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A self-guided tour passes by restaurants displaying their kitchen samplings.

Special tours, an avocado Olympics, and awards for best dishes attract huge crowds.

Yachts and sailboats vie for the title of best decorated in Mission Bay and the San Diego Harbor. The best viewing areas for the Mission Bay parade are at Crown Point and Fiesta Island; for the San Diego Harbor Parade, head to the Embarcadero.

Soldiers re-enact the Cabrillo landing, and performers showcase Native American, Aztec, and Mayan dances.

Balboa Park launches the Christmas season by opening its doors to the community. Museums are free after 5pm, carolers sing, and special food booths are set up. The park is closed to traffic, but shuttles reach the outer parking lots. Dress warmly and expect a crowd of over 50,000 people.

North of the Mexican border, commemorating the French defeat by Mexican troops is a serious business. Restaurants overflow, Old Town State Historic Park sponsors folkloric ballet performances and mariachi bands, and the Gaslamp Quarter hosts a musical street fair.

Navy ship tours and air and sea parades honor the military.

Nearly every San Diego community has its own July 4th festivities, such as fireworks, surfing contests, parades, and street festivals. Since the ban of home fireworks, commercial fireworks shows are the way to go. The biggest show in the county is held over San Diego Harbor.

This revival of a traditional Native American gathering celebrates of the arrival of the grunion in high tide (see Children’s Attractions).

Your worst nightmares may come true at “Frightmare on Market Street”, a haunted Victorian building complete with underground catacombs. You might come face to face with Freddy Krueger, the Texas Chainsaw family, and 13 ghosts at the Haunted Hotel. The Haunted Trails of Balboa Park will scare the wits out of you.