Balboa Park December Nights

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The City of San Diego and Cox have teamed up to bring free Wi-Fi access to December Nights!

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Know Before You Go

 

December Nights is a family friendly event in the beautiful Balboa Park Cultural District. We welcome everyone to enjoy all the event has to offer, but in order to make everyone's experience a pleasant one, please consider the following:

PLAN AHEAD. Explore this event website and social media pages for up-to-the-minute information! A mobile version of the site will become available close to the time of the event which will feature detailed information and maps for vendors, performances, museums, and more.

BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR. Please remember to respect our park neighbors — keep noise to a minimum, dispose of your trash and recyclables, practice good parking etiquette and remember, if you see something, say something!

LEAVE YOUR PETS AT HOME. The event welcomes those who require a trained service animal to assist them. For those animals not specifically trained to work in a dynamic, crowded and unpredictable environment, you will be putting your pet in a potentially hazardous and frightening situation. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to not bring your pet to the event.

BIKE, TROLLEY, CARPOOL OR RIDESHARE TO THE EVENT. Traffic can be difficult during December Nights, and there are many alternative ways to get to the event. There are free bike valets at the event, and bike lanes leading into the park; a free event shuttle stops at City College, 3rd and A Streets, and Beech St. at Kettner Blvd. to support offsite parking, trolley and bus riders; ridesharing will be difficult on Park Blvd. due to traffic congestion, so both sides of Sixth Avenue near the Cabrillo Bridge are dedicated drop-off and pick-up locations. For more information on shuttle locations and transportation options, visit the Getting to December Nights page for the complete guide to all transportation options.

PARKING. Pack your patience – Park Blvd. will be crowded, and parking lots within Balboa Park and limited and fill up quickly. If you choose to drive into the park, limited free parking is available at the San Diego Zoo and City College (serviced with a free shuttle), and convenient paid parking is available in Lot A at Inspiration Point, Lot B on Presidents Way, at Roosevelt Middle School, and at San Diego High School. See your parking options.

FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: Parking for people with disabilities is available off Park Blvd at the Fleet Science Center on Space Theater Way, and at the Natural History Museum on Village Place. Learn more about these options on the Parking page. There are also tips for access to a variety of experiences on the Tips for People with Disabilities page.

WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES. You will be walking on concrete sidewalks, grass, dirt and asphalt. There may be some uneven ground, and caution is recommended.

DRESS IN LAYERS. Though San Diego winters are usually mild, the ability to add or subtract a layer will go a long way towards your comfort.

SAFETY FIRST. Strike a pose and snap a photo of everyone in your group and choose a meeting place in case you become separated. Take a picture of where you parked your car (especially in offsite areas) to help you find your way back. 

RECYCLE. The City is providing trash, recycling, and organic waste containers throughout the event area. We need you to help us keep Balboa Park beautiful and ecologically responsible.

We also ask that you follow these simple rules.

NO VENDING/SELLING OR PERFORMING anywhere within the park, its parking lots or sidewalks without an official permit and prior written approval from the event organizer. For more information, see Municipal Code §36.010.

NO USE OF DRONES or other unmanned aircraft systems without prior written authorization from the FAA and specific written permission from the event organizer.

NO RUNNING, SKATEBOARDING, ROLLERBLADING, BIKING or other similar activity within the event. Free valet services are available for bikes and scooters.

NO RIDING OF SCOOTERS OR OTHER MOTORIZED DEVICES WITHIN THE EVENT PERIMETER, except by persons with a mobility impairment. Park your bikes and scooters at the free bike valets located at the corner of Park Blvd. and Village Place, or at the west entrance of the Cabrillo Bridge.

NO FIGHTING, threatening comments or gestures, obscene language or gestures.

NO WEAPONS, including but not limited to firearms, knives, or any other object(s) that may be used in any way to inflict bodily injury on another person.

NO DRINKING OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, except in areas specifically designated for the consumption of alcohol.

NO LITTERING.

NO DEFACING, DAMAGING, OR DESTROYING OF ANY PROPERTY.

NO SMOKING.

NOTICE: Use of Media and Digital Content by the Organizers of December Nights

When you enter the December Nights event area, ride an official event shuttle and park in event related parking lots you enter an area where photography, audio and video recording may occur.

By entering the event premises and related areas, you consent to interview(s), photography, audio recording, video recording and its/their release, publication, exhibition or reproduction to be used for news, web casts, promotional purposes, telecasts, advertising, inclusion on websites, social media or any other purpose by the organizers of December Nights, its affiliates, partners and representatives. Images, photos, and/or videos may be used to promote future events, highlight Balboa Park and its related structures and institutions, as well as exhibiting the capabilities of the organizers, suppliers and sponsors of the event.

By your presence within the event premises and related areas you release the event organizers, their officers, directors, staff, partners, sponsors, representatives and agents and all persons involved from any liability connected with the taking, recording, digitizing or publication and use of interviews photographs, images, video and/or sound recordings.

By entering the event premises, you waive all rights you may have to any claims for payment or royalties in connection with any use, exhibition, streaming, web casting, televising, or other publication of these materials, regardless of the purpose or sponsoring of such use, exhibiting, broadcasting, web casting, or other publication irrespective of whether a fee for admission or sponsorship is charged. You also waive any right to inspect or approve any photo, image, video, or audio taken by the event organizers or any persons affiliated with and/or authorized by the event organizers to do so.

You have been fully informed of your consent, waiver of liability, and release before entering the event.

 
Balboa Park Pavilion at December Nights
Christmas Story show at December Nights
Christmas ornaments at December Nights