Cue the helium! The Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade returns for a 28th year on December 31, with marching bands, drill teams, and 29 floats. America’s largest balloon parade—pumped with 54,600 cubic feet of helium—begins at 10 a.m., proceeding from the County Administration Center for a mile along Harbor Drive, ending at Pacific Highway.
You can watch for free from the street, snag a $22 grandstand seat, or get a head start on your New Year’s resolutions by being part of the show in the Solar Turbines 5K Run/Walk, which starts at 9:45 a.m. and follows the parade route, with an anticipated 100,000 attendees cheering you along the way.
The festivities continue with a 4 p.m. kickoff at SDCCU Stadium for the Holiday Bowl’s annual Big Ten versus Pac-12 showdown. Run, watch, root for your favorite team, and ring in 2019!
December 31, Harbor Drive holidaybowl
Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade Returns in 2018
Photo by Jamie Dixx
