Planning a New Year’s celebration in San Diego? We can’t think of a better place to ring in 2020. Whether you prefer a low-key celebration with wine and dinner or a party, there are plenty of options.
Watch the skies illuminate with the bursts of hundreds of explosive lights in the Downtown San Diego New Year’s Eve Fireworks at midnight. Best of all, it’s free! Get a clear view from one of several spots, including Embarcadero Marina Park South, behind the Convention Center, the USS Midway Museum and Seaport Village.
Toast the New Year onboard a Hornblower cruise on San Diego Bay. Enjoy free-flowing champagne, a gourmet buffet, DJ entertainment to keep you dancing, and incredible views. Hornblower offers several cruise options including a gala dinner and a Roaring Twenties party.
You can ring in 2020 at one of the biggest parties in San Diego. The 16th annual Big Night NYE at Hilton San Diego Bayfront is back with an all-inclusive extravaganza, including unlimited drinks all night, a buffet, and live entertainment at 10 different party zones (with eight dance floors) throughout the hotel. Guests are free to roam – beverage in hand – from party room to party room, from the Retro Zone to the Club Zone and the silent disco. About a dozen popular bands and DJs will be playing throughout the gala’s many party areas all evening.
One of the most unique venues for a celebration is the Maritime Museum of San Diego, which hosts the Black & Golf New Year’s Eve. The event center, located on the historic 1898 Steam Ferry Berkeley, will be transformed into a classy lounge, complete with live music and dancing from the era, a 30-foot-long candy and dessert bar, photo booth, party hats and favors, appetizers all night, and a complimentary champagne toast at midnight.
If a drum circle, kombucha on tap and a vegetarian/vegan buffet is more your style, head to the WorldBeat Cultural Center’s annual Ascension celebration. It also features cultural music and dance, kirtan chant, yoga and meditation. Donations are appreciated. No registration required, and everyone is welcome, 7 p.m. to midnight. The WorldBeat Cultural Center is located at Balboa Park.
For an event earlier in the evening, 7 to 9 p.m., that welcomes all ages and all dress styles – from black tie to pajamas – head to the Living Coast Discovery Center’s New Year’s Eve celebration, with a hot chocolate bar, cookie decorating, wildlife encounters, games, karaoke and live coverage of and celebration with the Times Square celebration at 9 p.m. The Living Coast Discovery Center, 1000 Gunpowder Point Drive, Chula Vista. $20 to $25.
Another family-friendly event is the New Year’s Eve Cele-brick-tion at Legoland California. This annual daytime event lets kids take in the Lego exhibits while getting in on the New Year’s tradition. At 6 p.m., a giant brick constructed entirely of Legos, mimicking the Times Square Ball, drops 22 feet to signal the impending arrival of the new year. Fireworks and live musical performances geared toward children are also included.
Whatever you do to ring in the New Year, resolve to spend more time relaxing or adventuring with those who mean the most in 2020.
