Things to Do in San Diego in November 2026

San Diego events calendar for November 2026 from San Diego CA Living

Looking for things to do in San Diego this November? This is our full guide: every event on the San Diego CA Living November calendar with ticket links, the best picks for the first weekend of the month (San Diego Food + Wine Festival and San Diego Beer Week are both here), the newest restaurant and late-night spot in Little Italy, and the Kearny Mesa pho spot we send everyone to.

From holiday ice rinks at the Hotel del Coronado and Liberty Station to SDSU football, film festivals, and the Veterans Day Parade downtown, here's everything happening around San Diego this month, all in one place.

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🗓️ THIS WEEK AND WEEKEND

🍷 The one thing not to miss

San Diego Food + Wine Festival, Grand Weekend. The 22nd annual festival saves its biggest events for this weekend: Opening Night on Friday, then the Grand Tasting on Saturday and the Grand Fiesta on Sunday, both on the water at Embarcadero Marina Park North. Come hungry, and grab a ride home. Fri, Nov 6 through Sun, Nov 8, 21+. Tickets

🎤 Tonight (Tuesday)

  • Dan and Phil: Hard Launch World Tour, Gaslamp. The rescheduled date from September, so old tickets still work. 7:30pm at the Balboa Theatre. Tickets

🍽️ Midweek

  • Passion + Favorites Wine Dinner, Encinitas. Dana Estates and Louis Latour wines at Blank Slate. Wed, Nov 4, reception 6:30pm, dinner 7pm. Reserve

  • Romesco 20 Year Anniversary Dinner, Bonita. Twenty years of Mexiterranean, so they're throwing a party. Thu, Nov 5, 6pm. Reserve

🎬 Friday

  • SDFW Opening Night: Icons + Legends, JULEP Venue on Hancock St. The festival's kickoff party, 21+. 6:30pm (early entry 6pm), from $235. Tickets

  • San Diego Beer Week kicks off, countywide. Ten days of tap takeovers, brewery events, and specials at taprooms all over the county. Nov 6 through 15. Details

  • San Diego Asian Film Festival, multiple theaters. The 27th edition runs Nov 5 through 14. Tickets

  • Coronado Island Film Festival, Coronado. Screenings and events all over the island, Nov 4 through 8. Badges and tickets

🥂 Saturday

  • Grand Tasting, Embarcadero Marina Park North. The main event of Food + Wine Fest. 12 to 3pm (VIP 11am), from $235. Tickets

  • The Surge: An Ode to Sinéad O'Connor, Gaslamp. A dance-theater tribute at the Balboa Theatre. 7:30pm, from about $59. Tickets

🏃 Sunday

  • Silver Strand Veterans Day Half Marathon, 10 Miler, 12K and 5K, Coronado. Starts at Sunset Park and finishes at Silver Strand State Beach. 5K at 7am, longer races at 7:20am, 5K from $67.75. Prices go up after Saturday afternoon! Register

  • Grand Fiesta, Embarcadero Marina Park North. Food + Wine Fest's Sunday finale. 12 to 3pm (VIP 11am), from $178. Tickets

🍜 BUSINESS OF THE WEEK

Pho Duyen Mai, Kearny Mesa

Every time someone asks me where to get pho in San Diego, I send them here. Pho Duyen Mai is my favorite pho spot in the city, period: a no-frills Kearny Mesa spot where the broth does all the talking. Here's exactly what to order:

  • Rare Steak Pho. Get the large, of course.

  • Vermicelli Noodles with Beef and Egg Rolls. The perfect thing to split with the table.

  • Their coffee. I promise you've never had a stronger one!

We put them to the test on Instagram, so go see how they ranked!

📍 5375 Kearny Villa Rd, San Diego

✨ NEW AND OPENING

🥂 Juliette, Little Italy

Little Italy's newest night out opens this week! Juliette is a French-inspired restaurant, cocktail lounge, and late-night spot at 2400 India St, at the north end of the neighborhood in the former Camino Riviera space. Executive Chef Lucas Moreira, who comes from Michelin-starred kitchens, is cooking classic French with a lighter coastal touch and plenty of local seafood.

