Mother’s Day events in San Diego

It’s that special time of the year again. The day where you can make a very special woman feel very loved and appreciated. Yep, Mother’s Day is right around the corner and to ease your endless search of restaurants and event ideas we have compiled a list of possible options for you to choose from.

But before we dive into the selection, how about a little history of Mother’s Day? According to Mother’s Day Central, Julia Ward Howe was responsible for bringing the first North American Mother’s Day through her Mother’s Day Proclamation in 1870. Depressed and troubled by the carnage and amount of death the Civil War brought, Howe decided to take a stand against the killings. Through her proclamation, she reached out to mothers everywhere to bring them together to protest against the war. She declared June 2nd 1873 to be the International Mother’s Day as a day of peace and motherhood.

The holiday died out 10 years later after she stopped sponsoring it from her own pocket. Anna M. Jarvis later revived the holiday in 1908. Anna and her group created the first official Mother’s Day on May 10th, 1908 to reunite families that were torn by the war.

After much debate from Congress, and campaigning from Anna Jarvis, Woodrow Wilson signed the petition in 1914 to make Mother’s Day a national holiday. From then on it was to be celebrated on the second Sunday of May.

Beach/Park Picnic

If you live in San Diego, then you live in a city that is known for it’s beautiful  sunny  weather. Why not take advantage of it by taking the family down to a beach or park for a nice picnic? The men can do the food gathering and preparations while the women sit back and enjoy the pampering.

There are several scenic places to choose from. For those who enjoy a nice walk in the park there is Mast Park, Balboa Park, Presidio Park, Mission Bay Park, Black Mountain, Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve (has a waterfall), Mission Trails Regional Park, Admiral Baker Park, and Santee Lakes, .

However, if this special lady is more into beaches, how can you deny her that pleasure? There are plenty of beaches to choose from. Beach choices include Silver Strand Beach, Cardiff-by-the-Sea Beach, La Jolla Reefs, Mission Bay, Coronado Beach, Imperial Beach, Oceanside, Ocean Beach, Solano Beach, Mission Beach, Point Loma, and Del Mar. The mothers can enjoy a nice swim or sun tan and breathe in the nice sweet salty sea air.

Mother’s Day Brunch/Dinner

Peohe’s located in Coronado, is offering their exquisite sea food entrees for brunch from 10:00am to 2:00 p.m.

Coronado Boat House will be serving their seafood brunch as well from 10:00am to 2:00 p.m.

Baleen Restaurant, in Mission Bay is known for it’s delicious seafood and will be open for its Mother’s Day Brunch Special from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The restaurant has a beautiful view of the bay outside of its windows as the mothers enjoy their meal. It will also include an A La Carte Menu and their signature Bloody Mary Bar.

The Bandar Restaurant, located in the Gaslamp District of Downtown. The restaurant is known for its delicious Persian food and will provide either an A La Carte Menu or a special fixed menu. Another downtown place is

Croce’s Restaurant and Jazz Bar, also located downtown. The guests(s) of honor will be given a real treat as they will be given either a free glass of champagne or desert to go with their meal while listening to some smooth jazz music.

Crossroads at House of Blue, located in downtown, will be serving their delicious American style food. They will be having a Mother’s Day Gospel Brunch for the ladies and their families. Guests will be able to serve themselves some southern-style food at Crossroad’s Buffet table and be provided with beautiful gospel music.

French Bernad’O Restaurant in Poway, is perfect for those who like the European cuisine. Bernard’O will be serving brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 -7:30 for Dinner. For the mothers attending this wonderful brunch, each of them will be given a beautiful fresh orchid.

Café Secret, a Peruvian restaurant is located in Del Mar will be giving mothers a complimentary gift as well. There, Mothers will be provided with a free mimosa with their meal.

To book a table at any of these restaurants go to opentable.com.

Other Options

Other options to consider taking your special guests are the Brunch Cruises at the San Diego Harbor. Mothers can enjoy smooth sailing on their cruise while sipping the Harbor’s unlimited champagne and mimosas and enjoying the seafood station. The ship’s morning cruise will board at 9:30 a.m. and cruise from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. At 1:30 the evening cruise will start boarding and will cruise from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. .

If she’s more of a land lady, Balboa Park is holding a special “Mother’s Day Concert.” The concert will be held at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion on Saturday, May 12 and Sunday, May 13.

Photos courtesy of Myles Grant, US Library of Congress, Stan Shebs, John Sullivan, and prayitno via WikiCommons.