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Calendar of Events

* Indicates that this event is covered in more detail in this publication.

 

November

18 Wed-22 Sun: San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival, Marina Embarcadero Park North & various downtown locations, www.worldofwineevents.com *

19 Thu: Outdoor Ice Skating Rink Grand Opening, Horton Plaza, www.sdice.com, 6pm-8pm *

21 Sat: Friends of San Diego Architecture lecture, New School of Architecture, 1249 F Street, www.friendsofsdarch.com / 224-8584, 9:30am *

22 Sun: One+One trunk show & fundraiser for the Museum School, Glasshaus Building 1815-B Main St, Athena athena@dearcora.com / www.museumschool.org, 10am-5pm *

23 Mon: Mini-Concert, Lyceum Theatre at Horton Plaza, Ian Tordella Jazz Sax Trio, www.ljathenaeum.org, noon *

26 Thu: Father Joe's Thanksgiving Day Run / Walk, Balboa Park, (800)466-3537 / 446-2100 / thanksgivingrun.org/2009/index.html, 6:30am *

27 Fri: Chargers' 50th Anniversary Party, East Village, www.mcfarlanepromotions.com / 233-5008, 5pm-11pm *

 

December

01 Tue: Downtown Sound Bites, new Fire Chief Javier Mainar, Downtown Information Center, 235-2222 / www.ccdc.com, noon-1pm *

04 Fri: Coffee with CCDC, Downtown Information Center, 235-2200 / events@ccdc.com / www.ccdc.com, 8am

04 Fri & 05 Sat: Balboa Park December Nights, www.balboapark.org/decembernights, Fri 5pm-10pm / Sat noon-10pm *

08 Tue: Quiet Zone Organizational Meeting, City Front Terrace, David Priver dpriver@aol.com, 6:30 *

10 Thu: Blue Christmas Holiday Music Event, Gaslamp Quarter, www.gaslamp.org / 233-5227, 5pm-midnight *

13 Sun: Gaslamp Holiday Pet Parade, Gaslamp Quarter, www.gaslamp.org / 233-5227 *

15 Tue: Light Up A Life, Civic Theatre, Meagan Konieczko 278-6445 / mkonieczko@sdhospice.org, 8pm *

21 Mon: Poinsettia Bowl Battle of the Bands, Gaslamp Quarter, www.gaslamp.org / 233-5227 *

 

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San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival Returns

170 wineries, breweries, and spirit purveyors, 70 restaurants, gourmet foods, celebrity chefs, wine dinners, cooking classes, wine tasting classes, olive oil competition, live and silent auctions are all featured in this annual festival.  The events will be conducted throughout downtown San Diego to include the Embarcadero Marina Park North.  The dates are Wednesday 18 November through Sunday 22 November.  For additional information or for tickets www.worldofwineevents.com.

 

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Horton Plaza Ice Skating Rink Opens
Want to experience ice skating in the heart of downtown while benefiting a great cause?  Come to the Horton Plaza ice rink as the proceeds benefit the Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Rady Children's Hospital.  The rink will be opening for its annual run on Thursday 19 November and will close on Sunday 10 January.  It will be open daily except for being closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Days.  There will be a grand opening event on Thursday 19 November from 6pm-8pm.  The cost is $12 for adults and $10 for children and includes skates.  For additional information www.sdice.com.

 

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Friends of San Diego Architecture Continues its Annual Lecture Series

The Friends of San Diego Architecture continues its 2009-2010 lecture series with Balboa Park: Open Space in City Building on Saturday 21 November with Laura Burnett, Landscape Architect.  Her local projects include: Caltrans District 11 Headquarters in Old Town; Pawka Green, an outdoor commons area at Scripps Institution of Oceanography: and she is now leading a team of consultants in preparing the Torrey Pines City Park General Development Plan.  The series will continue on Saturday 16 January.  The lectures all take place at the New School of Architecture, 1249 F Street at 9:30am on the third Saturday of the month eight times a year and are open to the public.  They are not held in June, July, August and December.  For further information 224-8584 / www.friendsofsdarch.com.

 

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Fundraiser For the Museum School

One+One will be a trunk show and fundraiser for the Museum School.  It will be held on Sunday 22 November from 10am until 5pm at the Glasshaus Building, 1815-B Main Street in Barrio Logan.  A wide variety of local artists will be selling jewelry, clothing, accessories, photography, sculpture, ceramics, blown glass, and much more with proceeds of their sales going to the Museum School.  The day will also feature a raffle with over 20 prizes ranging in values up to $300.  Face painters and balloon makers will be on hand to entertain children while you can do some holiday shopping.  Food and drink will also be available.  The event is being put on by a team of local artists for the benefit of the Museum School which was part of  the Children's Museum prior to opening the new Museum building.  For additional information Athena athena@dearcora.com / www.museumschool.org.

