The annual Holiday Market at Gallagher Square outside Petco Park will host activities on select days from December 5-27, hoping to help get San Diegans into the holiday spirit.
This holiday market will be held in the newly renovated Gallagher Square, which is located outside of the ballpark. According to the MLB, “San Diegans will celebrate the Twentieth Anniversary of Petco Park in 2024. To commemorate this milestone, the Padres will invest nearly $20 million to renovate Gallagher Square, providing fans and the community with expanded amenities, and building on the decades-long commitment to deliver.” Numerous improvements have been made to improve this section of the park, such as a new community dog park, improved play ball field, accessible seating and more (mlb.com).
According to a website about events held in Petco Park, “The Holiday Market is returning for its fourth year to the newly renovated Gallagher Square at Petco Park for select dates from December 5-27! Enjoy magical Christmas lighting displays, visit with Santa, live reindeer, and other holiday characters, and go shopping for the perfect stocking stuffers and handcrafted holiday gifts! Indulge in your holiday cravings by sipping cider and mulled wine or tasting delicious shortbread and other seasonal treats” (petcoparkevents.com).
A website about Petco Park said that tickets must be bought in advance through an authorized online retailer. Tickets will range from 30 dollars and 10 cents for adults to 18 dollars and 48 cents for kids ages 1-14. Tickets are listed with a timeslot of one hour. The hour listed is the hour that ticket holders must enter the market, but they are welcome to stay until the market closes for the evening” (petcoparkinsider.com).
The Padres events page says that other activities around Gallagher Square will include a carousel, Christmas train, light displays, a 40-foot Christmas tree, and mock snowfall. Specific nights will include unspecified live entertainment (petcoparkevents.com).
Senior Isa Neri said, “I’m excited to go to this Holiday Market. I have seen many advertisements about it on TV and I am looking forward to going”
Senior Jazmine Mora said, “My family and I visited the market last year, and it was fun for the whole family. All of the displays were so cool to look at. I’m definitely looking forward to going back this year.”
According to the official MLB website,“December is one of the rare months in San Diego where you might encounter rain. In 2022, a few nights of the Holiday Market were canceled due to heavy rain” (mlb.com).