The Craving: San Diego Food + Drink News – Week of September 28, 2026

The Craving is ThereSanDiego's weekly guide to what's worth eating and drinking in San Diego right now. Every Tuesday, we surface new restaurant openings, standout happy hours, limited-time menu specials, and upcoming food events across the city - so you know what's happening before everyone else does.
Lights & Peppermint Market at Liberty Public Market
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Lights & Peppermint Market at Liberty Public Market
  • Liberty Public Market
Liberty Public Market is getting festive with Lights & Peppermint Market, a two-day holiday celebration that combines eat, drink, and shopping with activities designed for...
Charlie Chaplain
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Silent Movie Mondays Brings a Holiday Double Feature to the Balboa Theatre
  • Balboa Theatre
The Balboa Theatre is dusting off two classic silent films for a special holiday edition of Silent Movie Mondays. We can catch Old Scrooge (1926)...
Makers Arcade Holiday Fair
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Makers Arcade Holiday Fair Takes Over Broadway Pier
  • Broadway Pier
The sensational Makers Arcade Holiday Fair is about to turn Broadway Pier into San Diego‘s most dazzling creative hub of the season. This popular annual...
san diego santa run
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San Diego Santa Run Brings 5K Fun to Pacific Beach
The 13th Annual San Diego Santa Run is happening in Pacific Beach, and if you’ve been looking for a 5K that’s less about PRs and...
Things To Do For The Holidays In San Diego
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San Diego Bay Parade of Lights Returns for 55th Year
  • San Diego Bay
The San Diego Bay Parade of Lights is back for its 55th year, and if you’ve never experienced roughly 80 lavishly decorated boats gliding through...
operation snowfall lou lou's
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The Secret Agents Take On Operation Snowfall at Lou Lou’s Club
Lou Lou’s Jungle Room is transforming into Secret Agent H.Q. for a night of jazzy, rockin’, 60s-inspired holiday arrangements and a lightly theatrical caper that...
The Craving
Bonne Vie Brasserie & Bar Now Open at The Westgate Hotel in the Gaslamp
The Westgate Hotel just unveiled its newest dining concept, and it’s bringing French culinary tradition to the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter with a coastal...
Fort Oak Holiday Lunch
Fort Oak Brings Back Holiday Lunch Service
Fort Oak is opening for midday service during two select weekends in December, and if you’ve been looking for an excuse to take a long...
Elevate Your Pickleball Game at Rancho La Puerta's Specialty Weeks
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Elevate Your Pickleball Game at Rancho La Puerta’s Specialty Weeks
Rancho La Puerta is taking pickleball to the next level with Pickleball ProWeeks running two consecutive weeks in December, and if you’re a player rated...
Annual Beachside Winter Wonder Is Back At Belmont Park For Its 4th Year
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Winter Wonder at Belmont Park Returns With a Million Twinkling Lights
  • Belmont Park
Winter Wonder at Belmont Park is back, and this year they’ve cranked things up with over one million twinkling lights transforming the beachside destination into...
San Diego’s Best Holiday Pop-Up Bars to Sip, Savor, and Get a Little Toasty
If you’re the kind of person who gets excited about themed holiday experiences rather than just tolerating them, we’ve got your guide to the biggest...
Annual OB Holiday Parade Parking Lot Party
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Ocean Beach Holiday Parade Gets the Perfect After-Party at Kilowatt
  • Kilowatt Brewing Ocean Beach
Ocean Beach’s Annual Holiday Parade is back, and Kilowatt Brewing is doing what they do best – throwing a parking lot party that captures everything...
societe makers market holiday edition
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Find One-of-a-Kind Gifts at Societe Makers Market
  • Societe Brewing Company
If you’re tired of scrolling through generic gift options online, the Societe Makers Market at Societe Brewing offers a better alternative. More than 25 local...
December at The Conrad
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Contemporary Mexican Tunes, Rising Classical Stars, and Free Holiday Open House at The Conrad
  • The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center
La Jolla Music Society is closing out December with a solid lineup that spans Latin GRAMMY winners, cutting-edge modern dance, rising classical stars, and their...
