Kid-Friendly New Year's Eve Fun...San Diego-Style! (Dec. 31, 2023)
Show your kids how to ring in the New Year - San Diego Style! Lots to choose from, some are FREE and all are FUN! 🦅 🧨 🐬 💥 🏤 🔔 🚂 🌟 ⛸ 🏎 🎈 🥳 🍇
Contents:
🥳 Library DEC. 29th Noon-Year's Eve
🦅 Living Coast Discovery Center
Dec. 31 from 6-9pm
$30 ages 3+, Free 2 & under
Chula Vista, Southbay
Slip into your favorite PJs and say Sweet Dreams to 2023 at our New Year’s Eve Pajama Party! Dance the night away at the silent disco, get up close with the animal ambassadors, play some yard games, hop into the Flip Book photo booth, do some arts & crafts or cookie decorating and so much more! Food, coffee & pastries available for purchase. It will be a night of comfort, creativity, and wild delights!
1000 Gunpowder Point Dr., Chula Vista, CA 91910 / 619-409-5900 / info & tickets
🧨 Legoland
Dec. 31 - Fireworks at 6:45pm
Included with *select admission, see below
Advanced reservations required for park entrance
Carlsbad
"Midnight" comes early for families at LEGOLAND California Resort, celebrating the New Year together without missing their bedtimes. In kid standard time, we’ll be celebrating at 6pm. POP! Dance Party with live DJ, Block Party at Fun Town with live brass band, Benny's dance party, party hat hunt at Miniland and Captain Cranky's Countdown with fireworks. End the year with an unforgettable fireworks display that explodes into 3D LEGO® bricks right before your eyes with special viewing glasses!
*Daily tickets & Elite or Platinum annual passes are included. Gold & Silver AP's are blocked out on this date.
One Legoland Dr., Carlsbad, CA 92008 / 888-690-5346 / more info
🐬 SeaWorld VIP Family Bash
Dec. 31 - Fireworks at 9pm
VIP Tickets: $30/kids, $70/adults
Park entry admission also required
Mission Bay
This VIP family event includes your favorite Sesame Street friends, live entertainment, party hats for children and adults, specialty cocktails and ice-cold beer for purchase, and a premium tapas inspired food menu all leading up to our New Year's Eve fireworks show with a private fireworks viewing at 9pm. Complete with a champagne toast for adults and sparkling cider for the little ones, make SeaWorld San Diego’s New Year’s Eve Bash your family’s newest holiday tradition.
500 Sea World Dr., San Diego, CA 92109 / 619-222-4732 / more info
(Or, you can still enjoy the park, rides, food, treats and watch the fireworks show from inside the park without buying this add-on VIP Party ticket.)
💥 Fiesta Island or Mission Bay for SeaWorld fireworks
Dec. 31 - Fireworks at 9pm
FREE!
Mission Bay
Head to our secret spot (you know the place ;) on Fiesta Island, or anywhere else along Mission Bay as long as you can see the night sky above the SeaWorld SkyTower you'll have a great view. Find a bonfire pit, bring some s'mores, hot dogs or take out and camp out for the evening under the stars. Get there maybe 20-30 minutes prior, or earlier to guarantee a good spot. To find a bonfire pit around Mission Bay you should send someone super early that morning to hang out and claim it; first come first serve. ;) Dress warm!
1590 E Mission Bay Dr., San Diego, CA 92109 / 619-525-8213 / website
🏤 Hotel Del Coronado Tree Light Show
Dec. 31 from 5-9pm
FREE
Coronado
They have an awesome light show for free on their front lawn every 15 min between 5-9pm. (Note: there is NO fireworks show this year like they've had in years past.)
Or you can book a movie on the beach for $25/pp (fire pit with s'mores extra) to watch Top Gun: Maverick.
