11.29.2023

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Today’s Forecast

✨ Merry and bright — oh, so bright

Where to see holiday lights in San Diego County in 2024

One of the beautifully detailed light displays at Starlight Circle. | Photo via Monica Garske + SDtoday

The glow of holiday lights makes this time of year feel especially magical. In San Diego County, many neighborhoods and attractions truly dazzle with elaborate light displays, typically up through Christmas Day. Here are a dozen of the brightest standouts.

Starlight Circle | East + West Glendon circles, Santee | Free | Find dozens of homes decked out in lights and themes. Sometimes, residents set up stands selling hot cocoa, cookies, or kettle corn. You can walk through the neighborhood or drive slowly.

Candy Cane Lane | Hickory Street, Poway | Free | Drive through the neighborhood slowly or park along Carriage Road or Saddlewood Drive and walk around.

Christmas Circle | Whitney + Mankato streets, south of H Street, Chula Vista | Free | This South Bay neighborhood has been decking itself out in holiday lights for the past six decades.

SD Forward House Bankers Hill Holiday lights display — The Forward House on Ivy Street is a Griswold-inspired sight to behold.
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Photo via Eric Olaes + American Security Mortgage

The Forward House | 108 Ivy St. | Free | This Bankers Hill home was built in 1905 for San Diego Mayor John Forward Sr. Today, it is home to American Security Mortgage and makes spirits bright with its over-the-top, Griswold-style lights display. Pro tip: Santa will make his annual visit to the home’s rooftop Saturday, Dec. 2, 5:30-8 p.m., with his singing elf.

Lightscape | Through Monday, Jan. 1 | 5-10 p.m. (last entry at 9 p.m.) | San Diego Botanic Garden | $13-$29 | This attraction features dozens of dazzling art installations set to festive music along a 1-mile trail. Pro tip: Linger at the hanging poppies — so pretty.

SD Lightscape San Diego Botanic Garden 2023 — We can confirm: The flowers section at Lightscape is spectacular.
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Photo via Lightscape

Peep our map + 5 more displays

Asked

My favorite types of holiday light displays are...

A. Traditional multi-colored lights
B. Minimalist soft white lights
C. Themed displays — a nod to a movie, TV show, or book
D. Griswold-style displays that I can see from a mile away
E. Inflatables
F. Synced to music
G. Anything I don’t have to put up myself

Shed some light on this

Events

Wednesday, Nov. 29

San Diego Gulls vs. Texas Stars | Wednesday, Nov. 29 | 7 p.m. | Pechanga Arena, 3500 Sports Arena Blvd., San Diego | $22+ | The home team hits the ice — be cool, cheer them on.
Matteo Bocelli | Wednesday, Nov. 29 | 8 p.m. | Balboa Theatre, 868 Fourth Ave., San Diego | $46+ | Andrea Bocelli’s son can hold his own: Matteo has been playing piano since he was 6 and made his singing debut at age 18 at the Colosseum in Rome.

Thursday, Nov. 30

Flor de Toloache | Thursday, Nov. 30 | 6 + 8:30 p.m. | The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla | $58+ | The Grammy Award-winning mariachi band performs their fresh take on traditional Latin American music.
Aja Monet | Thursday, Nov. 30 | 8-10 p.m. | The Loft, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla | $30-$40 | The blues poet performs from her latest album — “a reflection on the scars of social injustice, the strength of love, and her own multiplicity.”

Friday, Dec. 1

Gingerbread House Experience | Through Sunday, Dec. 31 | During normal hotel business hours | Rancho Bernardo Inn, 17550 Bernardo Oaks Dr., San Diego | Free | Head to the lobby to check out a giant, edible house of candy made by The Inn’s bakers and pastry chefs with 4,000-pounds of ingredients.
December Nights | Friday, Dec. 1 + Saturday, Dec. 2 | 3-11 p.m. + 11 a.m.-11 p.m. | Balboa Park, 1549 El Prado, San Diego | Free | The city’s biggest holiday event takes over Balboa Park with light displays, food, live performances, activities for kids, and free evening entry at select museums.

Saturday, Dec. 2

Makers Arcade Holiday Fair | Saturday, Dec. 2 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Broadway Pier, 1000 N. Harbor Dr., San Diego | $6-$50 | Browse 135+ local makers at this seasonal shopping experience with photo displays, live music, cocktails, workshops, and an area for the kids.
Little Italy Tree Lighting & Christmas Village | Saturday, Dec. 2 | 4-8 p.m. | Piazza della Famiglia, 523 W. Date St., San Diego | Free | The festive event includes music, photos with Santa, vendors, shopping, and the lighting of the 25-ft tree in the heart of the neighborhood.
South Park Holiday Walkabout | Saturday, Dec. 2 | 5-9 p.m. | South Park, Grape and 30th streets, San Diego | Free | Enjoy twinkling lights and festive trolley rides as the neighborhood’s small businesses and restaurants stay open late for shoppers.

