Instead of listing all the things you could do at night, we're avoiding all the stuff you can do any time of the year and instead focusing on things that you can only do in the summer months, or things that are significantly better or more fun that time of year.
Movies Outdoors
San Diego actually has a still-functioning drive-in movie theatre, but you'll also find some other fun ways to enjoy a film al fresco.- South Bay Drive In: A real, old-fashioned drive-in movie theatre, with 3 screens, showing new releases.
- Cinema Under the Stars: In Mission Hills, they show classic films outdoors. The seating is comfy (recliners) and if you feel chilly, they provide blankets.
- Dive In Movies at the Pearl Hotel: One of our favorite San Diego budget hotels, The Pearl screens movies beside their swimming pool ("dive in" movies) on Wednesday nights. Their restaurant is great, too.
Music Outdoors
There's nothing much more pleasant than a concert by a favorite performer, held under the stars. You'll find several to choose from.- Humphreys by the Bay Concerts: A great list of headliners and a nice location near the marina make Humphreys a summer favorite.
- San Diego Symphony Summer Pops: It says symphony, but the headliners for this concert series include performers like Neil Sedaka and Wilson Phillips.
- "Green Flash" Concerts: The name refers to the flash of green light that is sometimes seen just as the sun sets. The concerts are held at the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla, on Wednesdays.
- San Diego Concerts in the Parks: San Diego may have the best city parks in the state, and a bunch of them are the site of some nice summer concerts.
Theatre Outdoors
If you've never been to a live stage play, summer's a good time to try it. If you don't like the show, you can count the stars overhead.- Old Globe Theatre: Don't let the name fool you. The Old Globe does Shakespeare, but they perform a lot of other great stuff, too.
- Moonlight Stage: The Moonlight Stage calendar includes a lot of musicals, and you can make a night of it in one place: they offer a pre-show dining option.
More Fun Summer Nights Around San Diego
San Diego's most popular tourist attractions add extra fun during the summer, making it a great time to visit them.- Nighttime Zoo: The San Diego Zoo's annual night time celebration features shows and lots of activities. They're open late from the end of June through Labor Day.
- Sleepovers at the Zoo: The San Diego Zoo offers these fun, overnight visits - with a meal, a tent to sleep in and in the morning, you eat your breakfast while watching the elephants.
- Sea World Summer Nights: Sea World sets off fireworks every night in summer and they offer special evening shows. Summer hours are longer, too.
- San Diego County Fair: The county fair happens during the day, too - from early June through early July - but we think there's something especially appealing about going at night.
- Watch a Padres Game: The Padres' pretty downtown baseball stadium is a great place to watch a night game. If you don't like them, go anyway and root for their opponents.
- See the Grunion Run: Grunion are fish and obviously, they don't really run on two feet, but they do put on quite a show when they come ashore to spawn during the full moon (or the new one).
