This Weekend in San Diego 1/3-1/5

By Alyssia Baldan | January 2, 2020

This weekend marks the first weekend of 2020, and San Diego is full of fun and exciting events to kick off the new year! From learning a new skill to indulging in tequila tastings, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Let’s kick off the beginning of the year with new experiences and memories.

Friday, January 3

Baja Betty’s Tequila Tasting Club

Join one of the best tequila tasting bars in San Diego for an extraordinary experience tasting of some of the finest tequilas on the planet. Located off University Avenue, Baja Betty’s will give guests the opportunity to samply up to 6 different tequilas from 4-6 pm.

Wild Holidays at the San Diego Zoo

Celebrate the holiday season in a magical winter wonderland at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Festivities are from 2-8 pm. The zoo features blacklight music, ice castle show, a winter dance party for kids and much more. A one day pass is $58 for adults ages 12+ and $48 for kids ages between 3-11.

Stars at Mission Trails

The San Diego Astronomy Association will be hosting a stargazing session at the far end of the Kumeyaay Lake Campgrounds along Mission Trails. The group will bring telescopes to share with fellow star seekers. The event is free, but cloudy skies and/or rain may cancel it, so plan accordingly.

Legends of the Arena Rock: Tributes to KISS, Iron Maiden & More

Rock out to a night full of ultimate musical tributes of KISS, Iron Maiden, Anthem and much more. General admission standing room tickets are $15 per person. The bands will begin playing at 7 pm at the House of Blues.

Saturday, January 4

Wakeboard Lessons in Mission Bay

2020 is all about taking on new skills and experiences. Enjoy a fun lesson of wakeboarding on Mission Bay. This session is open to riders of any skill level. The classes are from 8-11 am and costs $99 per person.

Sun & Sip Through San Diego

Take a wine tour around San Diego’s local family vineyards, through Temecula Valley. This tour will pick you up at your residence/hotel and bring you along to California’s original wine county. Your guide will entertain you with local history and the culture of wine spirits. The tour takes place from 11 am-6 pm, for $149 per person.

Ocean Beach Cleanup

Join Surfrider Foundation at 9 am Saturday morning at Ocean Beach Pier for a day full of cleaning up plastic and other waste on the beach. What better way to start the new year off than to make our communities clean and plastic-free. Surfrider Foundation asks all participants to meet at Ocean Beach Veterans’ Plaza, just south of the lifeguard station where Abbot St. meets Newport Ave.

Public Brewery Tour

Experience behind the scenes of craft beer in San Diego and expand your beer knowledge while indulging in delicious beer tastings. The tour destinations will include Ballast Point, Green Flash, and Alesmith. The beer tasting is a duration of 5 hours for $95 per guest.

Paint your Pet

Indulge in your inner Piccasso for a fun night of painting your favorite furry animal! Get crafty with Low Joy Creations as they take you through a hands-on, step by step instruction based class, open for any skill set. This class is $60 per person for a duration of 3 hours beginning at noon.

Sunday, January 5

San Diego Soccers vs Ontario Fury

Watch your local soccer team, The San Diego Soccers, play an exciting game against Ontario Fury this Sunday night at 5:05 pm at Pechanga Arena. A single game day ticket is $15 per person and comes with free parking.

Gaslamp Artisan Market

Start your morning off at The Gaslamp Artisan Market featuring more than 70 local artisans from homemade and unique local products available for shoppers. Situated in the heart of the historic Gaslamp Quarter, the market is held each Sunday from 10-3 pm on Fifth Avenue between Market and J Street.

Jungle Bells

Enjoy the last day of Jungle Bells at the San Diego Zoo from 9 am-8 pm, featuring a guided bus tour, kangaroo express bus, Skyfari aerial tram, animal shows and much more. General admission is $58 for adults ages 12+ and $48 for kids ages 3-11.

Dear Evan Hansen

The Broadway musical, “Dear Evan Hansen,” makes its way to the San Diego Civic Theater for both a 2 pm and 8 pm showing. Tickets start at $60 per person.

Balboa Park Organ Concert

This organ concert will be held at 2 pm (for one hour), located at Spreckles Organ Pavillion in Balboa Park. Seating is outdoors on metal benches that can seat up to 2,500 people. Blankets, seat cushions, shade hats, or sun umbrellas are recommended to enhance your concert experience. Music-loving pets are welcome, and so are picnics. Admission is free and open to the public.