Home plate meets the end zone 🏈

The 43rd SDCCU Holiday Bowl coming to Petco Park

Game time is coming soon at Petco Park. | Photo via San Diego Padres

When Christmas and Hanukkah wrap up, San Diegans have another seasonal event waiting to kick off: The 43rd annual SDCCU Holiday Bowl. The gridiron game is coming to Petco Park on Wednesday, Dec. 28, at 5 p.m.

The University of Oregon Ducks will face the University of North Carolina Tar Heels at the Padres’ home base. The venue signed a 5-year agreement to host the annual college football game, starting with 2021, but that game was canceled hours before kickoff due to COVID-19 cases among players.

So, the 2022 SDCCU Holiday Bowl will be the first football game ever played at Petco Park. The stadium practiced its transformation from ballpark to football field last year, which included laying 1.5-inch, football-grade turf, moving seats by first base, adding standing room space, and constructing bleachers on right field to increase the ballpark’s regular capacity by 7,000+ people to a total of ~50,000.

You may be wondering, why isn’t a San Diego team playing? The selection process can get complicated, but the SDCCU Holiday Bowl features teams from the Atlantic Coast and the Pac-12 conferences. No San Diego universities are full members of either — the SDSU Aztecs are in the Mountain West conference.

Petco Park preps for the Holiday Bowl — Play ball takes on a new meaning.

🏈 Want to join the fun? There’s still time to get your tickets, Petco Park will open at 2 p.m. for ticket holders.

🛋️ Prefer sofas to stadium seats? The game airs on FOX and is broadcast on 101.5 KGB.

🚊 Pro tip: There will be traffic, but Metropolitan Transit System Trolleys will run every 15 minutes from the Blue, Green, and Orange lines.

🎈 Not a football person? The Port of San Diego Holiday Bowl Parade (presented by Kaiser Permanente) — America’s largest balloon parade — inflates the fun. The procession begins at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 28, and marches down Harbor Drive in front of the San Diego Convention Center. Best of all, it’s free to watch in-person and will be available to stream on CBS 8+ and online.

Click here to have your event featured.

Friday, Dec. 23

City Ballet’s: The Nutcracker | Friday, Dec. 23 | 2 + 7:30 p.m. | Concert Hall: California Center for the Arts, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido | $29-$99 | City Ballet brings the classic Victorian-era story alive with every step set to Tchaikovsky’s famous score.
A Big Band Christmas | Friday, Dec. 23 | 2 p.m. | Center Theater: California Center for the Arts, 340 North Escondido Blvd., Escondido | $35-$80 | A swingin’ jazz show featuring vocalists, dancers + new arrangements of Christmas classics by Duane Benjamin.
2 Pianos, 4 Hands | Through Sunday, Jan. 1 | 2 p.m. | North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Dr., Ste. D, Solana Beach | $57 | Jefferson McDonald + Matthew McGloin take you on a musical, comedic journey.
2022 Holiday Market | Friday, Dec. 23 | 4-10 p.m. | Petco Park, 100 Park Blvd., San Diego | $10-$20 | It’s the last night for the festive downtown celebration.

Wednesday, Dec. 28

San Diego Gulls vs. Henderson Silver Knights | Wednesday, Dec. 28 | 7 p.m. | Pechanga Arena, 3500 Sports Arena Blvd., San Diego | $18-$103 | A little hockey at home.

Friday, Dec. 30

OMFG NYE 2022 | Friday, Dec. 30-Saturday, Dec. 31 | 7 p.m. | Pechanga Arena, 3500 Sports Arena Blvd., San Diego | $55-$195 | Dance into 2023 with tunes from an electronic lineup.

Saturday, Dec. 31

Festivalito Sin Nombre | Saturday, Dec. 31-Monday, Jan. 2 | 2 p.m.-4 a.m. | La Vie Dance and Culture, 1255 West Morena Blvd., San Diego | $12-$45 | Tango your way out of 2022 and into 2023 at this three-day dancing fest.
New Year’s Eve Masquerade Gala | Saturday, Dec. 31 | 7:45 p.m. | Hotel del Coronado, 1500 Orange Ave., Coronado | $390-$450 | Ring in 2023 in Victorian style in the new Southpointe Ballroom with a nine-piece band, dancing, food stations, fireworks + more.
Big Night San Diego | Saturday, Dec. 31 | 9 p.m. | Hilton Bayfront, 1 Park Blvd, San Diego | $99-$250 | This long-running NYE bash features eight party zones + Chula Vista native Mario Lopez co-hosts the countdown.
Gatsby’s House NYE Party 2023 | Saturday, Dec. 31 | 9 p.m.-2 a.m. | Hotel Republic San Diego, 421 W. B St., San Diego | $95-$2,749 | Celebrate the Roaring ‘20s with this upscale, “Great Gatsby”-themed party.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

TACKLE MORE EVENTS

Weather

65º | Sunny | 4% chance of rain

Sunrise + Sunset

Rise: 6:48 a.m.
Set: 4:47 p.m.

