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Arun Kuchibhotla

When are San Diego's Christmas tree lightings and holiday markets in 2026?

5 min read Checked November 3, 2026 Report a correction

San Diego's main 2026 tree lightings are Liberty Station on Friday, November 27 (free, 5-9 p.m.), Coronado on December 4, Little Italy on Saturday, December 5 (free, tree lit at 6:30 p.m.), and Del Mar and El Cajon on Sunday, December 6. For markets, the San Diego Made Holiday Market is at Liberty Station on November 28-29 ($5 for adults), Little Italy's Christmas Village fills India Street on December 5, and the Holiday Market at Petco Park is listed for December 4-23.

First big lighting
Nov. 27, 2026

Liberty Station, the day after Thanksgiving

Busiest weekend
Dec. 4-6, 2026

Coronado, Little Italy, Del Mar and El Cajon

Cost
Mostly free

San Diego Made charges $5 for adults; Petco's market has been ticketed in past years

Free nightly show
Nov. 20 - Jan. 3

Hotel del Lightshow Spectacular, 5-9 p.m.

The short version

  • Otay Ranch Town Center starts the season on Tuesday, November 17, 2026: free, with Santa lighting a nearly 50-foot tree at 7 p.m.
  • Liberty Station lights its 88-foot Norfolk pine on Friday, November 27, 2026, 5-9 p.m., free
  • Little Italy Tree Lighting & Christmas Village: Saturday, December 5, 2026, 4-8 p.m., with the lighting at 6:30 p.m. in Piazza della Famiglia
  • Del Mar's North Pole by the Sea (Dec. 6) ends with a 5 p.m. lighting at L'Auberge's Jim Watkins Amphitheater
  • San Diego Made Holiday Market: November 28-29, 2026, at NTC Park, Liberty Station, with 130+ local vendors and $5 adult entry

Most of San Diego's tree lightings are free neighborhood events, held on two weekends: Thanksgiving weekend and the first weekend of December. Every date below comes from a 2026 listing unless we label it 2025. For drive-by light displays, see Christmas lights in San Diego 2026. For rinks, including the ones at Liberty Station and the Hotel del, see ice skating in San Diego 2026.

2026 tree lightings

  1. Tue, Nov 17

    Otay Ranch Town Center

    4-7 p.m.; Santa lights the tree at 7

  2. Fri, Nov 27

    Liberty Station

    5-9 p.m.; 88-foot Norfolk pine

  3. Fri, Dec 4

    Coronado

    Rotary Park tree after the Orange Ave. parade

  4. Sat, Dec 5

    Little Italy + Chula Vista

    6:30 p.m. Piazza della Famiglia; 5:30 p.m. Third Ave.

  5. Sun, Dec 6

    Del Mar + El Cajon

    5 p.m. L'Auberge amphitheater; 6:30 p.m. Prescott Promenade

All free to attend; times from 2026 listings.

Tree lightings by neighborhood

  • Otay Ranch Town Center, Chula Vista

    2026 date
    Tue., Nov. 17
    Lighting time
    7 p.m. (event 4-7)
    Free?
    Free

  • Liberty Station, Point Loma (North Promenade)

    2026 date
    Fri., Nov. 27
    Lighting time
    Event 5-9 p.m.
    Free?
    Free

  • Coronado, Rotary Park

    2026 date
    Fri., Dec. 4
    Lighting time
    2025: about 7 p.m., after the parade
    Free?
    Free

  • Little Italy, Piazza della Famiglia

    2026 date
    Sat., Dec. 5
    Lighting time
    6:30 p.m. (event 4-8)
    Free?
    Free

  • Chula Vista, Third Ave.

    2026 date
    Sat., Dec. 5
    Lighting time
    5:30 p.m.
    Free?
    Free

  • Del Mar, L'Auberge amphitheater

    2026 date
    Sun., Dec. 6
    Lighting time
    5 p.m. (village event 1-5)
    Free?
    Free to attend

  • El Cajon, Prescott Promenade

    2026 date
    Sun., Dec. 6
    Lighting time
    6:30 p.m. (event 3-7)
    Free?
    Free

  • Carlsbad Village Faire

    2026 date
    Not posted
    Lighting time
    2025: 4:30 p.m. on Sun., Dec. 7
    Free?
    Free in 2025

Source: KPBS, San Diego Tourism Authority, Little Italy Association, Del Mar Village Association, Carlsbad Village Association; checked Nov 3, 2026

A crowd gathered around a large lit Christmas tree at night

Little Italy lights its tree in Piazza della Famiglia at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 5; get there early to be close.

