Holiday Parade is ready to roll
PACIFIC BEACH — The holly-jolly man in red will ride down Garnet Avenue in a fire truck during the 31st annual Pacific Beach Holiday Parade on Dec. 11. Santa will be the anchor of the parade, which has nearly 100 entries of floats, bands, vehicles and more, said Andy Hanshaw, director of Discover Pacific Beach, the organization coordinating the event. Hanshaw said the parade is possible thanks to the financial support of the Pacific Beach Community Foundation, the Pacific Beach Hospitality Task Force, the office of County Supervisor Pam Slater-Price and Faulconer’s District 2 City Council office. Slater-Price and Faulconer both secured grant funding for the event. Local businesses and organizations also contributed funds, showcasing the true community spirit of Pacific Beach. The parade will start at 2 p.m. at Ingraham Street and continue west down Garnet Avenue to Bayard Street. Spectators are welcome to bring chairs or blankets to the festive business district and enjoy the show. The theme of the parade is “Holiday Classics.” Float entrants are encouraged to decorate in the spirit of classic holiday movies, books or songs. For more information, visit www.pacificbeach.org. — Debbie Hatch
Liberty Station to celebrate the season with holiday fest POINT LOMA — The forecast calls for snow in Point Loma this weekend, as Liberty Station hosts Holiday Station — its North Pole-themed winter festival — on Saturday, Dec. 11 from noon to 5 p.m. “It’s a free event and it’s supporting their local community. It’s a way to explore Liberty Station, which is a resource in their backyard,” said event organizer Bonnie Vieira. Formerly known as Holiday Night on the Promenade, Liberty Station’s annual seasonal event has made a shift from evening to afternoon. The event culminates with a tree lighting around dusk, about 4:45 p.m. In addition to child-themed activities, Holiday Station will cater to a wider age group. Activities for the older crowd include a classic custom car show and a walkthrough art exhibition. Snow will blanket Ingram Plaza for kids to play in and sled in, providing a brief taste of a white Christmas. Holiday Station also features bounce houses, pony rides, train rides and crafts for children. In addition, kids can get their picture taken with old St. Nick for free. Traditional holiday music will come courtesy of the Point Loma Nazarene University’s brass ensemble and the Correia Middle School band. On-stage performances will include Mystic Dance’s youth dance troop, Dancing Kids tap and jazz-style dance moves and the San Diego Ballet’s rendition of “The Nut-cracker.” The afternoon will also highlight the array of merchants at Liberty Station. Locals can get some last-minute holiday shopping done or explore the area in the family-friendly scavenger hunt. Liberty Station is located at 2640 Historic Decatur Road. For more information, visit www.libertystation.com. —Anthony Gentile
Jungle Bells returns
BALBOA PARK — The San Diego Zoo will host Jungle Bells from Dec. 11 through Jan. 2, when the zoo will remain open until 8 p.m., except on Dec. 24 when it will close at 5 p.m. Includes elves, light shows, magic shows and a nightly tree lighting. Jungle Bells is free with paid admission to the zoo. www.sandiegozoo.org. —Debbie Hatch
Parade of Lights sails for the 39th year DOWNTOWN — The Port of San Diego will present the 39th annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights on Dec. 12 and 19, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. both nights. Each parade will kick off with a fireworks display at 5:30 p.m. The parade of lights began as a small event held in the bay near Shelter Island. A crew of sailors wanted to provide an enjoyable holiday event for San Diegans, Baumann said. The somewhat salty sailors were members of what they called the D.I.L.L.I.G.A.S. Society. Over the years, it has grown and now traverses the bay from Shelter Island to the Coronado Ferry Landing. The theme this year is “The Sounds of Christmas.” Parade entrants will be judged by both their décor and the holiday sounds emitting from their vessels. Entrants compete for a variety of titles. The top honor is the “Best of Parade” and the prize is a Holland American Cruise for two. Organizers recommend using San Diego public transit when traveling to the event. Parking will be available at metered spaces along Harbor Drive and on Shelter Island, which is free on Sundays. There are also several area paid lots such as at Seaport Village. For more information, visit www.sdparadeoflights.org, call (619) 224-2240 or e-mail [email protected]. • Approximate times for viewing the parade:
• Shelter Island: 5:30 p.m. • Harbor Island: 6 p.m. • The Embarcadero: 6:30 p.m. • Seaport Village: 7 p.m. • Ferry Landing on Coronado: 7:30 p.m. —Debbie Hatch
Wine Steals to pair with artist Stephanie Clair POINT LOMA — For the last 31/2 years, Wine Steals Point Loma has treated locals to many different food and wine pairings. This weekend, the Liberty Station wine bar will showcase its pairings of art and wine. Wine Steals Point Loma will host an art show featuring Stephanie Clair, the San Diego artist whose art is featured on their private label bottles, on Saturday, Dec. 12 from 4 to 8 p.m. The show is free, with the option of buying tickets that include food and wine pairings. Clair’s art appears on Wine Steals’ bottles and advertising, and her paintings appear in each of their four San Diego locations. She became the featured artist at Wine Steals after she frequented its Hillcrest location, which inspired her to create a painting called “Wine Down.” Located at 2970 Truxtun Road, Wine Steals Point Loma has been open on the Peninsula since May 2007. In addition to Hillcrest, Wine Steals has locations in Cardiff and East Village. The Wine Steals menu is geared to go with its wines, and features salads, meat and cheese boards and specialty pizzas that are named for their corresponding wines. The cuisine will be featured during Saturday’s art show. Tickets for wine and food pairings are $25 in advance and $30 at the door and can be purchased at www.wine-stealssd.com. Clair’s artwork will be on display and for sale at discounted prices and can be found at www.steph-anieclair.com. — Anthony Gentile