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World Ballet Company Brings The Nutcracker to San Diego
  • Balboa Theatre
Some holiday traditions just work, and The Nutcracker is one of them. World Ballet Company’s production returns with the kind of scale and craft that...
San Diego Civic Theatre
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Embrace the Wonder of The Nutcracker With the Golden State Ballet
  • San Diego Civic Theatre
The Nutcracker is the ultimate holiday tradition, and this year’s production promises pure magic. With Tchaikovsky’s iconic score performed live by the San Diego Symphony,...
Little Italy tree lighting
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Jingle All the Way to This Year’s Little Italy Tree Lighting and Christmas Village
  • Piazza della Famiglia
Little Italy is transforming into a winter wonderland for its annual Tree Lighting and Christmas Village, and if you’re looking for a neighborhood holiday celebration...
Holiday At Petco Park Returs Bigger And Better For Its 3rd Year
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Holiday Wonderland Returns to Petco Park
  • PETCO Park
Holiday Wonderland is back at Gallagher Square for its fifth year, and if you’ve been looking for a comprehensive holiday experience that goes beyond just...
outdoor lifestyle shopping center
Celebrate the Season at The Forum Carlsbad’s Tree Lighting
The Forum Carlsbad is bringing back its Tree Lighting Celebration for the 23rd year, and if you’re in North County looking for a holiday event...
The Mental Bar Art Show
December Events at The Mental Bar
The Mental Bar is running two solid December events that give you reasons to visit beyond just grabbing a drink. We’re talking weekly Pilates sessions...
The Jingle Bar Christmas pop-up bar
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Experience Christmas Magic at the Jingle Bar San Diego
The number one most talked about Christmas pop-up bar is finally opening in San Diego, and if you’ve been following Jingle Bar’s success in other...
Holiday Gondola Cruises
Set Sail Into the Season With Holiday Gondola Cruises
The Gondola Company is running Holiday Gondola Cruises through the Coronado Cays, and if you’ve been looking for a date night or group outing that’s...
Featured
most-popular outdoor cinema
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RCC Embarcadero: Your Holiday Season Destination for Fireside Films and Festive Fun
  • Manchester Grand Hyatt
Rooftop Cinema Club Embarcadero at the Manchester Grand Hyatt has announced its December slate, and if you’re looking for something to do this holiday season...
Campland on the Bay holiday programming
Holiday Magic and Timeless Traditions Shine at Campland on the Bay
Campland on the Bay is running holiday programming from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve, and if you’ve been looking for a way to spend the...
Upcoming Events
Heritage Fire San Diego
Heritage Fire Brings San Diego’s Best Chefs to Ingram Plaza
June 28, 2026
3:30 pm
  • Ingram Plaza
There’s something about live-fire cooking that just hits different – the crackle, the smoke, the smell of something incredible coming off the grill. Heritage Fire...
The Beach Boys
Catch the Beach Boys Live at the Rady Shell – With the Full San Diego Symphony
June 27, 2026
7:30 pm
  • The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park
Experience the magic of The Beach Boys at The Rady Shell concert with the San Diego Symphony for a perfect summer night.
Lee Foss
Chicago House Royalty Lee Foss is Heading to Quartyard
June 27, 2026
4:00 pm
  • Quartyard
Get ready for FNGRS CRSSD with Lee Foss, where classic house meets techno for an electrifying night under the stars.
Insomniac's Into the Horizon Festival crowd at Waterfront Park San Diego
Lose Yourself in Two Days of EDM at the Horizon Festival
June 27, 2026
3:00 pm
  • Waterfront Park
Insomniac’s Into the Horizon Festival is coming to Waterfront Park in Downtown San Diego for a two-day electronic music event on the city’s most iconic...
Love is a Drag Bombshells and Brunch Pride event at Pacific Beach AleHouse Beer Garden
Celebrate Pride at Love is a Drag: Bombshells & Brunch at Pacific Beach AleHouse
June 27, 2026
12:00 pm
Pacific Beach AleHouse is bringing the heat for Pride with Love is a Drag: Bombshells & Brunch – a Love Island-inspired drag brunch taking over...