1500 Orange Ave., Coronado, CA 92118 / 619-435-6611 / website
🔔 San Diego Zoo Light Show & Balboa Park Mini Train 🚂
Zoo: Dec. 31 open 9a-8p (Aurora light show at 7:50pm)
Mini Train: 11a-8p; $4/pp
Cost of Zoo admission
Balboa Park
No special NYE events per se at the Zoo, but the zoo is open after dark and has fun evening shows as part of their Jungle Bells experience. Before the zoo, hop on the mini train right next door (to the left as you face the Zoo entrance across from the valet/bathrooms). The mini train has fun holiday light displays and a neon light tunnel at the end that's fun at night. Catch the amazing Aurora light show 10 minute before Zoo closing to finish off the year!
2920 Zoo Dr., San Diego, CA 92101 / 619-231-1515 / San Diego Zoo / Balboa Park Mini Train
🌟 Lightscape at SD Botanic Garden
Dec. 31 from 5-10pm
Only a few flex slots left, grab them NOW if you want to go.
*Advanced timed tickets are required
$18-$30
Encinitas
A 1-mile trail illuminated after dark with glowing art installations, fire garden, light tunnels, rainbow trees and music along the way. Stop for some eats & treats or sip hot chocolate and be mesmerized by all the light up creations. This even has extended their dates until Jan. 7 if you want to catch this another day.
300 Quail Gardens Dr., Encinitas, CA 92024 / 760-436-3036 / website
🏎 Liberty Station Dinner & Movie
Corvette Diner: Dec. 31 - NYE toast at 9pm
The Lot: Dec. 31 kid-movies - Wonka, Migration
Cost of dinner/movie
Point Loma
The always fun Corvette Diner has a Big Apple Balloon Drop with a NYE toast at 9pm. Walk around Liberty Station and catch a movie before dinner at The Lot, or have dinner there while you watch your movie.
The Lot Movies for kids: The new Wonka movie is playing 12/31 at 9:30am, 1pm, 3:50pm, 6:30pm & 8:45pm - I saw it and it's really good. The other kid-friendly movie playing 12/31 at The Lot is called Migration at 10am, 12:30pm, 3pm, 5:30pm & 7:45pm.
Jan. 1st - The Corvette Diner has an annual New Year's DAY Pajama Party. Join us January 1st from noon-3pm for our annual Pajama Party. Enjoy brunch specials, drinks for mom & dad and a pajama contest.
Corvette Diner: 2965 Historic Decatur Rd., Point Loma / 619-542-1476 / website
The Lot: 2620 Truxton Rd., San Diego, CA 92106 / 619-566-0069 / website
🎈 The Plunge Noon Year's Eve Party
Dec. 31 from 10:30a-1p
$35-$40
Belmont Park, Mission Beach
Run, ride and spin around Belmont Park, then hit the pool at The Plunge for their noon-time balloon drop and swim. This year will be even bigger and better than ever with multiple MEGA balloon drops, swim obstacle course, foam party, paint party & bounce house. Our DJ will be playing all of the family favorites and we will have plenty of dryland activities and entertainment for all of the family to enjoy. The floating obstacle course will be open to enjoy our 85-degree heated water. We'll have servers for adults to purchase cocktails.
3115 Ocean Front Walk, San Diego, CA 92109 / 858-779-1630 / website
🥳 SDPL Kearny Mesa Noon Year's Eve Celebration
Dec. 29th from 11:30a-12:15p
FREE
Kearny Mesa Library
Want to ring in the New Year, but your bedtime is way before midnight? Come to our Noon Year's Eve Celebration and celebrate at noon! Join us for crafts and a countdown to the Noon Year!
9005 Aero Dr., San Diego, CA 92123 / 858-573-1396 / more info
🍇 Temecula Grape Drop
Dec. 31 from 6pm-12am
Free
Temecula
Ring in the new year Temecula style with the infamous Grape Drop! Celebrate the New Year twice with an East Coast (9pm) and West Coast (midnight) countdown. The New Year’s Eve Grape Drop will include live music, food vendors, and kid’s activities. Free Fun Zone will be open from 6:00-10:00pm.
41000 Main St., Temecula, CA 92950 / more info