SAN DIEGO — San Diego’s largest holiday festival is just days away and this year CBS 8 is partnering with December Nights to bring you all the fun!
Large-scale events like this one can make parking almost impossible to find.
Here’s everything you need to know so you can spend time inside the festival rather than inside your car.
To make your December Nights experience as stress free as possible, CBS 8 met up with senior director of regional planning at SANDAG, Antoinette Meire, to find out all the parking options available.
"We want to save you the headache, we want you to spend your time at the event not in your car frustrated trying to find parking," said Meire.
There are a number of free and paid parking options available.
FREE PARKING
- If you plan on getting to the festival with either Uber or Lyft, or get dropped off by a friend or family member, there will be a dedicated passenger pick-up and drop-off site on Sixth Ave by Laurel St.
- If you plan on driving, you can find free parking at the San Diego Zoo lot and City College parking lot on Russ Blvd, but supply is limited. "It's first come first serve for for parking,” said Meire.
- Disabled parking can be found at the Fleet Science Center and the Federal lot.
- MTS trolley and busses will also be available.
- Those looking to ride your bike or scooters can do so, but you’ll have to leave it outside since they are not allowed inside the festival.
- There will be a free bike valet at the laurel street entrance and an unstaffed bike area on the Federal Lawn – located on Presidents Way and Park Blvd. You’ll have to bring your own locks.
PAID PARKING
In an effort to make parking easier this year for those who plan on driving to the event, you’re now able to reserve paid parking to secure a spot.
If you buy now, you save $5 off at the following paid parking locations:
-Inspiration Point Parking lot on Presidents Way and Park Blvd
- $30/space
$25 limited availability pre-paid - -Natural History Museum lot at Balboa Park
- $45/space
$40 limited availability pre-paid - -South Carousel lot on Village Place and Park Blvd
- $45/space
$40 limited availability pre-paid - You can also park at any of the following five Ace parking lot locations downtown for $15:
- 1450 Sixth Ave
- 6th & A Parkade
- 1451 Third Ave
- 1350 Third Ave
- 110 W Ash St
From there, you can catch a free shuttle bus to the festival. Pick up is on Ash St between 5th and 6th Ave.
The shuttle will run from 3p.m.-11:30p.m. on Friday. It runs from 11a.m.-11:30p.m. on Saturday.
"There’s four shuttles so there’ll constantly be one rotating and it should be very easy to get a ride from downtown to the park," added Meire.
If you want to catch the shuttle but not pay for parking, there is also free on street parking downtown that’s available after 6p.m.
The festival runs December 2-3.
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-1450 Sixth Ave
-6th & A Parkade
-1451 Third Ave
-1350 Third Ave
-110 W Ash St
From there, you can catch a free shuttle bus to the festival. Pick up is on Ash St between 5th and 6th Ave.
The shuttle will run from 3p.m.-11:30p.m. on Friday. It runs from 11a.m.-11:30p.m. on Saturday.
"There’s four shuttles so there’ll constantly be one rotating and it should be very easy to get a ride from downtown to the park," added Meire.
If you want to catch the shuttle but not pay for parking, there is also free on street parking downtown that’s available after 6p.m.
The festival runs December 2-3.