oceanside events Archives - Visit Oceanside https://visitoceanside.org/tag/oceanside-events/ Destination Marketing Organization for Oceanside, CA Wed, 26 Nov 2025 22:33:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://visitoceanside.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/favicon-32x32-1.png oceanside events Archives - Visit Oceanside https://visitoceanside.org/tag/oceanside-events/ 32 32 Oceanside Harbor Parade of Lights https://visitoceanside.org/blog/oceanside-harbor-parade-of-lights/ Thu, 20 Nov 2025 08:00:00 +0000 https://osiddevelopment.flywheelstaging.com/oceanside-harbor-parade-of-lights/ The annual Oceanside Harbor Parade of Lights is just around the corner! Don’t miss this festive event featuring boats of all shapes and sizes decked out in lights, ornaments, and holiday trimmings. You might even spot captains dressed in their holiday best!

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Photos By: Zach Cordner, @zachcordner

Oceanside Harbor Parade of Lights

The holidays are fast approaching and the celebrations are underway! Mark your calendar to attend the annual Oceanside Harbor Parade of Lights, a fun spectacle with boats of all shapes and sizes decorated in their finest holiday attire, including lights, ornaments and lots of holiday trimmings. In addition, many of the captains and boat crews dress up in their holiday best, with a few jolly Santas joining to take part in the festive parade celebration. Once finished the best decorated powerboat, sailboat and small-craft boats will be awarded prizes and bragging rights. This magical holiday event is something you won’t want to miss!

Event Details 

 
  • Date: Saturday, December 13, 2025
  • Location: Oceanside Harbor, CA 92054
  • Time: 7pm
  • Cost: Free
  • Contact: Oceanside Yacht Club (760) 722-5751

insider tips

  • The Oceanside Harbor Parade of Lights is a must be at event during the holiday season, so if you plan on attending here are a couple of tips.  
  • Arrive Early. There are a lot of people that will be attending, so give yourself plenty of time to park and walk over to the viewing area.
  • Where to Park? There are several parking lots located throughout Oceanside Harbor, please read all parking signs since each area has different restrictions. Carpooling is encouraged. Give yourself plenty of time to park and walk over to the viewing area. View City of Oceanside Parking Map.
  • Can you bring chairs? Yes, you are allowed to bring your own lawn chairs.  Please do not block walking pathways and be mindful of others viewing the parade.
  • Bring a Blanket and a Jacket.  It can be chilly at night, so make sure to come prepared and bring a blanket, jacket, mittens, and scarves so that you can be nice and warm as you watch the parade.
  • Bring Snacks and Hot Chocolate. Make an evening of it and bring some snacks or hot chocolate with you to enjoy during the parade.  There are several restaurants and shops located within Oceanside Harbor if you would like to dine and watch the event, please call for availability. View Oceanside Harbor Merchants.
  • Book a Boat Cruise. See the Oceanside Harbor Parade of Lights up close on a 2 hour harbor cruise aboard a 50 ft luxury catamaran Oceanside Adventures or the 63ft. Custom NEW Catamaran NALA. The best way to view the parade! Learn More Here.

See also: Holiday Events and Celebrations in Oceanside

a glimpse of what to expect

Photos By: Zach Cordner, @zachcordner
The Osider Magazine, @theosidermag

the tradition of the parade

The Parade of Lights is a tradition in many beach cities and dates back to the early 1900s where Newport Beach is credited with holding the oldest Christmas Boat Parade. This is a tradition that brings hundreds of families to the harbor. One father said, “The kids like the lights, and it’s just a fun thing to do together.” So if you have not yet been, start a new family tradition and get a glimpse of some of these amazing boats.

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]]> Can’t Miss Moments at the Oceanside International Film Festival https://visitoceanside.org/blog/oceanside-international-film-festival/ Tue, 06 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0000 https://osiddevelopment.flywheelstaging.com/oceanside-international-film-festival/ The 9th annual cinematic celebration in Oceanside is back! With a schedule packed full of can't miss film premiers, a panel discussion with members of Animal Kingdom, discussions with award winning filmmaker Taylor Steele and actress Joanna Cassidy, and much more! To help you plan out your festival experience check out our list of a few can't miss moments happening at this year's Oceanside International Film Festival.