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Weather

Grab a coat and maybe an umbrella — cooler temperatures and light, widespread showers are expected across San Diego County today through Friday, Dec. 1, as an area of low-pressure moves through the region. Temps will likely warm up by the weekend. (National Weather Service)

Civic

Mayor Todd Gloria said five affordable housing projects have been recommended to receive a combined $15.4 million in funding via the city’s Bridge to Home program. The new developments include the 97-unit Hillcrest Hall, the 72-unit Humble Heart in City Heights, and the 78-unit Palm City Transit Village in Nestor. (City News Service via KPBS)

Ranked

Esquire has named three San Diego eateries among the 50 best new restaurants in America in 2023. The standouts: Hitokuchi, a Japanese restaurant in the Convoy District; Mabel’s Gone Fishing, the buzzy, Iberian-inspired seafood spot in North Park; and Valle, the Michelin-starred restaurant in Oceanside. (Esquire)

Development

San Diego County has identified 11 county-owned properties to be transformed into affordable housing. Three are already under construction, set to yield a combined 500 units. The first — Levant Senior Cottages in Linda Vista — is set to break ground in spring 2024 with 127 units for local seniors.

Coming Soon

Copper Top Coffee & Donuts is on the rise, opening its new location on Monday, Dec. 4, at 4636 Mission Blvd. Owner Josh McCorkle is hosting a painting party this Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., asking locals to lend a hand putting the finishing touches on the Pacific Beach shop.

Real Estate

According to the latest S&P Case-Shiller Indices report, the San Diego metro area’s annual home prices spiked 6.5% in September 2023 with the median resale single-family home price at $930,000. This makes SD the second fastest-appreciating market in the US — its highest spot in the rankings since August 2021. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Sports

SDSU Aztecs Football has reportedly found a new head coach to replace Brady Hoke: Sean Lewis, of the University of Colorado Boulder. Lewis has prior leadership experience with Kent State, Syracuse, Bowling Green, Eastern Illinois (during that SDSU defeat in 2013), and Akron. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Answered

With December Nights around the corner, we asked you to share your favorite part of Balboa Park’s big holiday event. With 50% of votes, SDtoday readers said they love the celebration’s merry vibes, while 33% are heading there for the food. We’re into both, for sure.

Watch

Executives from the San Diego-based fundraising tech platform Classy helped ring the NASDAQ’s iconic opening bell in New York City’s Times Square yesterday (pro tip: watch at the 16:02 mark). The moment was led by GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan and GivingTuesday.org’s Woodrow Rosenbaum in honor of Giving Tuesday. (NASDAQ)

Finance

We aren’t given many 21-month grace periods. Oil checks, doctor appointments, Tax Day... time speeds by between them. But The Ascent found a credit card offering 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 21 months — among the longest we’ve seen to avoid interest charges. Learn more.*

Shop

Which ugly Christmas sweater would you choose? We’re liking: the Santa hat-topped wine glass or the “Home Alone” print featuring Catherine O’Hara.*

Watch

🦁 ‘It Began With a Roar’

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance preps for 2024 Rose Parade

This is how San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance envisions floating into 2024. | Rendering via San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) will march into the 2024 Rose Parade with a float that has a story to tell. SDZWA shared a rendering of its 55-ft, animated display with an “It Began With a Roar” theme. It showcases animals who inspired conservation efforts and helped make the zoo world-famous.

The float’s familiar furry faces include:

A lion, modeled after Rex, who was on display during the Panama-California Exposition in Balboa Park. His roar is said to have inspired the San Diego Zoo’s creation.
A polar bear, modeled after Chinook from the zoo’s Polar Plunge habitat, used for conservation research as the species faces threats from climate change.
An orangutan, modeled after Karen, a Sumatran orangutan born with a heart defect and nursed to health by zoo staff.

The Rose Parade takes place Jan. 1, 2024, at 8 a.m. in Pasadena; it’ll also be broadcast on TV.

The Buy

Anything off of this year’s Oprah’s Favorite Things list. We’re seeing: luxury flaky sea salt, all-weather boots, fleece robes, and a baked brie board.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Monica

From the editor

Can confirm: The holiday pop-up bars around San Diego this season are poppin’. I recently visited the Over the Top Holiday Lounge at the Top of the Hyatt, a cute spot on the 40th floor of the Grand Hyatt that runs through Wednesday, Dec. 27.

The menu features festive cocktails like the BYO Cozy Cabin Cocoa and Après Ski Margarita, and the cabin-inspired décor is giving. Pro tip: Visit Tuesdays and Fridays to enjoy live holiday entertainment, 7-9 p.m.

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