This February 16th-17th, celebrate the Chinese New Year at the 31^st annual San Diego Chinese New Year Food and Cultural Fair. Join the thousands of visitors that attend each year for a weekend filled with tasty eats, beautiful art, cultural music and theater productions for all ages.

There is no better way to celebrate Chinese New Year than with this exciting San Diegan celebration. The festival takes place in the Asian Pacific Thematic Historic District of downtown and blocks off 3rd Avenue and J Street. Attendees will have a wonderful view of the beautiful San Diego Harbor while they enjoy sampling different Asian cuisine, and purchasing beautiful Chinese jewelry, art, clothing, and more.

Guests can bring their little ones by the children’s craft area where they will learn how to construct a traditional Chinese lantern. They’ll get the chance to use their lantern when they participate in the lion, dragon and lantern parade later that day. Performers like the Encinitas Ballet Company and the His-Fang Temple folk dancers will make an appearance, as well as other martial art, acrobatic and musical groups. Asian Story Theatre, which dramatizes Chinese folk tales, will be performing as well. Raffle tickets will be available to purchase for a chance to win a prize!

The festival starts each day at 10am and ends around 5pm. The festival is FREE, so bring the whole family! Located just 15 minutes away, Ocean Park Inn is the perfect place to stay for a weekend of cultural fun and relaxation. After the festival, kick up your feet and rest by the waves, enjoy one of the many surrounding restaurants, or take a dip in the hot tub! For booking information, visit http://bit.ly/QN1Jod

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Mark your calendars, because Fat Tuesday is right around the corner–Feb 12th, 2013! The 19^th annual Mardi Gras festival in San Diego’s Gaslamp District serves as one of the liveliest, and most highly anticipated festivals in Southern California. With an expected turnout of 40,000 people, this will be one the biggest parties of 2013, and you won’t want to miss it!

The festival will feature 4 different stages, boasting performance from both regional and national artists. From electronic music to bluegrass, the festival is sure to satisfy anyone’s musical taste as the party continues through the night. Dance crews, acrobats, and other musical processions will be performing throughout the evening with state of the art lighting, sound and visuals to enhance the overall experience.

Inside the festival guests will be able to enjoy craft beer tasting from local breweries, as well as tasty dinner packages from many of the surrounding restaurants in the Gaslamp.

Discounted advanced tickets are available for $40 per person (normally $50), which includes entry to the gated (21+ only) street festival, as well as in and out access to the festival, which allows guests who want to eat at one of their favorite restaurants in the Gaslamp are free to exit and do so, then return to the fun! The event will take place from 5:00pm to 11:00pm. To purchase tickets, visit http://www.gaslamp.org/mardi-gras-2013

Just a 10 min taxi ride from the Gaslamp District, Ocean Park Inn will serve as the perfect place to rest after a long night of celebration. For booking information, visit http://bit.ly/QN1Jod

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This holiday season get in touch with your wild side at the San Diego Zoo’s Jungle Bells celebration! From Dec. 15 to Jan. 6, the San Diego Zoo will transform into the North Pole as guests come to celebrate the most wonderful time of year.

Bring the entire family to enjoy the nightly tree-lighting ceremony, Reindeer Express Bus Ride, the Jungle Bell Jump, Chocolate Town, Tinseltown Trolley Light Tour and more! Kids will have the chance to meet Santa himself at Santa’s Workshop, or watch Dr. Zoolittle’s interactive ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas poem with a “zoo twist” at the Clarke Theatre, the zoo’s website states. (http://www.sandiegozoo.org/junglebells/activities.html).

Just because you’re in sunny San Diego doesn’t mean you can’t have a white Christmas either! Every evening, a “Snow Alert” will take place, turning the entire entrance of the Zoo into a winter wonderland!

Most importantly, guests will have the opportunity to adopt an animal for the holidays at the Adopt-A-Booth and make a tax deductible donation to support the zoo’s conservation efforts (https://secure3.convio.net/sdzoo/site/Ecommerce?store_id=3081).

Ocean Park Inn is the perfect place to stay after enjoying the Jungle Bells celebration. Conveniently located just 10 minutes away, Ocean Park Inn gives you and your family the chance to stay in the heart of Pacific Beach while experiencing this magical holiday extravaganza. Visit  http://bit.ly/QGTAEK to book your stay with us now!

For a complete list of activities, please visit http://www.sandiegozoo.org/junglebells/activities.html

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As the weather cools down in San Diego, the fun heats up at Balboa Park with the 35^th annual December Nights celebration!

Starting Dec. 7, Balboa Park will transform into a winter wonderland as the streets fill up with one-of-a-kind vendors, entertainment and over 30,000 guests throughout the two-night festival. Activities include live entertainment from the San Diego Junior Theatre and San Diego Civic Youth Ballet, international eats from the House of Pacific Relations Cottages, a variety of vendors for gift shopping, carousel rides, an original puppet theater adaptation of Charles Dickins’ A Christmas Carol, a children’s holiday movie theatre, and more!

In addition, participating Balboa Park museums will open their doors, free of charge, each night from 5-9pm. Museums include the Timken Museum of Art, San Diego Air & Space Museum, Museum of Art, Natural History Museum, Museum of Man, Model Railroad Museum, Hall of Champions Sports Museum, and Automotive Museum.

Just a short drive from Balboa Park sits Ocean Park Inn, your perfect beach getaway for this Christmas season. Take a break from your hectic holiday schedule and relax to the soothing sounds of the ocean from your room. Whether you’re visiting with your hubby, or the entire family, let Ocean Park Inn accommodate you this holiday season.

The festivities will commence Friday, Dec. 7, 5-10pm, and Saturday, Dec. 8, 12-10pm.

For a complete list of activities, please visit http://www.balboapark.org/decembernights/museums

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Unlike many places across the country, San Diego is resistant to typical fall weather, maintaining its famous sunny days and high temperatures well into December. This alone draws thousands to America’s Finest City every Autumn, but it isn’t the only reason to visit. Food and wine enthusiasts will also tell you that November is one of the best times to make the trip to Southern California. November boasts the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival from the 14^th-18^th which offers the opportunity to pamper your taste buds with the culinary creations of gourmet food producers, authors, celebrity chefs, 170-plus winemakers and more!

Events you won’t want to miss at the festival include 15 wine tasting and cooking classes, a WineRave, Reserve & New Release Tasting, Wine Dinners, and AIWF Big Bottle Auction & Celebrity Chef Luncheon, Tommy Bahama Rum VIP Party and the star-studded Grand Tasting Event. With so many great activities you’ll need to book a hotel that you can call home for the week! Ocean Park Inn is the perfect location. Set right on the sand just ten minutes from San Diego Bay, the Ocean Park Inn grants you the freedom to wake up next to the Pacific Ocean, explore the sights of Pacific Beach and make the short trip to downtown to experience the action of the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival.

The San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival is one of the largest wine and food festivals in the nation, and showcases the best of San Diego’s booming restaurant industry. According to the San Diego Wine Classic, “We’ve got our eyes and ears peeled for the city’s most drool-worthy restaurants and newest food trends to hit the streets, bringing you an epicurean experience unlike any other.” If that’s not a reason to begin preparing your belly for this upcoming 4-day event, we’re not sure what is!

There are numerous types of ticket packages available to suit every level of interest. Set the date for your trip to San Diego today! For more information on the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival visit, http://www.sandiegowineclassic.com/

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