Town. More than 100,000 people pour into the historic district to enjoy free activities, live entertainment, and food and drink specials. Old Town sets up multiple stages for talented musicians, many of whom play Mexican and Hispanic music.

Guests can watch lucha libre matches, a form of traditional Mexican wrestling in which the contestants sport signature masks. An annual car show adds to the excitement with more than 20 pristinely kept vehicles, including tricked-out lowriders.

Dance troupes, like the non-profit organization DanzArts, perform during Old Town’s Cinco de Mayo festival as well. DanzArt’s mission is to preserve Mexican and Spanish heritage by sharing cultural traditions through their dance.

Their performances raise awareness and appreciation for their past. Other entertainment includes lasso shows, a children’s area, and a roaming mariachi band. The Old Town neighborhood of San Diego is only 14 minutes from the San Diego Convention Center, making it easy for visitors to experience Cinco de Mayo.

 

Balboa Park December Nights

San Diego Convention Center

December Nights in Balboa Park is a holiday tradition that has been illuminating San Diego for more than 40 years. This is the largest free community festival in the city; it attracts more than 375,000 visitors over the course of two days. December Nights was voted the fifth best holiday festival in the United States in a USA Today reader’s poll, and is one of the largest festivals of its kind in the United States.

During this event, Balboa Park is filled with lights on the buildings, trees, vendor booths, and more. Eat your way through the festival by visiting the 134 food vendors, or catch one of 105 performances taking place in 17 entertainment venues. These performances include ballet shows, choirs, ukulele players, musicians, and kids’ theater. Activities vary from pottery classes to carnival rides to puppet shows. For those wanting to kick off their holiday shopping, 46 artisans and crafters set up booths to sell their creations.

This celebration is filled with hundreds of poinsettias, multiple Santa Clauses, dozens of volunteers, and endless opportunities to make memories. December Nights in Balboa Balboa Park is less than 10 minutes from the San Diego Convention Center, so visitors will be able to experience the magic.

 

San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival

San Diego Convention CenterThe San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival is a week-long festival in November, during which hundreds of tastemakers gather to experience the best in cuisine. This event attracts world-famous chefs, renowned wineries, upscale restaurants, culinary authors, specialty food companies, and 11,000 attendees from around the world. In 2019, The San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival was named “Best General Food Festival” by USA Today Readers’ Choice Travel Awards.

The week-long festival features more than 40 events throughout San Diego. Sommeliers and chefs hold panels and cooking classes for guests interested in expanding their knowledge. Exclusive lunch and dinner events take place in restaurants of all kinds throughout the city. Late night parties bring people together to enjoy the beautiful San Diego nights.

This week-long celebration culminates in a Grand Tasting at the Embarcadero Marina Park North. The San Diego Convention Center’s central location makes it easy to access all that the San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival has to offer.

 

KAABOO Del Mar

KAABOO Del Mar is a dynamic festival that’s hard to define. The creators wanted to create an experience for adults that would appeal to all five senses, which is why this festival features a wide variety of attractions. Newsweek named KAABOO Del Mar one of the country’s best summer music festivals, but this experience goes beyond just music. KAABOO Del Mar consists of three days of live performances from world-famous artists like Snoop Dogg, Kings of Leon, Black Eyed Peas, Mumford & Sons, and Dave Matthews Band.

In addition to music, comedians like Bob Saget, Wayne Brady, and Tig Notaro perform in front of sold-out crowds. Celebrity chefs create culinary masterpieces, artists unveil creative pieces, and mixologists create craft cocktails. Guests also have the option to upgrade to VIP status. VIP guests receive spa treatments, watch main stage performances poolside, and relax in air-conditioned cabanas. KAABOO Del Mar is 30 minutes from the San Diego Convention Center, and this outstanding experience is well worth the drive.

 

San Diego Pride

San Diego Convention CenterEvery July, San Diego is filled with rainbows while the city’s Pride Parade and Festival takes place. This weekend-long celebration is made possible by San Diego Pride, an organization formed in 1974 by The Center for Social Services to support the LGBTQIA community.

The weekend starts with a Friday rally, during which speeches energize attendees to celebrate and continue the fight for equality. This rally takes place at the Hillcrest Pride Flag, which is 14 minutes from the San Diego Convention Center.

The next day is the Pride 5K as well as the San Diego Pride Parade. This parade is the fourth biggest pride parade in the country, with more than 250,000 cheering attendees. The Pride Parade starts at the Hillcrest Pride Flag and ends at Laurel Street, right outside Balboa Park.

Immediately following is a two-day Pride Festival in Balboa Park, which attracts more than 40,000 attendees. The festival features four stages, over 100 entertainers, vendor booths, and dozens of food and drink options. The Pride Festival is a free, public event that welcomes anyone supportive of the LGBTQIA community. Balboa Park is less than 10 minutes from the San Diego Convention Center, making the Pride Festival easily accessible.

 

San Diego Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter is arguably the most enormous celebration in that neighborhood. Many bars and venues in the area participate in this vivacious event that features live music, drink specials, nightclub parties, and of course, plenty of beads. The San Diego Convention Center is walking distance from the Gaslamp Quarter, making it easy to get to the heart of the party.

Tickets grant access to 20 award-winning bars, restaurants, and clubs on the Gaslamp Quarter’s central Fifth Avenue. Energetic revelers partake in Gaslamp Party Gras, Southern California’s number-one pre-Mardi Gras party hop. If you’re lucky enough to be in the Gaslamp Quarter during Mardi Gras, you’re sure to be wrapped up in the energy and excitement of the holiday.