The fun part: there are three bars, including a dedicated zero-proof bar, and later in the week the room turns into a dance floor with resident and guest DJs spinning house music. The interiors are by House of Kirschner, the design firm behind Bagatelle Miami, so expect it to look the part. Dinner, drinks, and dancing in one stop? Say less.

Want the full tour? We broke down everything about Juliette on Instagram.

📅 NOVEMBER EVENTS CALENDAR

San Diego Events in November 2026

We just dropped our full November events calendar on Instagram. Here's every event with ticket links in one place, so screenshot this and plan your month!

🎭 Theater and comedy

  • Nov 3: Dan and Phil: Hard Launch World Tour, Balboa Theatre, 7:30pm. Tickets

  • Nov 7: The Surge: An Ode to Sinéad O'Connor, Balboa Theatre, 7:30pm. Tickets

  • Nov 20: Seth Meyers: Live, San Diego Civic Theatre, 7pm, from $52. Tickets

🍷 Food and drink

  • Nov 1 to 8: San Diego Food + Wine Festival, multiple venues. Tickets

  • Nov 3 to 5: SommCon San Diego, Rancho Bernardo Inn. Register

  • Nov 4: Passion + Favorites Wine Dinner, Blank Slate, Encinitas, 6:30pm. Reserve

  • Nov 5: Romesco 20 Year Anniversary Dinner, Bonita, 6pm. Reserve

  • Nov 6 to 15: San Diego Beer Week, breweries countywide. Details

  • Nov 6: SDFW Opening Night: Icons + Legends, JULEP Venue, 6:30pm. Tickets

  • Nov 7: Grand Tasting, Embarcadero Marina Park North, 12 to 3pm. Tickets

  • Nov 8: Grand Fiesta, Embarcadero Marina Park North, 12 to 3pm. Tickets

🌏 Community and culture

  • Nov 4 to 8: Coronado Island Film Festival, venues across Coronado. Badges and tickets

  • Nov 5 to 14: San Diego Asian Film Festival, theaters around the county. Tickets

  • Nov 11: San Diego Veterans Day Parade, Harbor Drive downtown, 10 to 11:30am. Free to watch. Details

  • Nov 21: Tezukuri-ichi Holiday Market, Japanese Friendship Garden, Balboa Park, 10am to 4pm. Included with garden admission. Details

  • Nov 26: Father Joe's Villages Thanksgiving Day 5K, Balboa Park, 7:15am. Register

🏈 Sports

  • Nov 8: Silver Strand Veterans Day Half Marathon, 10 Miler, 12K and 5K, Coronado to Silver Strand State Beach. Register

  • Nov 14: SDSU vs. Utah State, Snapdragon Stadium, 6:30pm. Tickets

  • Nov 21: USD Toreros vs. Stetson, Torero Stadium, 5pm. It's Senior Day! Tickets

🎄 Holiday and family

  • From Nov 13: SeaWorld's Christmas Celebration, SeaWorld San Diego, daily through Jan 3. Included with park admission. Tickets

  • From Nov 19: Rady Children's Ice Rink, Liberty Station, 10am to 10pm through Jan 3. Adults $25, kids $15. Details

  • From Nov 20: Skating by the Sea, Hotel del Coronado, through Jan 3. Sessions from $35. Tickets

  • From Nov 28: Holiday Sights and Festive Nights Trolley Tour, departs Old Town, through Jan 3. Adults from $35, kids from $25. Tickets

  • From Nov 28: Wild Holidays, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, select nights through Jan 3, open until 8pm. Included with admission. Details

Hosting something in San Diego? Send it in by Tuesday to be considered for next week's issue.

P.S. If you own a San Diego business and need content, this newsletter is made by my agency, Launch Social. We film at your business, then plan, edit, and post 10 to 20 short-form videos a month for you. See our work.

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San Diego CA Living is written by Danny Quesada and produced by Launch Social.

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