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Waterfront Park

4.4 (315 reviews)
Open 6:00 am - 10:00 pm

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Recommended Reviews - Waterfront Park

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Kerry W.

This is a great park to begin with, add some awesome Asian food and live music and you have a party. There was so much food, we tried so many different things. This was the first Panda Fest in So Cal and it did not disappoint. I hope they come back next year! It's a wonderful family event with kids performing and so much food!

Evan K.

Seems like an overall good park for families and kids during the daytime and perfect for concerts at nighttime (Obviously not ideal on day of event). Came here for the first time to see Chris Lake and I was excited to see what this venue looks like since it's called "Waterfront" so upon arriving there was check in and then a overhead covering with tables with vendors on the right then the stage is in the front. I enjoyed the sound, vibes and navigation of venue. The view of the bay on the left side was the icing on the cake. I feel like it was dusty though and felt like it was getting kicked up a lot during the concert. I would be interested in going to this park during the day or even playing pickleball here because I see there are pictures of it on their Yelp page.

Horizon stage
Jiansen W.

San Diego's annual EDM Music Festival "Into the Horizon" took over Waterfront Park again June 21&22 2025 with headliners The Chainsmokers, Alesso, Gryffin, and Sofi Tukker. Vandelux's set, live singing, and supporting saxophone player were a surprise fav performance for me. Compared to last year, I found this year's festival to be less star studded and there were some technical difficulties with audio cutting in and out surprisingly for the Saturday final act. On the plus side there seemed to be a lot more photo opportunities this year and a recharge lounge!

Shayne C.

Came here recently for a vegan festival and honestly, the San Diego Waterfront Park did not disappoint. Ocean breeze, city views, jungle gym, and a nice bay view! It's a perfect mix of chill and lively energy. It felt like a mini escape without leaving the city. The festival had everything: vegan tacos, smoothies, cruelty-free goodies, vegan Filipino food whaaaa?? and even vegan tattoos! It was super welcoming vibes all around. Tons of vendors, live music, and happy humans (and dogs). There's a playground nearby for the kiddos and the whole area is super walkable! No excuse for getting extra cardio! Luckily I'm staying 10-15 minutes away, so yes, I'm spoiled. I should be down here every weekend soaking it in. Whether it's a festival or just a casual sunset stroll, this spot is a gem. The Waterfront Park also holds events like music and art festivals, concerts, food truck events, and other festivities. It brings people from all over!

Walk for life 2025
Abigail P.

Was here this weekend from the walk for life event. It was awesome and held very well for the amount of support that showed up at this event. The field isn't the biggest but it's a great view of some beautiful ships and it's right near the airport. Parking can be tricky especially if you get to an event late, parking about a block down nearer to the airport can save you the time of spinning the block 15 times. Will be back for next year's walk for life

Fountains Closed sign
De'Andre B.

Entire family took the Coaster train from Carlsbad Village Station to the nearby Sante Fe Depot specifically for the kids to play on the fountains. Just to see there closed for repairs. Security guard said reopening maybe the end of February '26 or March '26.

Vuoch L.

Here for Boots in the Park 9/14/2024 It's a huge venue with many security guards/ local officers and sheriffs present .

Sherry W.

Took a stroll here with my friends and husband. Beautiful scenery. As we got closer to the waterfront, we saw ships and a huge statue. Lots of tourists here taking pictures by the statue ad well. Perfect place for a stroll and picnic! It was a beautiful day but started to get chilly. I was glad I had a light jacket on me.

Olga B.

Nice park overall well-equipped for both kids and adults, and the view is amazing. It's just a 5-minute walk from my apartment, so we come here often. My little one loves the fountains -- it's his favorite part! That said, it's not always perfect. It can get really noisy, especially when they're building temporary stages or setting up for public events. The loud sound systems can be overwhelming, especially for young kids. And when the fountains are turned off (which sadly happens more often than I'd like), it's a real letdown, my kid gets super bummed every time. Great spot when everything's working, but inconsistent and often too noisy for little ones.

Sarah T.

Lovely park. I wish I had time to go through the entire park but it's a nice friendly park

Waterfront park with the many areas there are some that have been forgotten to have park that was used yet there is no water.
Joel C.

One of the largest parks you may find that has the widest views of of the Embarcadero and the many shops of the harbor side forvthe main street of of Harbor Drive for the many buses that travel in front of the park. During the summer the park was so busy for the water fountains that would spray across cooking the waiting area near the bridges . Arriving to the Waterfront Park you cancome from the trolley via the little Italy stop the short down the street across the street. With the city administration building that has the largest part of the block for the memorial they have out front. The many buildings along Harbor Drive were many of the historical locations the many areas along along Harbor from the Lane field to the credence companies that were the assembly locations during the war. The Water Front Park is one of the greatest locations for the many buses that you can catch for the many areas of the North County and Escondido with the view of the many boats which dock at the Broadway Puer. For the large water areas that were active seeing the many relaxing keeping cool after the many cuts the water fountains were closed due to the changes of the Administration building. Being a Yelp Elite Reviewer the many places that I've seen for the many years I've been in San Diego Harbor Drive has been one main street that has had the Holiday Bowl Parade. The Waterfront Park is one place that has been the artistic park of Harbor Drive for many to walk through . One of the great artistic parks of San Diego.

Kimquyen L.

This is an amazing park that has everything from climbing structures, monkey bars, water fountain structures to splash in the water & cool looking sculptures to climb on & play. There's free parking near the pier side of the park & Theresa also a parking structure that you have to pay for. Overall, this is a great place to take the kiddos to get all their energy out.

Fun water fountains to splash in
Gina J.

If you have kids, you can potentially spend multiple hours in this area. There are really fun water features for the kids to splash in, a huge area with playground equipment and swings, and even better, a pretty clean bathroom. If you're in the area on the weekends, there's a fun outdoor market at nearby Lane Field Park with a lot of different food options. You can then take your food and bring it over to waterfront park for a lovely picnic. There is a parking garage right next to the staircase entrance that charges $15 for parking. That's actually not that bad of a deal considering street parking is nearly impossible and other lots charge $25.

Amazing views! Great venue for concerts!

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Ask the Community - Waterfront Park

Can dogs play in the fountains?

There is a dog park over near the convention center that is dog friendly and the water at the waterfront park that is that kids that do go in the water they are opening another dog park that is at the end of the city administration building.

Is there parking?

There's street parking all along the front of the park and there is the San Diego County Center Parking garage that I think is open to the public.

Are the restrooms open?

Yes they are.

Is the water feature still open for kids to play in during COVID?

Water features are active daily.

Do I need to make a reservation for a small (20-30 ppl) kids birthday party? A friend told me it was just first come first serve, but I want to make sure there's not a large event held on the day I want to host.

Yes it's first come first serve

Anybody been to a wedding at the Waterfront Park? My fiance and I are thinking about this as a venue, and would love any insight and reviews from anybody who has gotten married here. Thanks!

Yes I've been to a wedding ceremony here, they have a cute little gazebo where weddings take place, it's a really nice

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Review Highlights - Waterfront Park

They also have a large grass area to lay out blankets or towels on which made it easy to keep an eye on the kiddos.

Mentioned in 12 reviews

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