We’ve made it through the apocalyptic rain and now it’s time to ease gently into 2026. This San Diego weekend, two of the city’s biggest events are calling – stroll, spin and cheer on red-blooded American fun. Plus, don’t miss Saturday night’s first full moon of the year, the Wolf Moon.
Are you a car fanatic or in the market for new wheels? The beloved San Diego International Auto Show is firing on all cylinders at the San Diego Convention Center through Sunday. General admission is $18, but head out on Sunday for Family Day to snag free tickets for those 12 and under. Highlights: Pivotal Blackfly, billed as the first consumer-delivered ‘flying car,’ and the return of the indoor electric vehicle test track, where you can take select models for a spin. Doors open daily at 10 a.m.
Friday’s Holiday Bowl is about more than just the game. Downtown festivities have been a San Diego tradition since the inaugural bowl in 1978, with a full slate of events leading up to kickoff:
8 a.m. – Lace up for a healthy start to the festivities with the Port of San Diego Game Day 5K Run/Walk along the downtown waterfront, with same-day registration and bib pickup at 8 a.m. and the race gets underway at 9:45 a.m. near Harbor Drive and Ash Street, followed by a post-race party with music, snacks and prime parade viewing. 10 a.m. – “America’s largest balloon parade” marches rain or shine along Pacific Highway from the County Administration building to North Harbor Drive near Seaport Village. The action includes 25 giant balloons (think Macy’s Thanksgiving parade), 11 bands, three floats and dozens of local San Diego groups. Viewing is free along the bayfront or via live stream on the CBS 8+ app. 5 p.m. – The 46th annual Trust & Will Holiday Bowl kicks off at Snapdragon Stadium, marking the first time the game has been played in January. The 17th-ranked Arizona Wildcats face the SMU Mustangs in a matchup televised on FOX. Gates open at 3 p.m., with the first 10,000 fans receiving one-day tickets to SeaWorld San Diego. The event also features a controversial halftime “inheritance toss,” in which a contestant can win $10,000 by throwing a football into a festive casket. General admission starts at $50.Peruna has made it to San Diego!He will be on the field, and run after every SMU touchdown in the @holidaybowl pic.twitter.com/lPcxZItDqb
— PonyACCess (@ACCessPony) January 2, 2026Get ready for a totally tubular night when the San Diego Gulls are back on home ice, facing the Coachella Valley Firebirds Friday at 7 p.m. at Pechanga Arena in the Midway District. It’s 90’s Night, with throwback vibes throughout the game and a Friday Night Concert series show featuring Cassie B’s 90s Remix performing live after the game. Tickets start around $30 and the concert is included.
If you missed the Polar Bear Plunge on New Year’s Day, join Gut Check Fitness for its annual Panda Bear Plunge – perhaps more apropos to San Diego – at Torrey Pines Gliderport from 9-10 a.m. Saturday. The session starts with a workout followed by a brisk group dip into the Pacific Ocean plus a photo for social media. A $20 drop-in fee applies.
The annual King Tide Challenge sets off at 12:30 p.m. Saturday from the north end of La Jolla Shores parking lot, with no formal check-in, but plenty of hellos, free sunscreen and lip balm from sponsors. The free, donation-based 11-mile beach walk in support of skin cancer research at Moores Cancer Center winds north through Black’s Beach, Torrey Pines, Del Mar and Solana Beach, finishing in Cardiff-by-the-Sea at Tower 13, where all finishers receive a lei and donors are invited to an after-walk celebration.
View this post on InstagramThe San Diego Sockers are taking on the Empire Strykers Saturday at 7 p.m. at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside. Future’s so bright gotta wear shades – there will be a free Sockers sunglasses giveaway (while supplies last). Tickets from $15-$81.
El Cajon’s VIP School of Music mini tour makes its Music Box debut Sunday. Some of the school’s most advanced students will take the stage with a crowd-pleasing set of covers ranging from Billy Joel to Alice in Chains, joined by local professional bands Dusk Drama and Celina Rescott and the Embers. Doors at the Little Italy venue open at 2 p.m. and the show starts at 3 p.m. Tickets are $16.52, including fees.
Speaking of entertainment, there is plenty to see and hear this weekend:
Comedian Brett Ernst, of Cobra Kai and “Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show” fame, is headlining The Comedy Store La Jolla Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. both nights. Tickets are $77, including fees. For a Super Bowl-style halftime show teaser, a Candlelight Tribute to Bad Bunny lights up the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park at 7 p.m. Saturday. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony takes the stage at The Observatory North Park Saturday at 7 p.m., with general admission tickets at $82. Duran Duran brings its hits to Viejas Arena at San Diego State University at 8 p.m. Sunday, with remaining tickets available from $103.Hence then, the article about san diego weekend guide jan 2 4 flying cars fresh starts was published today ( ) and is available on Times of San Diego ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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