 

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Athenaeum Jacobs Mini-Concerts

For the thirty-seventh year in a row mini-concerts are being conducted at lunchtime in downtown.  They are at Horton Plaza's Lyceum Theatre at noon on Mondays.  The series ends on  23 November.  You are encouraged to bring your lunch as food and beverages are allowed in the theater for the concerts.  For additional information www.ljathenaeum.org.  The financial supporter of the concerts is the San Diego Commission for Arts & Culture through the Athenaeum Library.

 

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Father Joe's Thanksgiving Day 5K Run / Walk

This is a good chance to do something good prior to all the normal Thanksgiving Day eating.  This event will benefit Father Joe's Villages that provide about 1.7 million meals a year to those in need in San Diego.  The run / walk will start at 8am Thursday 26 November at the Organ Pavilion with on site registration opening at 6:30am.  Free continental breakfast and a free beer garden with live music is available to all participants as are free long-sleeve t-shirts. 

For additional information (800)466-3537 / 446-2100 / thanksgivingrun.org/2009/index.html.

 

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Chargers' 50th Anniversary Block Party

The San Diego Chargers will celebrate their 50th Anniversary with a giant block party adjacent to the Gaslamp Quarter in downtown on Friday 27 November.  On hand for the event the day after Thanksgiving Day will be 50 all time Charger players of old and current Chargers' teams.  The party will run from 5pm-11pm and will feature national and local entertainment, Charger players, a preview of the Chargers' 50th Anniversary video, Chargers Fan Fest Area, food, drinks and more all taking place in the outskirts of the Gaslamp Quarter with the main gate located at 7th and Market.  With your ticket you can also enjoy drink specials at downtown bars and restaurants.  Tickets are $35 in advance for a limited time only,  For more information please call McFarlane Promotions at 233-5008 or visit www.chargers.com

 

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Lunch & Learn Series Continues

The Downtown Sound Bites Speaker Series is held on the first Tuesday of every month from noon-1pm at the Downtown Information Center (DIC) in Horton Plaza.  The DIC is located just above the CVS drug store between Victoria's Secret and Sam Goody's.   You are asked to bring your own lunch to this free event and then listen and learn from a variety of interesting speakers all of whom will approach issues that are important to downtown's future.  A question and answer period will follow each presentation.  The event sponsor is CCDC and further information can be found at www.ccdc.com.  The scheduled speaker on Tuesday 1 December is The new San Diego Fire Chief Javier Mainar.

 

 

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Holiday Season Kickoff in the Park
 

Balboa Park December Nights is one of San Diego's oldest starts to the holiday season. It will take place for the 32nd consecutive year on Friday 4 December from 5pm-10pm and on Saturday 5 December from noon-10pm.  As in the past, most of the museums in Balboa Park will open their doors free of charge from 5pm to 9pm on both days.  Considered by most as the largest free community festival in San Diego, it was originally called Christmas on the Prado, December Nights is expected to attract more than 300,000 visitors over the two days.  Entertainment and holiday cheer are all part of this classic San Diego celebration-including food from around the globe at the International Christmas Festival at the House of Pacific Relations Cottages; unique gift shopping at the museum stores and with the artisans of Spanish Village; international choirs, musical and dance presentations from the San Diego Junior Theatre, San Diego Civic Youth Ballet and others.  For additional information www.balboapark.org/decembernights.

 

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Quiet Zone Meeting at City Front Terrace

City Front Terrace will host an organizational meeting Tuesday 8 December at 6:30pm to form a new ad hoc committee to develop a plan to try to ensure that the downtown quiet zone finally gets built.  This project has been in the works for several years and there is still no start date after many promises.  RSVP to David Priver (dpriver@aol.com) 500 West Harbor Drive, unit 721, SD 92101.  An agenda for this meeting will be available in advance and we welcome your input with items for that agenda.

 

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Holiday Music Event in the Gaslamp

Returning this year to the Gaslamp Quarter is the holiday music event, Blue Christmas.  It will take place at various locations starting at 5pm and running to midnight on Thursday 10 December.  You will be able to enjoy free performances by blues, rock and R&B musicians.  For additional information 233-5227 / www.gaslamp.org.

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Pets and Owners Costumed Parade

Pets and their owners are invited to dress up in their favorite costumes for a special promenade in the Gaslamp Quarter to celebrate the holiday season.  Downtown will be filled with costumed pets & their handlers vying for prizes including Best Costumed Duo, Cutest Critter, Best Pet Costume & Best Human Costume.  The Parade originates and concludes at the Hilton Park adjacent to the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter at 4th Avenue and K Street and will be held on Sunday 13 December.  Further information 233-5227 / www.gaslamp.org.

