Annual Events in San Diego: A Month-by-Month Calendar

At a glance

• Where: Across San Diego, California: Balboa Park, Old Town, Ocean Beach, Barrio Logan, Downtown and more
• When: Events recur in the same month each year; exact dates change, so check each official site
• Cost: Many are free (December Nights, Las Posadas, Día de los Muertos in Old Town, Miramar Air Show); Comic-Con, the film festival and the food festival are ticketed
• Months covered: April through December, only where we could verify an event

San Diego's biggest annual events run from April to December: Chicano Park Day in spring, Comic-Con International in July, the MCAS Miramar Air Show in September and December Nights in Balboa Park in early December. This guide lists each one by its usual month, not this year's dates, and links the official site so you can check the current schedule.

We skipped January through March because we could not verify a recurring event for those months on an official site. Better a short calendar you can trust than a padded one.

How we chose

We picked events that recur every year, take place inside the City of San Diego, and have an official organizer, city, park or tourism page we could read. We state the usual month only. Dates, hours and ticket prices shift, so treat anything below as typical and confirm on the official site before you go. One event, the San Diego County Fair, is just outside the city and is labelled that way.

What happens in April?

Chicano Park Day is the April event: a community celebration in Chicano Park, in the Barrio Logan neighborhood of San Diego.

Chicano Park Day (April)

The Chicano Park Steering Committee holds the commemoration on the Saturday closest to April 22, the anniversary of the 1970 community takeover of the land. Expect Aztec dance, a lowrider exhibition, children's art workshops, vendors and speakers, with the park's famous murals as the backdrop. The committee's page says no alcohol and no pets are allowed. Official site: chicano-park.com.

What happens in May?

Fiesta Old Town, the Cinco de Mayo celebration in Old Town San Diego, is the May event, held over the weekend nearest May 5.

Fiesta Old Town Cinco de Mayo (early May)

Fiesta Old Town fills the streets of Old Town around San Diego Avenue for a Saturday and Sunday in early May. San Diego's transit agency, MTS, describes live music and folklórico dancing on the main stage, lucha libre wrestling, pioneer games for kids, an artisan mercado and the neighborhood's early-history museums. The Old Town San Diego organizers post the schedule at oldtownsandiego.org/fiesta. The Old Town Transit Center trolley stop is a short walk away, so you can skip the parking hunt.

What happens in June?

June brings a beach street fair in Ocean Beach, a marathon weekend, and the county fair just north of the city.

Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off (June)

The Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off takes over Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach on a Saturday in late June, typically from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The fair is free. Chili tastings are paid, typically two samples for $5 or a Master Ticket, with two music stages, an adults-only beer garden and eating contests. Official page: Ocean Beach Main Street Association.

Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon weekend (early June)

The Rock 'n' Roll Running Series San Diego offers a marathon, half marathon and 5K, starting in Balboa Park and finishing Downtown. It has run since 1998 and uses paid registration. Even if you are not running, expect road closures and bands along the course. Official site: runrocknroll.com/san-diego.

San Diego County Fair (June into early July, just outside the city)

The San Diego County Fair is held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard in the City of Del Mar, not the City of San Diego. It typically runs from early June into early July and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Admission is ticketed, and children 5 and under get in free. Official site: sdfair.com.

What happens in July?

Comic-Con International fills the San Diego Convention Center in Downtown San Diego every July.

Comic-Con International (July)

Comic-Con is a four-day pop-culture convention with an evening Preview Night the day before, held at the San Diego Convention Center. Entry is by badge only, sold through the organizers' registration system, so plan months ahead. Open Registration for the next show has historically opened in the preceding autumn. Official site: comic-con.org.

What happens in September?

September has two free events: the MCAS Miramar Air Show and the Adams Avenue Street Fair.

MCAS Miramar Air Show (late September)

The air show is held at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, off Miramar Road in San Diego, over a weekend in late September. Our most recent check found general admission and parking free, with government photo ID required for visitors 18 and older. The lineup has included the Blue Angels with Fat Albert and a Marine Corps F-35B demonstration. Official site: miramarairshow.com.

Adams Avenue Street Fair (September)

The Adams Avenue Street Fair spreads across 10 city blocks of Adams Avenue in Normal Heights, San Diego, on a Saturday and Sunday in mid to late September. The Adams Avenue Business Association bills it as Southern California's largest free two-day music festival, with several music stages, about 300 exhibitors, carnival rides and three beer gardens where drinks cost extra. Official site: Adams Avenue Business Association.

What happens in October?

The San Diego International Film Festival is the October event, based around AMC UTC 14 near La Jolla.

San Diego International Film Festival (October)

The festival is ticketed, with passes sold on its site. Screenings have been held at AMC UTC 14 at Westfield UTC, in the University City and La Jolla area, with an opening-night premiere and a Culinary Cinema day on the final Sunday. Official site: sdfilmfest.com.

