Belmont Park Does Christmas on the Boardwalk for Seven Weeks

Overview

Winter Wonder runs at Belmont Park in Mission Beach from Friday, November 13, 2026 through Sunday, January 3, 2027.

Seven weeks of holiday programming on a boardwalk, forty yards from the Pacific.

That's the appeal and it's a real one. San Diego's holiday season doesn't look like anyone else's — and a Christmas cocktail bar and a DJ playing holiday music next to a 1925 wooden rollercoaster, with the ocean behind it, is about as San Diego as December gets.

The programming splits into two halves: things that happen every weekend, and three specific nights in December.

Every Saturday and Sunday

Jingle Jams — 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

A DJ spinning holiday music, every Saturday and Sunday of the run. In Belmont's own words, "Saturdays & Sundays just got merrier."

Holiday Face Paint — 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Every Saturday and Sunday, overlapping the back half of the DJ set. So if you're bringing children, the three-to-five window is the one — music and face painting running together.

Seasonal Treats

Limited-time winter specialties, available through the run. Belmont doesn't name any of the items, so we can't tell you what they are.

Three Nights in December

Ornament Decorating Nights — December 9, 16 and 23, from 4 to 9 p.m.

At Draft, Belmont's bar and restaurant. $10 per guest. Last booking is at 8 p.m., so the final hour is for finishing rather than starting.

Note the day of the week: those three dates are Wednesdays, not weekends. Belmont lists them under a heading that says "Winter Wonder Weekends," which is confusing on their own page — but the dates themselves are the dates. A Wednesday evening in December is actually a sensible time to do this with kids; it's quiet.

$10 a head for an evening activity is a good price, and it's the only figure Belmont publishes for the entire event.

For the Adults

Winter Wonderland at Draft — a Christmas-themed cocktail pop-up with holiday décor and handcrafted seasonal cocktails. Belmont calls it "the highly anticipated Christmas-themed cocktail pop-up."

Classic Holiday Movies Trivia — also at Draft, with festive cocktails and prizes. "Put your holiday movie knowledge to the test."

Neither has a published date or time, which for the trivia night in particular is a problem — it's the one event here you'd need to plan around. Call Belmont or check their social before counting on it.

How to Go

• When: Friday, November 13, 2026 to Sunday, January 3, 2027
• Where: Belmont Park, Mission Beach, San Diego
• Jingle Jams: Saturdays and Sundays, 2–5 p.m.
• Face painting: Saturdays and Sundays, 3–5 p.m.
• Ornament nights: December 9, 16 and 23, 4–9 p.m., $10 per guest, last booking 8 p.m.
• Trivia and the cocktail pop-up: dates and times not published

Good to Know

• Most of it is weekend afternoons. 2 to 5 for music, 3 to 5 for face painting.
• The ornament nights are Wednesdays, despite the "Weekends" heading.
• $10 is the only published price for anything in the event.
• Three of the six activities are at Draft, which is a bar. Belmont publishes no age policy for any of them, so if you're bringing children to the ornament nights, worth a call.
• Belmont Park itself is free to walk into — rides are separately ticketed. Whether Winter Wonder activities beyond the ornament nights cost anything isn't published.
• Park in the free public lots around the park, but expect them to fill on a December weekend afternoon.
• It overlaps exactly with SeaWorld's Christmas run — same start and end dates. See below.

What Isn't Published

We'd rather tell you than let you find out.

Belmont's Winter Wonder page carries no admission information, no parking information, no booking links and no contact details. It also doesn't mention Santa, a tree lighting, an ice rink, snow or a light display anywhere — so if you're expecting any of those, don't plan on them until you've confirmed.

The ornament nights reference a "last booking at 8 PM," which implies a reservation system — but there's no booking link on the page. Call ahead.

Why It's Worth It

Because it's the beach version of Christmas, and because it costs almost nothing.

Most of San Diego's holiday programming asks you for a ticket. This is a DJ playing holiday music on a boardwalk on a Sunday afternoon, with face painting for the kids and a cocktail bar for the adults, in a place you can already walk into for free.

And the setting does the heavy lifting. Belmont Park has been on that sand since 1925, the Giant Dipper is a National Historic Landmark, and the ocean is right there. A holiday event in that spot doesn't need to try very hard.

The ornament nights are the thing we'd actually put in the calendar. Ten dollars, a Wednesday evening in December, somewhere warm and loud with the sea outside — that's a genuinely nice family tradition and it's cheaper than parking at most holiday events.

One scheduling note: this runs on exactly the same dates as SeaWorld's Christmas Celebration — November 13 to January 3 — and the two are about ten minutes apart. One is a full ticketed park day; this is an afternoon you can drop into. They pair well across a weekend.

If you want more: our guides to North Pole by the Sea in Del Mar and the Chula Vista Starlight Parade cover the other end of the county.

For more things worth doing, browse our events calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Winter Wonder at Belmont Park? Friday, November 13, 2026 through Sunday, January 3, 2027.

What happens every weekend? Jingle Jams, a DJ playing holiday music from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and holiday face painting from 3 to 5 p.m. on the same days.

What are the ornament nights? Ornament decorating at Draft on December 9, 16 and 23, from 4 to 9 p.m., at $10 per guest. Last booking is 8 p.m.

Are the ornament nights on weekends? No — December 9, 16 and 23 are Wednesdays in 2026, despite appearing under a heading that says "Winter Wonder Weekends."

How much does it cost? The only published price is $10 per guest for ornament decorating. Belmont publishes no admission information for the event.

Do I need a ticket to get in? Belmont Park itself is free to enter; its rides are separately ticketed. Whether any Winter Wonder activity beyond the ornament nights costs anything isn't published.

Is there a Santa, a tree lighting or an ice rink? None are mentioned anywhere on Belmont's Winter Wonder page. Don't plan on them without confirming.

When is the holiday movie trivia night? No date or time is published. Check with Belmont directly.

Is it suitable for children? The face painting clearly is, and the ornament nights are described as "bring the family." Three of the six activities are held at Draft, a bar, and no age policy is published — worth a call if you're bringing kids.

Where do I park? Belmont doesn't publish parking information for this event. There are free public lots around the park, which fill up on weekend afternoons.

How do I book the ornament nights? No booking link is published, despite the page referencing a "last booking" time. Call Belmont.