December Nights 2026 Application

Get ready to be part of the magic at Village Arts Center during December Nights 2026!

This is your chance to showcase and sell your amazing, one-of-a-kind art at one of the season’s most joyful, park-wide celebrations!

Let your creativity shine, and join us for this festive event!

NO APPLICATION WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2026

DATES:

Friday: December 4, 2026
Saturday: December 5, 2026

Festival Hours

Friday: 4:00pm - 10:00pm
Saturday: 11:00am - 10:00pm

Important Dates

Application opens: September 8, 2026
Final Deadline: November 9, 2026

Two-Day Event

December Nights is San Diego's biggest annual holiday celebration, drawing more than 350,000 visitors to enjoy dazzling lights, cultural performances, live music, and art in our Village. The booth fee covers both days. Booths must remain open for the entire festival, since there will be no late setup or early takedown.
We look forward to seeing you and your incredible work at this special event!

Artist Spaces

Each booth space is 10x10 ft, and your fee covers the space and electricity. You’ll need to bring your own tent, tables, lights, and other equipment. Booths must remain open for the entire festival—no late setup or early takedown.
Pricing is per booth, not per artist. If you’d like to share a booth with other sublicensed artists and split the cost and staffing, you’re welcome to do so.

Booth Setup

Booths should be fully set up by 2:00 p.m. on Friday, December 4th, and ready to welcome visitors an hour before the event starts. Park-wide hours for this fantastic event are Friday, December 4, from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Spanish Village will wrap up its festivities by 10:00 pm each night.

Keep it original

All work must be original and at least 75% created by you, the artist. These items are ineligible for sale: commercially manufactured art, kits, endangered animal materials (e.g., ivory), silk or dried flowers, soaps, bonsai, plants, commercial jewelry, food, or candles.

Parking Permits

Parking in Balboa Park during December Nights will be managed by the Park Special Events Team and will take precedence over any City parking changes in effect during the rest of the year. Each booth space will get unloading permits to make set-up easier, and parking permits are provided for free!

Be a part of Village Arts Center magic during December Nights 2025!

Showcase and sell your beautiful art in this park-wide celebration of the season!

Artist | Exhibitor Application

Please complete all portions of the application. Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).

The booth fee is charged when you submit. Pricing depends on the date you apply: Early Bird $195.00 through October 15. Regular $250.00 through October 31. Late $300.00 from November 1 until the form closes on Monday, November 9.

Booth fee today (Early Bird pricing)

$195.00

Price goes up to $250.00 on October 16.

First Name *

Last Name *

Contact Phone *

Contact Email *

Business or Studio Name

Website or Instagram

Juried Medium *

Type of Original Art to be Exhibited *

1. Assistant Name

2. Assistant Name

Number of Booth Spaces *

Each booth space is 10x10 feet. Pricing is per booth.

Anything else we should know? (optional)

For the December Nights Village page

The next few items are for the December Nights Village page on our website, which lists every patio artist taking part in the event. If your application is accepted, your bio, your description of your art and your artwork images will appear there so visitors can discover you before the festival.

Short artist bio *

Written in the third person, for example "Maria Lopez is a San Diego ceramic artist who..." Up to 100 words.

0 of 100 words

Description of your art *

Tell visitors what you make, the materials and techniques you use, and what inspires the work. Up to 150 words.

0 of 150 words

Image Upload Instructions

Supported formats: JPG, JPEG or PNG (most phones save JPG).
Each image must be at least 200 KB and no larger than 10 MB.
Name your files with your name so we can find them, for example Smith_John_Sunflowers.jpg. We also rename them automatically when they arrive.

Upload 5 photos of your original artwork *

Choose your 5 best images. If you are accepted, these are the images we use for your listing on the December Nights Village page, so pick clear, well lit photos that show your work at its best. Exactly 5 images. You can select several at once, or drag them in.

Drag and drop files here, or click to choose

JPG or PNG. Up to 10 MB each, at least 200 KB. Maximum 5 files.

Upload a photo of your booth display *

Show us how your booth looks when it is set up. If you have not exhibited before, a mock up photo of your display table is fine.

Drag and drop a file here, or click to choose

JPG or PNG. Up to 10 MB each, at least 200 KB. One file.

Upload a copy of your current San Diego business license *

A photo or scan of the license is fine (JPG or PNG).

Drag and drop a file here, or click to choose

JPG or PNG. Up to 10 MB each, at least 200 KB. One file.

I have read the December Nights artist information above and agree to the rules: all work is original and at least 75% created by me, my booth will be fully set up by 2:00 pm on Friday and staffed for the entire festival with no late setup or early takedown, and I understand the booth fee is not refundable. *

We check every field first. The PayPal payment button appears once everything passes.