 

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Annual Hospice Holiday Event

San Diego Hospice will hold their holiday event--Light Up A Life--on Tuesday 15 December starting at 8pm at the Civic Theatre.  This annual free event will feature the San Diego Symphony and a surprise musical performance from a prominent local musician.  The musician performance will be followed by a dessert reception in the lobby of Golden Hall.  For reservations contact Meagan Konieczko at 278-6445 / mkonieczko@sdhospice.org.

 

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Port Doing Bus Tours Again

The Port of San Diego is offering a new series of free bus tours that will take members of the public along the tidelands and behind the scenes of the working waterfront.  Participants can now choose to start their tour in either Chula Vista or Coronado.  On the two-hour tour, the public will learn about San Diego Bay and what the Port and its tenants are doing to protect the tidelands.  On the tour you will also become familiar with Port operations, see shipbuilding and repair facilities, and get an up-close look at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal and the National City Marine Terminal.  Many of the areas on the tour are normally off-limits to the public due to security concerns.  The tours start at 9:30am and run to 11:30am and are available on the following dates:

• Wednesday, November 18
• Wednesday, January 20
• Wednesday, February 17

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Port's New Public Art Director Has Much Experience in Public Art

The Port of San Diego has named Yvonne Wise as the agency’s Public Art Director.  She has over 15 years of experience in the public sector and arts education and joined the Port in 2007 as a Public Art Manager.  She has been the Acting Public Art Director since January 2009.  Before moving to San Diego she had the position of City of Philadelphia’s Public Art Director.  As a manager for the Port District’s public art program, Ms. Wise has supervised a variety of public art installations.  She holds a Master’s degree in fine art and dual Bachelor’s degrees in English and fine art and is a resident of downtown San Diego.  The Port’s Public Art Program was established in 1996 and has complemented the character of the Port’s five member cities by supporting cultural tourism and economic development.

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Read Local San Diego’s Launch Event Well Received

It was a day-long celebration of San Diego’s literary talent.  There were author readings and presentations, book tables, music from local artists, and more.  It was held from 11am to 6pm on Saturday 14 November on the Sundeck of Horton Plaza.  There were authors making presentations approximately every 20 minutes and sitting at tables in hour-long slots.  The day ended with a gala reception,  Read Local San Diego is a newly formed nonprofit marketing coalition that aims to get authors out from behind the computer and face to face with readers.  They are planning to compile the most comprehensive, searchable online directory of local authors available and connecting readers and authors in a series of year-round, county-wide events.  For additional information http://sandiego.readlocal.org.

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Plan For Ruocco Park Moving Forward

Ruocco Park will be 3.3 acres on a site just north of Seaport Village and bordered by Harbor Drive and Pacific Highway.  The location was once the home of a seafood restaurant and market.  The empty buildings will be replaced by grass, trees, water-wise landscaping and public art.  The Port of San Diego held its third public meeting on the park’s design on 2 November at 6pm.  Now that the revised design has been presented to the public, the next steps include presenting it to the Board of Port Commissioners for approval in December.  After that, a fourth public meeting will be held in early 2010, where the public art concept for the park will be presented.  The Board of Port Commissioners will then be asked to approve a Coastal Development Permit for the park sometime in the summer of 2010.  If that moves forward as scheduled construction can begin in early 2011.  Construction of the park should take about one year.  The park gets its name from its benefactors, Lloyd and Ilse Ruocco, who generously provided a $3.5 million grant for its creation.  Lloyd was a prominent San Diego architect, credited with working on local iconic structures such as the County Administration Building, the San Diego Civic Theater and the San Diego Design Center.  His wife, Ilse, was a noted interior designer and a professor at SanDiegoStateUniversity.  The Ruoccos established the trust more than 25 years ago for the purpose of creating an urban public park in San Diego.  The trust is administered by the San Diego Foundation, which awarded the $3.5 million grant to the Port in November 2008.  The Port already had plans for a park next to the former Old Police Headquarters as part of its 1998 South Embarcadero Redevelopment Program.  Money to build it was allocated in the Port’s 2009-2013 Capital Development Program.  Developing the park would require the partial demolition of the former Harbor Seafood Mart building, which is estimated to cost about $1 million.  Money from the Ruocco trust will not be used for the demolition and the Port will use its Capital Development funds for the basic park.  The Ruocco donation will provide design and upgrades such as water features, garden areas, upgraded landscape, benches and lighting.

 

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