What happens in November?

November has Día de los Muertos in Old Town and a waterfront food and wine festival.

Día de los Muertos at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park (around November 1 and 2)

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, at 4002 Wallace Street, holds a free, family-friendly Día de los Muertos celebration each year around November 1 and 2, with altars, folkloric dancers and art stations such as sugar skulls and paper marigolds. It ends with a candlelit procession down San Diego Avenue on the evening of November 2 to El Campo Santo Cemetery, the historic cemetery in Old Town. Details: California State Parks.

San Diego Food + Wine Festival (early November)

The festival, long known as the San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival, is held during the first week or so of November. Its Grand Tasting has been held at Embarcadero Marina Park North on the downtown waterfront by the Embarcadero, alongside dinners and events around the city. It is ticketed and some packages sell out. Official site: sandiegowineclassic.com.

What happens in December?

December is the busiest month, with four events: December Nights, Las Posadas, the Ocean Beach Holiday Parade and the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights.

December Nights in Balboa Park (early December)

December Nights is held in Balboa Park on a Friday and Saturday in early December, from the afternoon into the evening. The park's official page calls it the City of San Diego's largest free holiday festival. Participating museums, such as the Fleet Science Center and the San Diego Museum of Art, offer free admission during set hours, which differ from museum to museum. Official page: balboapark.org/home/december-nights.

Las Posadas in Old Town (mid-December)

Las Posadas in Old Town San Diego is a free reenactment of Mary and Joseph's search for shelter, held at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, 4002 Wallace Street, on a Saturday in mid-December. The procession visits six inn stations, with Mary on a donkey, shepherds and angels, followed by refreshments and live music. The tradition runs deep: California State Parks counted the December 2025 procession as the 67th. Start times vary from year to year, so check before you go. Listings: California State Parks and San Diego Tourism Authority.

Ocean Beach Holiday Parade (first Saturday of December)

The Ocean Beach Holiday Parade rolls along Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach on the first Saturday of December, typically at 5 p.m. It is hosted by the OB Community Foundation with Ocean Beach Main Street Association support. Official page: oceanbeachsandiego.com.

San Diego Bay Parade of Lights (two December Sundays)

The San Diego Bay Parade of Lights is a free parade of decorated boats, typically starting at 5:30 p.m. on two December dates. It is run by the boating community with the Port of San Diego as a sponsor. About 80 decorated boats follow the bayfront to the pier at Chicano Park before turning toward Coronado. Top viewing spots fill up, so arrive early. Official site: sdparadeoflights.org.

Save this: a calendar to screenshot

• April: Chicano Park Day, Barrio Logan
• May: Fiesta Old Town Cinco de Mayo, Old Town
• June: Ocean Beach Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off; Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon weekend; San Diego County Fair (Del Mar, just outside the city)
• July: Comic-Con International, Downtown
• September: MCAS Miramar Air Show; Adams Avenue Street Fair
• October: San Diego International Film Festival
• October 31 to November 2: Día de los Muertos, Old Town
• November: San Diego Food + Wine Festival, Embarcadero
• December: December Nights; Las Posadas; Ocean Beach Holiday Parade; Parade of Lights

For what is on right now, see our events page and this weekend. For beach-day planning, check the weather guide.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What are the biggest annual events in San Diego?

The biggest recurring events in San Diego are Comic-Con International in July, the MCAS Miramar Air Show in September and December Nights in Balboa Park in early December. The San Diego County Fair in June is also a major draw, but it is held in Del Mar, just outside the city.

When is December Nights in Balboa Park?

December Nights is typically held on a Friday and Saturday in early December in Balboa Park, from the afternoon into the evening. The park's official page calls it the City of San Diego's largest free holiday festival, and participating museums offer free admission during set hours.

Is Comic-Con in San Diego every year?

Yes, Comic-Con International is held every July at the San Diego Convention Center in Downtown San Diego. Entry is by badge only, so check comic-con.org for the registration schedule.

What free annual events does San Diego have?

Free recurring events include December Nights in Balboa Park, Las Posadas in Old Town, Día de los Muertos in Old Town, the Adams Avenue Street Fair, the MCAS Miramar Air Show (with photo ID) and the Parade of Lights boat parade. Food, drinks and rides inside some of them cost extra.

Where is the San Diego County Fair held?

The San Diego County Fair is held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard in Del Mar, California. That is a separate city just north of San Diego, and the fair typically runs from June into early July.

What happens in San Diego for Cinco de Mayo?

Old Town San Diego hosts Fiesta Old Town, a Cinco de Mayo celebration held over a weekend in early May, with live music, folklórico dancing, lucha libre and an artisan mercado. Check oldtownsandiego.org/fiesta for this year's schedule.