Make holiday plans

Imagine San Diego as a side dish

Why are you grateful to live in San Diego?

Which local beach is best?

What restaurants or dishes have you discovered recently?

What would you build in San Diego?

What’s your favorite animal at the San Diego Zoo?

• Lightscape | Through Monday, Jan. 1 | 5-8:30 p.m. | San Diego Botanical Gardens, 230 Quail Gardens Dr., Encinitas | $16-$26 | The glimmering holiday experience returns with new installations and colorful lights lining a 1-mile walking trail.
• The Spazmatics | Wednesday, Nov. 22 | 7 p.m. | Moonshine Beach, 1165 Garnet Ave., San Diego | $10 | This high-energy band gives New Wave energy, playing cover songs from the 1980s that will have you “high-fiving your friends all night long.”

• Encinitas Turkey Trot | Thursday, Nov. 23 | 7 a.m. | Encinitas Sign, 476-480 S. Coast Highway 101, San Diego | $62-$72 | Feast your eyes on ocean views at this annual 5K, 10K, and family fun run route and enjoy costume contests for the best trotting turkey.
• Father Joe’s Villages Run for Hope | Thursday, Nov. 23 | 7:30 a.m. | Balboa Park, 1549 El Prado, San Diego | $25-$250 | This annual holiday 5K starts at Cabrillo Bridge and benefits programs supporting unsheltered San Diegans.

• 3rd Annual Ciderfest | Friday, Nov. 24-Sunday, Nov. 26 | 11 a.m.-8 p.m. | Liberty Public Market, 2820 Historic Decatur Rd., San Diego | Free | Check out local ciders on tap, join the apple scavenger hunt, shop local vendors, and peep the Market After Dark on Small Business Saturday.
• Wild Child | Friday, Nov. 24 | 7 p.m. | The Magnolia, 210 E. Main St., El Cajon | $12-$33 | This tribute act “Breaks on Through” with their set inspired by The Doors.

• Deon Cole | Saturday, Nov. 25 | 8 p.m. | Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., San Diego | $36-$46 | The comedian known for “Black-ish” and “Grownish” makes the downtown venue laugh.

• Breakfast with Santa | Sunday, Nov. 26 | 10-11 a.m. | Neiman Marcus, 7027 Friars Rd., San Diego | $55-$65 | The hearty breakfast menu includes pastries, French toast, eggs, bacon, crispy breakfast potatoes, and even mimosas for adults 21+.

• Hang onto your umbrella — experts predict strong, upcoming El Niño conditions will result in a wet winter. Meteorologists anticipate the first rain event could drench San Diego next month, with rainy conditions likely to persist through spring 2024. (Fox 5)

• The San Diego Padres have hired Mike Shildt as their new manager, filling the role left vacant by Bob Melvin’s move to the Giants. Shildt has been with the Padres as a senior adviser since 2021, and prior to that he managed the Cardinals from 2019 to 2021. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

• The San Diego Police Department will open its childcare center for law enforcement families in January 2024, the first of its kind in the nation. It will offer extended hours to accommodate officers’ schedules, and officers will receive child care at 50% of the market rate.

• The number of travelers visiting San Diego International Airport is on an upward trajectory. October 2023 was a “milestone month” — SAN reported ~6,000 more people went through TSA checkpoints than in October 2019, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

• Well done, Cerveza Jack’s. The Southern comfort food restaurant in the Gaslamp Quarter announced it has closed. The saloon-style eatery opened in 2021, and thanked the community for its support.

• San Diego Craft Collective is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a free, family-friendly event this Saturday, Nov. 25, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The nonprofit will host live craft demos and hands-on activities for children, plus the bash will feature food trucks and live music.

• $1.15. That’s how much the cost of gasoline has decreased in San Diego County since prices started declining. Yesterday, the average cost of a gallon of regular, self-serve gas was $5.094 according to AAA — the price peaked at $6.248 at the end of September. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

• The San Diego Susan G. Komen 3-Day saw ~1,500 people dressed in pink walk 60 miles from Friday, Nov. 17 to Sunday, Nov. 19. That sea of pink raised a lot of green, $5.3 million to be exact. The funds will support breast cancer research and help cover expenses for those battling the disease. (CBS 8)

• Have an active loved one on your shopping list? Upway delivers rigorously inspected, certified, and 99% pre-assembled ebikes from top brands (think: Specialized, Aventon, and Super73) directly to your doorstep. Get up to $1,200 off for Black Friday, and score free express shipping with code TREE.*

The proposal

• Incentivizing the creation of off-campus student housing.
• Removing parking requirements for homes near public transit.
• Encouraging the creation of single-room occupancies and accessory dwelling units.
• Converting public land and underused commercial spaces into housing.

The concerns

• Building regulations allowing moderate-income and low-income housing to be built at different sites, rather than integrating units in the same complex.
• Restructured development fees that incentivize multi-bedroom units.
• The lack of building locations near public transit.