Pride Yoga and Dance Party at Rady Shell 

The San Diego Symphony in collaboration with FIT Athletic is happy to announce the return of Pride Yoga and Dance Party at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park on July 13th, 2023 at 7 p.m., in celebration of International Pride Month. Following its wildly popular inaugural Pride Yoga and Dance Party event in 2022, the Symphony and FIT are excited to bring back this free event once more. All information and registration details can be found at www.TheShell.org. 

Musical about choir trapped in limbo at Tenth Avenue Arts Center 

Trinity Theatre Company continues their 11th Grown Up Stage (GUS) season under the guidance of Artistic Director, Sean Boyd with Ride The Cyclone, The Musical, directed by Miss Leigh Scarritt. The production runs from July 21st – August 12th. Trinity Theatre Company will perform at the Tenth Avenue Arts Center at 930 Tenth Ave, San Diego 92101.  

Ride The Cyclone tells the hilarious and outlandish story of six teenagers from a Canadian chamber choir whose lives are cut short in a freak accident aboard a roller coaster. When they awake in limbo, a mechanical fortune teller invites each to tell a story to win a prize like no other — the chance to return to life. 

To learn more or purchase tickets visit https://trinityttc.org/current-productions/. 

Local pianist to perform at Park & Market 

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UC San Diego is pleased to sponsor the renowned Mexican-American and San Diego native, concert pianist Gustavo Romero for a special one-hour concert featuring two piano sonatas by the Austrian composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828). The free concert will take place this Saturday, July 8 at UC San Diego Park & Market from 2-4 p.m. and will be followed by a reception with light refreshments. 

Free ticketed admission is required and can be acquired at Eventbrite. 

Tap-py hour fundraisers at Bottlecraft 

Bottlecraft, the beer shop and tasting room with hard-to-find beers from around the world, has partnered with The Animal Pad to host weekly “TAP-py Hour” fundraisers during the summer at its Little Italy location at 2252 India Street. Every Tuesday from 4-7 p.m., 10% of all draft beer sales will be donated to the local dog rescue organization. 

Convention Center launches comic-themed chocolate bars

This month brings the return of Comic-Con—and the Convention Center’s limited-edition craft chocolate bars! The exciting flavors are Oooh Bay, The Lunchbox Hereo, Crop Circle Crunch and Cosplay Crackle. 

• A s’more like never before, the Oooh Bay bar is a fresh take on the classic fireside snack. Overflowing with torched ube marshmallow and housemade ube graham, the white chocolate shell brings it all together for a chocolate bar as picturesque as the San Diego Bay. 
• The champion of our childhoods comes to save the day again! The Lunchbox Hero bar evokes the classic PB&J in a milk chocolate shell with peanut butter rice crisps and concord grape jelly. 
• Strange sightings in the fields at night can only mean one thing: the out-of-this-world flavors of the Crop Circle Crunch bar brought visitors from beyond! This sweet blueberry cornbread creation features white chocolate, crispy sweet cornbread, dried blueberries, and honeycomb candy. 
• Flavors pop like colorful costumes in the Cosplay Crackle bar, a spectacular combination of dark chocolate, strawberry Pop Rocks, freeze-dried strawberries, and basil garnish. 

The craft chocolates will be priced at $10 each. In 2022, the Convention Center’s food and beverage team created more than 4,000 chocolate bars over four days, selling out every day of the convention. This tasty tradition started in 2016 as an exclusive offering for event attendees. 

Port to install EV charging stations at Convention Center 

The Port of San Diego partnered with KIGT Inc., a minority-owned, manufacturer and services provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, to install 10 public EV charging stations in the San Diego Convention Center parking garage. The recent addition of the EV charging stations brings the total amount of stations along the San Diego Bay waterfront to 62, of which 36 are public and 26 are Port staff parking stalls. 

Frontier Airlines begins nonstop service to Cleveland 

Frontier Airlines launched nonstop service from San Diego International Airport to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. With the new service, Frontier serves a total of seven nonstop destinations from San Diego International Airport. 

New Children’s Museum planning Octavia E. Butler exhibit 

In 2024, The New Children’s Museum will open the first of its kind long-term youth focused exhibit on the life and work of American science fiction writer Octavia E. Butler (1947-2006). The exhibit entitled Octavia E. Butler: Seeding Futures begins planning this summer through educational programming and a multi-day community workshop. 

The Octavia E. Butler: Seeding Futures exhibit will be a room-sized installation that imaginatively embodies Butler’s story through a speculative rendering that explores Butler’s childhood inspirations and influences.  

City lobby exhibit honors individuals who have made significant contributions toward equality 

Office of the City Clerk’s Archives announced the celebration of Dennis Voyer Allen and other San Diego trailblazers with an archives exhibit in the lobby of the City Administration Building, 202 C St., Downtown. The exhibit honors the achievements of remarkable individuals who have made significant contributions towards equality, breaking barriers, and promoting social and political milestones. Allen, a former mail carrier for the city in the early 1900s, was an extraordinary civic activist, played a pivotal role in the appointment of the first African American firemen in San Diego and was instrumental in the establishment of the San Diego Race Relations Society. 

