San Diego in November 2026: Weather, Events and What to Pack

In most of the country, November means digging out the snow shovel. San Diego in November means digging out a light jacket. Maybe. Summer crowds are long gone, the holiday crowds haven’t arrived yet, and the city slides from Halloween straight into ice skating on the beach.

So if you’re planning a trip to San Diego in November, here’s the honest version: what the weather really does, what to pack, and every event worth your time in November 2026, with dates we checked on official sites.

1. Día de los Muertos in Old Town (first two days only)

November opens with the end of Día de los Muertos. The free displays at Fiesta de Reyes in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park stay up through Monday, November 2: giant Catrinas, altars and marigolds at 754 Calhoun Street. These are real ofrendas for loved ones, so look, learn and keep your hands to yourself.

Tip: go late afternoon and stay for sunset. Then read our guide to Old Town and, obviously, the best tacos in San Diego.

2. The San Diego Food + Wine Festival (the big one)

The festival runs November 1 to 8, with the main event on the waterfront at Embarcadero Marina Park North downtown. The Grand Tasting is Saturday, November 7, and the Grand Fiesta, with a Latin American focus, is Sunday, November 8. Both run noon to 3 p.m., with early entry from 11 a.m. for VIP tickets.

Weekend packages start at $331, and the event listing says it’s 21+. Pace yourself. Three hours of samples sounds like a marathon, but it’s a sprint, and nobody wins.

Tip: take the trolley or a rideshare. Parking downtown is a blood sport on a normal Saturday.

3. The Veterans Day Parade (free, and moving)

San Diego is a Navy town, and it shows on Wednesday, November 11. The San Diego Veterans Day Parade runs 10 to 11:30 a.m. along Harbor Drive, starting in front of the County Administration Building and passing the USS Midway. This year it marks the 35th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm. It’s free for streetside spectators.

Tip: get there early for a curb spot with a view of the bay.

4. Fall racing at Del Mar

The Del Mar racetrack’s fall meet, the Bing Crosby Season, starts on Friday, November 6. It’s the quieter, more relaxed cousin of the summer season, which is famous for big hats and bigger crowds. Racing doesn’t run every day, so check the official calendar before you go.

Tip: Del Mar is a North County trip from downtown. Read do you need a car in San Diego before you plan the trip.

5. The Grinch at the Old Globe (kids, start here)

The Old Globe in Balboa Park brings back *Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!* from November 4 to December 31. The show is 80 minutes with no intermission, which is exactly the length of a small child’s attention span. Kids under 3 can only come to the 10:30 a.m. all-ages shows.

For four performances only, November 19 to 22, there’s a fully produced Spanish-language version, *¡Cómo el Grinch robó la Navidad!*

6. Christmas Celebration at SeaWorld

SeaWorld switches to Christmas mode on November 13 and stays there daily until January 3, 2027. It’s included with regular park admission, so no extra ticket. Before that, there’s a Día de los Muertos celebration on October 31 and November 1, and a Red, White and Blue Salute for the armed forces from November 7 to 9.

Tip: if you’re also doing the zoo this trip, our San Diego Zoo survival guide will save your legs.

7. Skating by the Sea in Coronado

The Hotel del Coronado builds an ice rink right on the beach, and it opens on November 20 for the 2026 season (through January 3, 2027). It’s open to the public, daily, and a ticket gets you 90 minutes on the ice with skate rentals included. Buy online ahead: same-day tickets are limited.

Yes, you can skate on ice and see surfers in the same view. Your friends back home will be furious.

Tip: pair it with a walk on the beach in Coronado, or skip the bridge traffic and take the Coronado Ferry.

8. Thanksgiving weekend (Nov 26 to 29)

Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26. Burn off the pie in advance at the Father Joe’s Villages Thanksgiving Day 5K in Balboa Park, which starts at 7:15 a.m. at the Cabrillo Bridge. Online prices are $62.48 timed or $57.08 untimed (fees included, lower for kids 6 to 12) and go up after November 15. Strollers and dogs are welcome.

Black Friday is November 27. On Saturday, November 28, the Safari Park starts Wild Holidays on select evenings, open until 8 p.m. and included with admission.

Tip: December Nights in Balboa Park is Friday and Saturday, December 4 and 5. If you’re staying past Thanksgiving, it’s worth the extra day.

9. Just enjoy the weather, because November is sneaky good

According to NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals for San Diego’s airport, November averages a high near 71°F and a low near 55°F. Normal rain is under 1 inch for the whole month, spread over about 4 days. Translation: it’s warm enough for lunch outside and cool enough to want a sweater by dinner.

Pack layers: T-shirts, a hoodie or light jacket, jeans, sandals and one pair of real shoes. Toss in a compact umbrella just in case. The ocean is cooler than it was in late summer, so a swim is more “brave” than “relaxing.”

Sunsets come early once clocks fall back on November 1: around 4:57 p.m. at the start of the month and 4:42 p.m. by the end. Watch it from Sunset Cliffs, but stay well back from the edge. The bluffs are unstable and crumble without warning.

Hot, dry Santa Ana wind days can still show up in the fall. On those days, drink extra water, skip long afternoon hikes and follow any fire safety rules on trails and in parks.

FAQ: San Diego in November

Plan the rest of your trip

Coronado Beach

The sparkly beach right in front of the Hotel del.

El Campo Santo Cemetery

A tiny 1840s cemetery steps off the Old Town strip.

Spruce Street Suspension Bridge

A free 1912 footbridge five minutes from Balboa Park.

Photo: tim ozbun photography, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr