We celebrated our second year with some treats — with candles, of course — at Dia del Cafe on Adams Avenue. | Photo via SDtoday staff
Bust out the party hats — today marks SDtoday’s second anniversary of bringing hyperlocal, positive news and fun events straight to your inbox.
To celebrate our birthday, we’re sharing our favorite SDtoday moments and discoveries from this past year — two of each, because we love a theme party, you know?
📝 Monica’s picks
Two favorite memories with Michael:
Covering Comic-Con 2023 together, especially singing karaoke while pretending to be contestants on “The Voice.”
Meeting Michael’s mom during her visit to San Diego — hi, Mary.
Two of Monica’s favorite stories:
Meet Bill Brown: The heartbeat of the Balboa Park Carousel | Bill is an absolute San Diego gem who takes so much pride in preserving a piece of local history; he’s also helped make beautiful memories for generations of locals.
San Diego scrapbook | I loved sifting through the city’s archives to learn the stories behind historical photos.
Rain Barrel & Water Harvesting Webinar | Wednesday, Nov. 15 | 6-7 p.m. | Virtual | Free | Learn about the benefits of rainwater collection, including rebates and discount programs available to City of San Diego residents.
“Friends” Trivia + Watertown Whiskey Tasting | Wednesday, Nov. 15 | 8 p.m. | The Duck Dive, 4650 Mission Blvd., San Diego | $5 | Test your knowledge of Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Joey, Ross, and Chandler (we miss you so much) while sampling the California brand’s aged whiskey.
Thursday, Nov. 16
San Diego Career Fair | Thursday, Nov. 16 | 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Marriott Hotel, 8757 Rio San Diego Dr., San Diego | Free | Connect with top local employers in fields like government, retail, sales, education, IT, engineering, customer service, health care, and more.
Rady Children’s Ice Rink | Through Sunday, Jan. 7 | Times vary | Liberty Station, 2875 Dewey Rd., San Diego | $15-$20 | Glide your way through this seasonal rink, which supports Rady Children’s Hospital’s Thriving After Cancer program at the Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.
Sunset at the Serra | Thursday, Nov. 16 | 5-8 p.m. | Junípero Serra Museum, 2727 Presidio Dr., San Diego | $100 | Experience Spanish Flamenco dance and live music while enjoying the views from the Junípero Serra Museum in Presidio Park.
Latino Comedy Show | Thursday, Nov. 16 | 8:30 p.m. | Grand Comedy Club, 340 E. Grand Ave., Escondido | $10 | Headliner Leo Saavedra leads this night of laughs also featuring Latino comics Vero Burgess, Ceedro, The Manolo, and Joel Sotomayor.
Friday, Nov. 17
Susan G. Komen 3-Day | Friday, Nov. 17 | 6 a.m. | Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. | $40-$70 | The multi-day fundraiser kicks off with an Opening Ceremony before walkers begin their 60-mile journey through Pacific Coast Highway, Del Mar, Torrey Pines, and Mission Bay.
Wine Regions of South America | Friday, Nov. 17 | 1-2 p.m. | San Diego Oasis, 17170 Bernardo Center Dr., Rancho Bernardo | $15 | Explore sips from Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Brazil, and how the geography of this region shapes the bold, intriguing flavors.
The Japanese House | Friday, Nov. 17 | 8 p.m. | The Observatory North Park, 2891 University Ave., San Diego | $68+ | The English indie pop musician combines vocals, guitar, synthesizer, and keyboard to create her sounds.
“Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG San Diego Christmas Show” | Friday, Nov. 17 | 7 p.m. | The Old Globe, 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego | $29-$69 | It’s opening night for this reimagining of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” with a comic local twist, set in “wintry” San Diego.
Help us keep writing the stories that connect you closer to our city. | Photo by SDtoday
It’s hard to believe it’s almost a wrap on 2023 — and what a year it’s been. We’ve been privileged enough to bring you incredible San Diego news stories straight to your inbox.
We’re asking for your support to bring you even more stories like these next year.