FRIDAY, DEC. 10
Pacific Beach/ Mission Beach • Mission Bay High School Music Department Winter Concert, 7 p.m., MBHS auditorium, 2475 Grand Ave. For more information, call (858) 273-1313 Ocean Beach/ Point Loma • Peninsula Singers Holiday Concert, 7 p.m., North Chapel of Liberty Station, 2881 Roosevelt Road, the seventh season of the Peninsula Singers Holiday Concert, featuring holiday classics, an original piece by John Rutter (“Gloria”) and other offerings by the 70-plus-member performance group. For more information, call (619) 804-6079, or e-mail [email protected], tickets are $10 at the door • Point Loma Actor’s Theatre presents “Steel Magnolias,” 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m. on Sunday, 3035 Talbot St., written by Robert Harling and directed by David Sein. For more information or tickets, call the box office at (619) 225-0044, or visit www.pointlomaactors.com SATURDAY, DEC. 11
Pacific Beach/ Mission Beach • PB Holiday Parade, 2 p.m., Garnet Avenue from Ingraham Street to Bayard Street, businesses and residents create floats and roll down Garnet Avenue for an afternoon of holiday fun. For more information or to enter a float, call Discover Pacific Beach, (858) 273-3303 or visit www.pacificbeach.org • Holiday Party for coastal San Diego active duty military families, 5:30 to 9 p.m., VFW Hall, 853 Turquoise St., dinner followed by gift distribution, hosted by PB American Legion Auxiliary Unit 552 and PB Sons of the American Legion Squadron 552. Seating is limited. RSVP by calling Nancy Person, (858) 246-6339 La Jolla • Christmas open house and toy train meet, 9 a.m., Torrey Pines Christian Church, 8320 La Jolla Scenic Drive North, (858) 569-6603, http://www.agtta.com/open-house/open-house-flyer-2010.html, free • Holiday Cheer Open House, noon, Martin Lawrence Gallery, 1111 Prospect St. Suite 106, holiday event with refreshments, (858) 551-1122, [email protected], free • Chess Club, 12:30 p.m., Riford Library, 7555 Draper Ave., lessons and game play, coached by top nationally chess-rated high school student (recommended for ages 25 and under), (858) 552-1657, free • Art exposition with Russian artist Dymtro, 2 p.m., Colosseum Fine Arts, 7946 Ivanhoe Ave. Suite 102, (619) 795-3704, free • Christmas Choir Concert, 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Taylor Performing Arts Center at the Bishop’s School, 7607 La Jolla Blvd., (858) 459-4021, $7.50 • Holiday Hootenanny, 6 p.m., UCSD’s RIMAC Arena, 9500 Gilman Drive, holiday show featuring The Black Keys, Against Me!, The Temper Trap, Sleigh Bells and Tokyo Police Club, (858) 534-6467, http://www.fm949sd.com/HolidayHootenanny.aspx, $40 and up Ocean Beach/ Point Loma • Point Loma Actor’s Theatre presents “Steel Magnolias,” 8 p.m. Saturday, 7 p.m. on Sunday, 3035 Talbot St., written by Robert Harling and directed by David Sein. For more information or tickets, call the box office at (619) 225-0044, or visit www.pointlomaactors.com Downtown • The Women’s History Museum will host a holiday open house party, 1 to 4 p.m., 2323 Broadway, a one-act play about the life of Eleanor Roosevelt will begin at 1 p.m. For more information, call (619) 233-7963, free and open to the public • The Save Our Heritage Organisation will hold a holiday open house from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Marston House Museum and Gardens, 3525 Seventh Ave. For more information, call (619) 297-9327, $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, $4 for children ages 6-12 and free for children 5 years and younger SUNDAY, DEC. 12
Pacific Beach/ Mission Beach • T.O.D.D.L.E.R.S. (Together Opportunities to Discover and Develop Literacy, Enrichment and Recreation Skills), 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Pacific Beach Recreation Center, 1405 Diamond St., parent and toddler fun, free. For more information call Bill (619) 920-1032 La Jolla • UCSD campus guide architectural tour, 9 a.m., Ida and Cecil Green Faculty Club, UCSD, 9500 Gilman Drive, guided bus tours of the campus featuring distinctive modern architecture in honor of the university’s 50th anniversary, (858) 534-4414, [email protected], free with purchase of “The Campus Guide: University of California, San Diego • La Jolla Symphony and Chorus: Christmas Messiah Sing!, 4 p.m., St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church, 6628 Santa Isabel St., Carlsbad, annual sing-along to Handel’s Messiah, (858) 534-4637, $8-$15 • Christmas Choir Concert, 2 p.m., Taylor Performing Arts Center at the Bishop’s School, 7607 La Jolla Blvd., (858) 459-4021, $7.50 Ocean Beach/ Point Loma • Point Loma Actor’s Theatre presents “Steel Magnolias,” 7 p.m., 3035 Talbot St., written by Robert Harling and directed by David Sein. For more information or tickets, call the box office at (619) 225-0044, or visit www.pointlomaactors.com Downtown • The San Diego Model Railroad Museum will celebrate Holiday Family Day, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 1649 El Prado St., families can learn about trains, craft holiday trains, enter a coloring contest, and watch the movie “The Polar Express.” For more information, call (619) 696-0199, adult admission is $7 and children under 15 are free • Third annual Pet Parade, 3 p.m., held in the Gaslamp District, will originate and start at Fourth Avenue and K Street, all San Diego pet owners and their pets are invited to dress up in costumes and compete for best costume duo, cutest critter, best pet costume and best of show. To enter, visit http://gaslamp.org/pet-parade or call (619) 233-5227