WNDR Museum adds exhibits 

WNDR Museum, San Diego’s immersive art and technology experience, welcomed two brand-new exhibits to its gallery. Interoptics, a multi-sensory fiber-optic experience and Waterfaux, inspired by the power of a waterfall and the impact it has on the senses. 

Tickets to WNDR Museum start at $32 and must be purchased in advance at www.wndrmuseum.com. Children ages two and under receive free admission. 

Central Library’s Friends Bookstore worth a visit 

The Central Library’s Friends Bookstore has an eclectic stock that makes for a stimulating browsing experience. It is definitely one of the East Village hidden gems.

The bookstore is in the Central Library’s lobby adjacent to the circulation desk. The bookstore is operated by dedicated, friendly and approachable volunteers.

The bookstore stocks a small, but carefully chosen selection of used contemporary fiction, classics, nonfiction books, record albums, DVDs, and audio books. The bookstore also has an array of gently-used children and young adult books. The stock changes frequently, partially thanks to the once-a-month Courtyard Book Sale on the second Saturday of every month. The inventory for the Courtyard Sale is curated and distinct from the books in the stacks.

Selling donated books allows the Friends of the Central Library to help support activities, programs, and resources at Central Library such as the Local Author and Concert Series, The Summer Reading Programs, Swing Dancing, and 3D printing. 

Petco Park makes the Major Leagues top 10 most valuable sports venues 

San Diego’s Petco Park ranks seventh on a list of the Major Leagues top 10 most valuable sports venues, according to USBettingReporcom. The home of the Padres was valued at $796.4 million cost per square foot. The median sale price per square foot was put at $724. 

Coming out on top with a whopping cost of $1.829 billion per square foot is Madison Square Garden. 

Taste of Gaslamp returns on Sept. 9 across 16 square city blocks 

San Diego’s original tasting tour returns to the Gaslamp Quarter for the 27th annual Taste of Gaslamp on Saturday, Sept. 9 from 1-4 p.m. The Taste of Gaslamp is a self-guided foodie tour that has become a staple for locals and tourists alike who flock to Downtown to indulge in a culinary adventure stopping at 20-plus restaurants across 16 square city blocks. General admission for the Taste of Gaslamp tour is $45 in advance and $55 day of event. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit tasteofgaslamp.com or call 619-233-5008.

County opens Cool Zone Program 

With summer here, the County of San Diego opened its annual Cool Zones program Thursday to give people free, safe, air-conditioned sanctuaries to escape extreme heat. The county created the Cool Zone Program two decades ago to give older adults, people with disabilities and those with health concerns that could be complicated by the effects of extreme heat. 

The program will run from June 1 through Oct. 31; sites include the County’s 33 branch libraries, community centers and other locations across the county. 

A complete list of Cool Zone sites, their hours and locations is located online. The site includes a map feature where people can type in their address to find locations near them. People can also call 2-1-1 to find a location, or, if they cannot get to a Cool Zone, ask for help with free transportation. 

World Trade Center San Diego honored with President’s E Award for export service 

World Trade Center San Diego has been honored with the President’s E Award for Export Service. Presented by Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., the E Award recognizes the Trade Center’s commitment to growth of exports and jobs, especially through MetroConnect and Export SBDC. This is the highest recognition a U.S. entity can receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports. 

Dog attacks on postal carriers in San Diego among highest in U.S. 

Dog attacks on postal carriers in the San Diego area totaled 39 in 2022, putting the area fifth on a list of dog attacks in 36 cities across the country. Houston, Los Angeles, Dallas and Cleveland topped San Diego on the number of attacks. The United States Postal Service figures were released as part of its National Dog Bite Awareness Week campaign June 4-10. 

More than 5,300 Postal Service employees were attacked nationally last year. 

Prosecutor, victim advocate recognized for DUI homicide work 

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced that two members of the DA’s Office were recognized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) at the annual MADD San Diego Law Enforcement and Prosecutor Recognition Awards held Thursday, June 8 at the Balboa Park Recital Hall. Deputy District Attorney Hailey Williams was named Prosecutor of the Year for her work in the DA’s DUI Homicide Unit. Victim Advocate Shanda Torres was recognized with the MADD Outstanding Advocate Award for her work with victims of DUI cases.    

Nearly $17 million secured to address San Diego riverbed encampments 

 A county-led partnership has been awarded nearly $17 million in state funds to help people experiencing homelessness along the San Diego riverbed into more permanent housing and connect them with much-needed services.   

Late last year, the state made $240 million in Encampment Resolution Fund grants available to local jurisdictions to help resolve encampments and get people into housing and services.  

The county applied for that funding in collaboration with the City of San Diego, City of Santee and California Department of Transportation, and is getting $16,951,298.  

The money, awarded to the County’s Department of Homeless Solutions & Equitable Communities, will help an estimated 300 people experiencing homelessness living along the San Diego riverbed. 

County gets grant to connect more households to the internet 

The County of San Diego has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Federal Communications Commission to fund outreach and enrollment efforts for the Federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and to update ongoing efforts to improve internet connectivity throughout the region. 

The ACP provides qualifying households on average of $30 a month toward their internet bill as well as up to $100 for the purchase of a device like a laptop to connect to the internet. 

An estimated 453,000 households are eligible for the ACP in San Diego.