What to do in San Diego this week: Lunar New Year festivals, Balboa Park exhibits, outdoor escapes
A week of cultural festivals and seasonal programming across the city
San Diego’s calendar for Feb. 9–13 clusters around Lunar New Year programming, with multiple public and ticketed options leading into the weekend. While Lunar New Year itself begins on Feb. 17 in 2026, several major local celebrations open earlier, including a three-day community festival in City Heights and a series of performances at a major Mission Bay theme park.
City Heights: a free, three-day Lunar New Year festival begins Friday
One of the most visible public events on the week’s schedule is the San Diego Lunar New Year Festival at Officer Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park in City Heights. Organizers list cultural performances, arts and cultural exhibitions, lion dances, food vendors and family activities. The festival is advertised as free and open to the public, with the opening night set for Friday, Feb. 13, followed by Saturday and Sunday programming.
Dates on the calendar: Friday, Feb. 13 through Sunday, Feb. 15, with evening hours Friday and extended daytime-to-evening programming over the weekend.
Convoy District: a new kickoff event is slated for Sunday, Feb. 8
Just ahead of the Feb. 9–13 window, a new Lunar New Year kickoff celebration is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 8 in the Convoy area, centered near Vickers Street off Convoy Street. The event is promoted as a night market-style community gathering featuring food, vendors and lion dance performances. Although it falls the day before the workweek starts, it is positioned as an on-ramp to the broader run of Lunar New Year activity around the city.
Mission Bay: Lunar New Year performances continue at a ticketed attraction
For readers looking for a ticketed alternative, Lunar New Year programming is scheduled at SeaWorld San Diego during the Feb. 7–16 period, including dates that overlap the Feb. 9–13 workweek (notably Friday, Feb. 13). Listings describe themed décor and live performances, including taiko drumming and lion dances, with food options framed around Lunar New Year traditions. Admission is required for entry.
Balboa Park: museumgoing anchors the week for indoor plans
Balboa Park remains the city’s central hub for indoor cultural visits, with the San Diego Museum of Art marking its centennial year in 2026 and presenting a long-running centennial exhibition that opened in January and continues well beyond February. For residents building a weekday itinerary, Balboa Park’s concentration of museums and performance venues allows for after-work visits that do not depend on a single-night event.
Outdoor options: reliable weekday escapes beyond the event calendar
For outdoor plans that don’t require tickets or timed entry, Mission Trails Regional Park offers extensive trail access across a large municipal preserve, with popular routes including Cowles Mountain. Mission Bay Park, built around a large artificial saltwater bay, also supports year-round recreation on land and water, with multi-use paths that suit walking and cycling.
Feb. 9–12: After-work museum visits in Balboa Park; weekday trail hikes at Mission Trails; bayside walks around Mission Bay Park.
Feb. 13: Opening night for the City Heights Lunar New Year Festival; additional Lunar New Year programming available at Mission Bay’s ticketed attraction.
As always, residents planning to attend festivals should expect the most significant crowds during evening openings and weekend hours, and should factor in neighborhood parking constraints and transit options where available.