The Ocean Beach Holiday Parade is Saturday, December 5, 2026. Here’s the date and time, where to watch, parking, and every other holiday tradition in OB this season.
Checked October 27, 2026. Sources are listed at the bottom.
| When | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sat Nov 28, 10 AM–4 PM | Shop Small Saturday: kicks off OB Holidays 2026. Spend $50 or more in OB that day for a chance to win local prizes, and take a photo with the giant ENJOY OB letters. | OB shops; Veterans Plaza |
| From Nov 28 | OBeachy Bingo: find the flock of OB parrots hidden in participating businesses to win gift cards and prizes. The Storefront Decorating Contest starts the same day. | Shops around OB |
| Sat Dec 5, 11 AM–2 PM | Santa Experience (Ocean Beach Community Foundation) | Ocean Beach; location to be announced |
| Sat Dec 5, 5 PM | OB Holiday Parade: floats, bands, local businesses and families down Newport Avenue. The OB holiday tree is traditionally lit just before the parade. | Newport Ave |
| Sat Dec 12 & Sat Dec 19, 11 AM–2 PM | Santa Experience returns | Ocean Beach; location to be announced |
| All season | OB Holiday Food & Toy Drive (Ocean Beach Community Foundation) | See the Foundation for drop-off details |
Also on our Ocean Beach events calendar.
The OB Holiday Parade is one of San Diego’s most community-driven holiday parades: volunteer-run, with an “any float counts” spirit, so entries range from decorated trucks and golf carts to local bands, surf shops, dance groups, dogs and families on foot. It has been held for more than four decades and draws a big crowd along Newport Avenue every year.
In recent years the parade has started at the corner of Newport Avenue and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and headed west down Newport toward the beach. Watch the Ocean Beach Community Foundation for the final 2026 route and float line-up.
Ocean Beach’s famous “crooked” holiday tree stands on the sand at the foot of Newport Avenue every December, a tradition that dates to 1980. It usually goes up in early December, is lit just before the parade, and comes down in early January. Locals help decorate it with hand-painted stars, so no two years look the same.
Float entries and day-of volunteer sign-ups are run by the Ocean Beach Community Foundation. Float applications close ahead of the parade, so check early.
Saturday, December 5, 2026, starting at 5 PM on Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach.
Jingle Jungle Boogie!
Down Newport Avenue, Ocean Beach’s main street. In recent years it has started at Newport Avenue and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and headed west toward the beach.
Yes. It is free to watch along Newport Avenue.
Street parking near Newport Avenue fills early. Use the free lot at Robb Field on Bacon Street or the beach lots, and expect road closures around Newport during the parade.
The OB holiday tree on the sand at the foot of Newport Avenue is traditionally lit just before the holiday parade.
The Ocean Beach Community Foundation’s Santa Experience is on Saturdays December 5, 12 and 19, 2026, from 11 AM to 2 PM.