November 23
Lightscape at San Diego Botanic Garden
Boasting more than one million holiday lights, tunnels, sculptures and art installations, Lightscape at the San Diego Botanic Garden offers a nightly holiday walking trail under the lights through January 1. When night falls, the spirited mile-long trail is lit up as the garden is brought to life with sound and light. For the full calendar of Lightscape dates as well as ticket availability, check here. | 300 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas
San Diego Jazz Fest and Swing Extravaganza
A Thanksgiving weekend staple in San Diego since the 1980s, the San Diego Jazz Fest is a celebration of jazz with a variety of artists performing blues, ragtime, gospel, swing and traditional jazz music. For the festival’s 43rd edition, performers include the Carl Sonny Leyland Trio, the Jazz Jammers and the Dave Bennett Quartet who will be taking the stage at the Town and Country Resort & Convention Center. Splurge on three-, four-, or five-day badges to get the full experience. Single-day badges available as well. | 500 Hotel Circle North, San Diego
November 25
World Cup Watch Party at The Rady Shell
As San Diego continues to become a soccer town–one goal at a time—the city’s professional men’s soccer squad the San Diego Loyal SC are celebrating the ongoing FIFA World Cup with two free watch parties at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. See the U.S. square off against their British rivals Friday morning or see Mexico battle Argentina in an epic intercontinental matchup. Register for Friday’s watch party here and Saturday’s here. | 222 Marina Park Way, Embarcadero
Art Scene West Gallery Presents: Black Friday ‘Performance Art’ Weekend
Solana Beach’s Art Scene West Gallery is throwing a holiday art show opening for the general public on Black Friday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Over the course of four hours, mural artist Hugo Rivera will be creating a large scale painting from start to finish in a live performance show. During and following Friday’s show, canvases painted by Rivera as well as Mexican surrealist Esau Andrade will be displayed in the courtyard. Rivera’s new painting will be exhibited all weekend long. | 312 South Cedros Avenue, Solana Beach
November 26
Julian Country Christmas Tree Lighting
For its 2022 celebration, Julian takes their Country Christmas Tree lighting ceremony to the center of town from 1 to 8 p.m. Located on the corner of Main Street and Washington, this year’s festivities include several music and holiday performances, an appearance from Santa and a Christmas market. This event is free for all ages, but $30 VIP tickets are also available and come with reserved seating, hot chocolate, a charcuterie snack box and a Julian-themed goodie bag. | Main Street and Washington, Julian
Castelli & Pizarro Family Winery Pairing Dinner
Castelli & Pizarro Family Winery are hosting a five-course dinner with wine pairings of rose, chardonnay, Sangiovese, cabernet franc and syrah, all of which are made on site. The food menu prepared by Chef Erin Sealy will begin with a puff pastry topped with burrata, nectarine, microgreens and white balsamic and continue with four main courses and a complimentary dessert. Tickets to attend are $125 per person and can be purchased here. | 17872 Oak Grove Road, Ramona
Teddy Ball
Local nonprofit Cruise 4 Kids is hosting their 9th annual Teddy Ball, a black tie fundraiser to raise funds and collect plush teddy bears for sick and underprivileged children in the area, this Saturday from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Hosted at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla, there will be a DJ, bars, a candy buffet and more, as the nonprofit is looking to raise $30K and collect 1,500 teddy bears to be donated to youth charities. Single general admission tickets are available for $100, and $250 VIP tickets come with four drink tickets and desserts. Additionally, all guests must bring a new teddy bear for donation to attend. | 3777 La Jolla Village Drive, La Jolla
The 1975: At Their Very Best Tour
British pop rock idols The 1975 are coming to Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre this Saturday for a stop on their At Their Very Best Tour. The group has made a name for themselves with hits like “Somebody Else” and “It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You),” and have become one of the premier rock bands in the world. Their performance will be opened by hip-hop/indie-rock trio BLACKSTARKIDS, who will hit the stage with their blend of nostalgic hybrid-genre tunes to start the show. | 5500 Campanile Drive, El Cajon
Sing-A-Long-A Sound of Music
The Balboa Theatre is hosting a Saturday afternoon showing of the beloved musical classic The Sound of Music at 2 p.m. for a sing-a-long-event. Song lyrics will be displayed on screen throughout the film and props will be set up to transport the audience to the rural mountains of Austria. There will also be a fancy-dress competition with everyone arriving in costume will be invited on stage and the show will begin with a vocal warmup to get ready for an afternoon of song. | 868 Fourth Ave, Downtown