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Featured Image: OIFF 2017

Can’t Miss Moments at the Oceanside International Film Festival

Oceanside’s 9th annual cinematic celebration is back August 7th-11th with a robust schedule of 30+ film screenings, panel discussions, Q&A’s, an awards ceremony and more! Check out our behind the scenes look at some of what this year’s Oceanside International Film Festival has to offer. Get ready for one awesome cinematic celebration! For a full list of the daily events taking place throughout the festival be sure to check the 2019 OIFF Schedule.

“The film festival is special for Oceanside because very few cities have their own, city branded film festival… This event is a true celebration of independent cinema” – Sterling Anno

Preview Event: Mrs. Henry Presents – “The Last Waltz”

Sunday, August 4th, 6:30pm

Preview night for the Oceanside International Film Festival features the world premier of Mrs. Henry Presents – “The Last Waltz.” Based on the legendary final performance of the 1976 rock group The Band as filmed by Martin Scorsese, “The Last Waltz” is an incredibly tribute recreation filmed right here in North San Diego County! Following the screening will be a short musical performance and Q&A. For admission to the OIFF preview night visit The Last Waltz Tickets.

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TNT’s Animal Kingdom Kick’s off Opening Night

Wednesday, August 7th, 5:30pm-9pm

The Oceanside International Film Festival will kick off on Wednesday, August 7 with a screening of TNT’s hit crime drama, Animal Kingdom. The opening night screening will feature Episode 11 of Season 4, directed by Shawn Hatosy who also plays the role of the show’s character Pope Cody. Following this a Q&A with attending cast and crew including actor Ben Robson (Craig Cody), as well as Rock and Roll Hall of Fame DJ Marco Collins will take place at 7pm.

This night will begin with the annual OIFF VIP Red Carpet reception of filmmakers and guests with complimentary catering, starting at 6pm.

More: Animal Kingdom Oceanside Filming Locations

The Tony Alva Story

Saturday, August 10th, 4:15pm-5:30pm

The Oceanside International Film Festival is proud to present the San Diego premiere of The Tony Alva Story, a film which dives into the story of one of skate cultures most iconic figures who helped to usher skateboarding into the freewheeling art form that it is today. Alva is considered by many to be the godfather of modern-day skateboarding with his unique at the time brand of aggression and bravado in the 70’s which set the stage for the way skateboarding would be forever defined.

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An Evening With Taylor Steele

Saturday, August 10th, 6:30pm-10:00pm

Taylor Steele is an award-winning filmmaker who is credited with changing the way surf culture was presented to the masses with his thrilling and serene filming style. With over forty best-selling titles under his belt, featuring famous stars such as Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Ozzie Wright, Taylor Knox and more, Taylor Steel will be closing the Oceanside International Film Festival’s Saturday proceedings by taking fans on a tour of his filmography using stories and scenes covering several decades of his career from right here in North San Diego County to around the world. 

This special 3 hour event is ticketed separately, to reserve your spot visit An Evening with Taylor Steel Tickets.

Panel Discussion: One on One w/ Joanna Cassidy

Sunday, August 11th, 1:20pm-2:50pm

Legendary actress Joanna Cassidy is coming to Oceanside for a unique one on one discussion about her past and present contributions to the film industry. With so many famous roles under her belt, including Shora Salome in Blade Runner, Dolores in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the Emmy Nominated performance of Margaret Chenowith in Six Feet Under, and her Golden Globe Award winning performance as Jo Jo White in Buffalo Bill, Joanna brings incredible insight into all facets of movie and television production that you won’t want to miss!

This event is included with a Sunday Pass or Festival Pass to the Oceanside International Film Festival.

Film Festival Details

Founded in 2009, the Oceanside International Film Festival celebrates and showcases the craft of film making, offering attendees a chance to enjoy carefully selected films in a number of genres from local and international independent filmmakers.

In addition to being a wonderful event for visitors and movie aficionados alike, OIFF is also an important opportunity for creators to have their work judged and screened at a place in Southern California known for its rich history, beautiful beaches, and artistic freedom. With submissions beginning shortly after the previous year’s festival, the OIFF utilizes a jury committee made up of 14 passionate individuals that are well versed in the film industry as a whole and specifically chosen to judge various categories of film. Together these jurors narrow down the submissions until a final screening list is determined.

The 2019 Oceanside Film Festival will be held from August 7th-11th, with screenings taking place at the Brooks Theatre in downtown Oceanside. With so much to do in the area consider making an evening of it and dining at a local restaurant before or after the film festival. To see where to eat in Oceanside visit our Oceanside Dining Page.

Brooks Theatre

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