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Ride along in the Taste of December Nights drive-through event

You can drive through from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Dec 3 - 5 and the first 500 drivers that arrive each day will also receive a goodie bag.

SAN DIEGO — For the past 40 years, the San Diego community has welcomed December Nights at Balboa Park and due to the current pandemic situation, it's now the Taste of December Nights for the second year in a row. 

For this year's holiday event, all you have to do is take a seat in the comfort of your own car which is just what I did.

The San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus kicked off the first day of the Taste of December Nights drive-through event as cars wrapped around the Inspiration Point parking lot at Balboa Park. 

I talked to multiple vendors and drivers during my experience.

"I love Taste of December Nights!" said coffee vendor, Taylor Fields.

"It's super decorated just like myself, festive! I'm super excited. This is my first time to get out and about and get some great eats," said driver and member of the San Diego Gay Men's Chorus, Gabe Trevino.

As I drove along, I learned the three-day event has more than 20 food trucks and food vendors offering a variety of foods from Kenyan cuisine, Cajun, Filipino and more. 

"We got kettle corn while listening to 92.5 radio. It's pretty cool. I'm glad to see the food stands are open and we can get food that we don’t get to get everyday," said driver, Gabriella Jones. 

"I'm ordering a peppermint mocha, my first of the season!" said Trevino.

I tried the Filipino food, of course, and I couldn't wait to enjoy it.

"It's nice that we can find some way to have this tradition in our community. I know it's different than usual, but it's really nice," said Director of the San Diego Gay Men's Chorus, Andy Riggs. "It brings the community together and people look forward to it every year." 

"It's great for small businesses. It's been a crazy 2 years and to celebrate something fun, it's great," said Fields.

And since it’s the Season of Giving, there are also opportunities to give back. 

"So, if you have any spare change in your car or canned goods, we really want to give back to community," said Natasha Collura, Director of Special Events and Filming. 

You can drive through from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. each day. I noticed the line moves pretty quickly taking about 15-25 minutes to drive through however, this could change depending on how many drivers show up.

The first 500 drivers that arrive each day will also receive a goodie bag.

WATCH RELATED: Opening night of San Diego International Film Festival in Balboa Park (October 2021)

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