December Nights, San Diego’s free holiday festival, will hold its 48th anniversary from Dec. 5-6 at Balboa Park.
“December Nights has been part of San Diego’s story for nearly five decades.” Mayor Todd Gloria said in a press release. “(The event) brings families, neighbors, and visitors together to share the season’s joy.”
Though the event is filled with a fun night of food, lights and other attractions, getting there could be a headache for those attending.
Here’s what San Diego City College students should know about parking before heading to the event.
City College parking garages (free parking)
City College will be offering free parking to the public on both days of the event. City will be making use of parking structures at the MS building, V building and Lot 3 by Garfield High School.
To view a campus directory, click here.
A free shuttle will be offered on the corner of B and 16th streets by the BT building.
City College is the only place to park that is completely free, according to the December Nights website.
Lot A and Lot B (general paid parking)
To park at Lot A, located at Inspiration Point, prices go from $32.95 in advance and $37.95 at the event.
To park at the preferred Lot B, located at the Federal Building lot, prices go from $47.95 in advance and $52.95 at the event.
Both lots will be open to the public on Friday, Dec. 5 at 1 p.m. and Saturday, Dec 6 at 9 a.m.
High school and middle school parking lots
San Diego High School will have paid parking at its lot off 16th Street for $25. The school will also offer parking at its other lot on Park Boulevard for $35.
Roosevelt Middle School will also be providing paid parking at its school for $40.
On Friday, Dec. 5, both lots will be open between 4-11 p.m. On Saturday, Dec. 6, the lots will be open from 1-11 p.m.
All proceeds from the school’s parking lots will support the school and student programs.
Nearby parking options
Paid parking options near 3rd Avenue and Beech Street can be found with a free shuttle stop nearby.
To find the parking structures near the stops, click here for options.
Instead of driving to the event and parking, there are alternatives to getting there.
Rideshare apps (Uber or Lyft)
Buying a ride to the December Nights can be an easier alternative, as they can just drop you off and pick you up without having to walk far or go with public transit.
However, rideshare prices spike up due to the high demand for rides in the area, according to Uber’s website.
MTS transit
Parking at an MTS lot and taking the trolley is an easy, cheap way to make it to the event.
The City College stop is the closest to Balboa Park. At the stop, you can either walk the rest of the way there or take the MTS bus on C Street and Park Boulevard to a bus stop close to the park.
On both Friday and Saturday, MTS is offering a free shuttle from City College.
For more details on how to get to either the west side or east side of Balboa Park, click here.
A ticket to get on an MTS trolley or bus is $2.50 and is able to be purchased on the PRONTO app or in person at the ticket machines.
This story was edited by David J. Bohnet and Mylo Gallardo.