We’re passionate about our approach to local news. In 2024, you can depend on us for newsletters free of divisive political content. Instead, we’ll deepen your San Diego roots, celebrate our city, and tell you ways to get involved with our community.
Padres owner and chairman Peter Seidler, 63, died yesterday. The Padres opened the Home Plate Gate at Petco Park to allow fans to pay their respects. The club will take a week off to grieve their tremendous loss, including temporarily halting their search for a new manager. (MLB + San Diego Union-Tribune)
Civic
San Diego City Council has rejected Mayor Todd Gloria’s Housing Action Package 2.0, a set of housing incentives that left the council at odds over where more of the city’s low-income housing should be built. A revised version of the package is expected to be presented to council next year. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Development
San Diego International Airport’s ongoing New T1 project is reaching new heights. The Regional Airport Authority and city leaders will host a beam-signing ceremony today to mark “100% completion of the structural steel construction” for phase one — the part set to open in summer 2025 with 19 new gates.
Open
There’s a new holiday pop-up bar in town — Xmas Bar, now open at 401 G St. in the Gaslamp Quarter (the former Tin Roof). The festive spot features colorful lights and themed cocktails like Jingle Juice. It’s open Wednesday-Friday starting at 4 p.m. and weekends starting at 12 p.m.
Coming Soon
Renowned Valle de Guadalupe Chef Drew Deckman will open his first US restaurant in spring 2024 — Watershed at 3131 University Ave. in North Park. The spot will focus on farm-to-table ingredients sourced in San Diego County and Baja California, with 1% of monthly revenue donated to the nonprofit, Zero Foodprint. (Eater San Diego)
Kids
The city’s 2023-2024 “Mayor for a Day” contest is open through 11:59 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15. City of San Diego K-12 students can submit a 500-word essay or 3-minute video explaining how they would make SD better if they were mayor. The winner will shadow Mayor Todd Gloria early next year.
Seasonal
Don’t feel like cooking on Thanksgiving this year? Many top-notch San Diego restaurants are offering holiday feasts, dine-in and takeout. Pro tip: Make reservations now or place your orders this week — seats are filling up and preorder deadlines are coming up quickly.
Outdoors
Did you know? November-May is the optimal time to plant trees in San Diego. The city plans to add 100,000 trees by 2035; residents can help by applying for the Free Tree SD program and requesting to have a new tree planted on their street, with conditions.
Question
If you could make a “Mount Rushmore of San Diego celebrities,” whose face would you want on it? We asked the AI bot, Chat GPT, to suggest familiar faces and now we want your votes. Dr. Seuss? Tony Gwynn? Blink-182? Tony Hawk? Raquel Welch? Annette Bening? Tell us.
Pets
Say goodbye to fillers and weird ingredients in your dog’s food. Get 50% off your pup’s first order of Nom Nom for fresh, recognizable ingredients they’ll love.*
The inaugural event was last year on Shelter Island. | Photo via Laurel Costa
In support of cultural diversity, community, and conservation, the Pacific Rim Park Friendship Walk will return to Shelter Island this Sunday, Nov. 19, 12-3 p.m. Registration is free.
The family-friendly walk will span one mile — from Shoreline Park to Pearl of the Pacific Park — followed by live entertainment, mariachi, folklórico dance performances, and food trucks.
The event is hosted by the Ilan-Lael Foundation, the nonprofit dedicated to preserving the artistic legacy of James Hubbell. It will also celebrate the Pacific Rim Park Project, an initiative between San Diego and other Pacific Rim nations focused on art and global friendship — the theme captured in Shelter Island’s public art piece, “Pearl of the Pacific,” a nod to some of SD’s sister cities.
In the spirit of collaboration, attendees will also learn about San Diego-Tijuana World Design Capital 2024, and what the special designation means for our region.
The cutest to-go containers to make sure everyone walks away with leftovers this Thanksgiving. Pro tip: Remove the lid and heat them right in the oven.
The 30,000-sqft space at 9918 Mission Gorge Rd. features curated fashion and beauty selections, plus a tiny Toys “R” Us. Macy’s plans to debut up to 30 more of these smaller shops across the US through fall 2025.
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