Photo: Winston Chen / Unsplash

Holiday markets

2026 holiday markets

  • San Diego Made Holiday Market

    Dates
    Sat., Nov. 28 (10-5) & Sun., Nov. 29 (10-4)
    Where
    NTC Park, Liberty Station
    Cost
    $5 adults; kids 10 and under free

  • Japanese Friendship Garden Holiday Market

    Dates
    Sat., Nov. 21, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
    Where
    Balboa Park
    Cost
    Not listed

  • Holiday Market at Petco Park

    Dates
    Dec. 4-23 (listed)
    Where
    Gallagher Square, Petco Park
    Cost
    Ticketed in past years; 2026 prices not posted

  • Little Italy Christmas Village

    Dates
    Sat., Dec. 5, 4-8 p.m.
    Where
    India St., W. Cedar to W. Grape
    Cost
    Free entry

  • Holiday Lights artisan market

    Dates
    Sun., Dec. 6, 3-7 p.m.
    Where
    Downtown El Cajon
    Cost
    Free entry

Source: KPBS, City of San Diego Balboa Park calendar, San Diego Tourism Authority, Little Italy Association; checked Nov 3, 2026

San Diego Made is the biggest all-local market, with more than 130 vendors, and Nov. 28 is Small Business Saturday. It's at Liberty Station the day after that neighborhood's tree lighting, so you can do both in one trip. Proceeds support the nonprofit that runs it. Petco Park's market is listed by the San Diego Tourism Authority for Dec. 4-23, with artisan shops, light displays and Santa. In past years you picked a timed entry slot online. A 2023 guide listed adult tickets at $14.

Shoppers browsing stalls at an outdoor holiday market

Go on Saturday, Nov. 28, and you also get Small Business Saturday. The market opens at 10 a.m.

Photo: Sunira Moses / Unsplash

Hotel del, Old Town and what isn't posted yet

The Hotel del Coronado doesn't list a tree-lighting date for 2026. Its free Lightshow Spectacular on Founders Lawn runs every 30 minutes from 5-9 p.m., Nov. 20 to Jan. 3. The hotel also lists a community Holiday Festival on Dec. 2 with a skydiving Santa and fireworks. In Old Town, the Tourism Authority lists Las Posadas for Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026. That's a free reenactment of Mary and Joseph's search for shelter. The organizer's own page still shows an older year, so check before you go. See also visiting the Hotel del without staying.

Holiday lights glowing on trees and buildings at night

The Del's free light show runs on the lawn every half hour from 5 p.m.

Photo: Bryan Dickerson / Unsplash

Tree lightings and markets, 2026
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Leaflet © OpenStreetMap contributors

Tree lighting

Market

Light show

Pins at each event's listed address. Lighting times are in the table above.

See these on the full San Diego map

Is this still right?

We last checked this tip against its sources on November 3, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.

Event dates, times and prices are set by the organizers and can change or sell out. Confirm with the organizer's own page before you plan around them.

This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.

KEEP READING

SOURCES

Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.

Coming up where this tip helps

Calendar
MarketsGood for kids

Holiday Marketplace

Sat, Nov 14 · 9am

Mission Trails Regional Park · Navajo & Mission Trails

FamilyGood for kids

20th Annual Tree Lighting

Tue, Nov 17 · 4pm

Otay Ranch Town Center · Chula Vista east & Otay Ranch

HolidayFreeGood for kids

20th Annual Tree Lighting at Otay Ranch Town Center

Tue, Nov 17 · 4pm

Otay Ranch Town Center · Chula Vista east & Otay Ranch

MarketsGood for kids

Point Loma Artists Association Annual Holiday Market

Sat, Nov 21 · 10am

St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church · Old Town

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