Tide

Low: 2:05 a.m. + 3:45 p.m.
High: 8:26 a.m. + 10:16 p.m.
Water Temperature: 57º
King Tides will be making a splash this weekend. The National Weather Service expects high tides to reach ~7 ft today + tomorrow, 7-9 a.m., and minor flooding may occur on parking lots and boardwalks in Mission, Pacific, and Cardiff State beaches. 🌊 (National Weather Service)

Civic

Chula Vista City Council set a special election for Nov. 7, 2023, to fill the District 3 Councilmember vacancy created by the resignation of Stephen C. Padilla, who was elected to State Senate. Interested applicants must apply by Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, and the term will run through December 2024. 🏛

Announced

Bivouac Ciderworks is doing something big in 2023. The brand will expand its North Park taproom into adjacent spaces, creating a 5,733-sqft hub scheduled to open in the fall. The addition will include a cider bar, ample seating, a retail store, and offerings to build your own charcuterie boards. 🍎 (Eater San Diego)

Tech

Wave hello to SurfUp, the rental app that lets riders take out a surfboard. The startup currently has three racks in Pacific Beach where you can borrow a board — similar to bike or scooter rentals (think Lime). Users scan a QR code to unlock a board and are charged 20 cents per minute or $12 an hour while hanging ten. 🏄‍♂️ (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Community

El Cajon launched a city beautification program to encourage residents to clean up and take ownership of their spaces. Locals can host events to collect trash and will be provided with dumpsters by the city — groups can also receive free mulch and trees to plant. 🧼 (NBC 7)

Sports

Jennifer Petrie was named Coach of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. The University of San Diego women’s volleyball coach led the Toreros through a successful season — amassing a 28-game winning streak — before getting eliminated by the University of Texas in the NCAA Volleyball championship semifinals. 🏐 (Time of San Diego)

Biz

For its fourth time, local energy-infrastructure company Sempra was featured on the Wall Street Journal’s “Management Top 250” list. The company is the highest-ranked utility company, and was assessed on customer satisfaction, innovation, employee development, financial strength, and social responsibility. 🏆 (Times of San Diego)

Ranked

Who says you need a white Christmas? San Diego landed at No. 20 on WalletHub’s “Best Cities for Christmas” list. The rankings were determined by 32 key indicators, but America’s Finest City had particularly strong showings in the traditions and fun category and for its shopping. 🎄 (WalletHub)
Get the confetti ready. San Diego made the top 100 of best cities to celebrate New Year’s Eve. San Diego was ranked No. 14 based on criteria that considers everything from the amount of nightlife options to the price of a cab ride at the end of the night. 🥂 (WalletHub)

History

Did you know there are 154 National Historic Places in San Diego County? Buildings, objects, sites, and city blocks all across San Diego are worthy of preservation. Contact your State Historic Preservation Office if you’ve got a tip on an unsurveyed historic place.

DYK

In a recent list, California was ranked No. 11 for number of trees harvested and distributed from local Christmas tree farms — which means your friends and family on the other side of the country could very well have a Californian tree in their home this year. 🎄 (Stacker)

Drink

Scrambling to find a last minute gift? Enter: Flaviar — a subscription for those who love premium spirits. Send loved ones a gift subscription and they’ll have the opportunity to taste new, rare, and limited edition spirits of their choice each month. 🥃*

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

Taking a break

Taking a holiday break

Michael + Monica enjoying a holiday meeting at Café Bassam. | Photo via SDtoday staff

As we sit down to our laptops for the last time in 2022, it’s nice to reflect back on the year behind us and be thankful for all the great stories we were able to write.

From 30 buzz-worthy coffee shops to a historic sunken ship, we had fun sharing this wonderful city with you. Thank you for being a reader of SDtoday.

We will be taking a break next week, catching our breath and spending time with friends and family. Your next regularly scheduled newsletter will hit your inbox Jan. 3, 2023. We hope you’re able to step away as well. And if you find yourself with some downtime, here are a few ways to get out there and explore San Diego:

Plan a getaway out of San Diego International Airport
Take the Pedestrian Bridge Tour
Discover the ins and outs of a neighborhood, like North Park, perhaps

Have a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year.
- Monica and Michael

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Michael.

Editor’s pick: Thank you, San Diego, for letting us into your inbox this year. I wish you a very happy holiday season and new year, and we’ll be back to writing newsletters in 2023. I’m heading to Massachusetts for the holidays, but I’ll be jealous of all the folks in San Diego enjoying their exceptionally warm Christmas. Trust me, a white Christmas isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Take a look at some unforgettable local moments from 2022.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Monica Garske, Michael Beausoleil, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Julie Brown | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

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