There she is — the restored Botanical Building reopened in December 2024. | Photo via City of San Diego
It’s baaack. After an extensive, three-year restoration project, Balboa Park’s Botanical Building has reopened, once again firmly planting itself as one of the landmark’s icons.
The Botanical Building was designed for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition as one of the park’s permanent features. It’s also one of the largest remaining structures in the world made of lath, which are those thin strips of wood on the roof’s exterior arches and center rotunda.
The $26.45 million restoration project wanted to bring the building back to its glory days and included structural improvements, redwood lath replacement, window arcade reconstruction, planter upgrades, and accessibility upgrades.
Over the course of construction, the building was fenced off and sometimes draped. Today, visitors can step inside daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and enjoy its tranquility and 2,100+ plants. As always, entry is free.
Local nonprofit Forever Balboa Park is leading the project’s second phase, which includes enhancing the surrounding gardens and restoring the historic pergola. Here’s how to help.
Events
Events
Saturday, Dec. 14
San Diego SantaCon 2024 | 12-8 p.m. | Whiskey Girl + Goodnight John Boy | $36+ | Don your best Santa Claus attire + ugly sweaters — the nationwide bar crawl makes its way through downtown SD.
Holiday in the Village | 12-9 p.m. | La Mesa Village | Free | The family-friendly holiday event will feature vendors, carolers, bounce houses, selfies with Santa, and a new synthetic ice skating rink.
Gaslamp Quarter Pet Parade | 1 p.m. | Gaslamp Quarter | Free | Humans and their dogs will unleash the holiday cheer while strutting their stuff in the heart of downtown; afterwards, head to the Pups in the Pub Party at the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter.
“Noel Noel” | Saturday, Dec. 14-Sunday, Dec. 15 | Times vary | Jacobs Music Center | $39+ | The San Diego Symphony Orchestra, accompanied by the San Diego Children’s Choir, leads its annual holiday program filled with classics.
Starlight Parade + Festival | 3-7 p.m. | Downtown Chula Vista, Chula Vista | Free | The 60th annual event includes a festival followed by the 5:45 p.m. tree lighting and procession of festive floats, local marching bands, dance teams, and classic cars.
“Jingle: The Big Band Spectacular” | Saturday, Dec. 14-Sunday, Dec. 15 | Times vary | Balboa Theatre | $45+ | The San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus performs a holiday show full of festive cheer.
Sunday, Dec. 15
San Diego Bay Parade of Lights | 5:30 p.m. | San Diego Bay | Free | The annual holiday tradition is back for its second weekend — watch the procession of ~80 boats decked out in festive lights and decorations cruising along the waterfront.
Tuesday, Dec. 17
The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show | 8 p.m. | Balboa Theatre | $55+ | “The Queens of Christmas” bring comedy + new songs to the stage in a performance the New York Times says is “sure to lift your spirits and make you howl with laughter.”
Thursday, Dec. 19
Holiday Pop-Up Market | 5-10 p.m. | The Cordova Bar | Free | Browse local vendors while enjoying a DJ and special holiday cocktails at this 21+ event.
Friday, Dec. 20
Jingle Belle Family Cruise | Friday, Dec. 20-Tuesday, Dec. 24 | Bahia Resort Hotel + Catamaran Resort Hotel | $45 | Jingle all the way aboard this sightseeing cruise on Mission Bay featuring festive crafts, treats, and photos with Santa.
🎬 The ultimate gift for the film fanatic in your life
Presented by AMC Theatres
Psst... Be on the lookout for gift card flash sales happening now through the end of the year. | Photo courtesy of AMC Theatres
Treat the movie lover in your life to an AMC Stubs A-List™ membership this holiday season. They’ll enjoy up to three movies each week in any format, including Dolby Cinema® or IMAX® at AMC.
Simply, choose from three-, six-, or 12-month subscriptions, with activation codes sent instantly via email. Prefer gift cards? Send one straight to their inbox — no shipping fees required.
Memberships are valid at any AMC theatre nationwide, making this a gift they’ll truly love.
Welcome, Hollywood. Chula Vista approved a letter of intent with Chula Vista Entertainment Complex (CVEC) to build 75,000-sqft film production facilities on the top two floors of the Millenia Library building. CVEC says the facilities could bring a local economic boost of $545 million over 10 years while attracting new production projects to our region.
Civic
Longtime community leader Joe LaCava was unanimously elected San Diego City Council president by his colleagues. LaCava told the nine-member council that he’ll continue to support their agendas and make San Diego a better place. Newly elected San Diego City Attorney Heather Ferbert was also sworn in. (The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Sports
Touchdown.Syracuse will play Washington State in the DirecTV Holiday Bowl at Snapdragon Stadium on Friday, Dec. 27 at 5 p.m. Tickets to the big game are still available starting at around $65. It will also air on Fox. (The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Trending
San Diego FC — SD’s new MLS team debuting at Snapdragon Stadium on March 1, 2025 — unveiled its Adidas inaugural jersey. The kit features the club’s colors — azul + chrome — and gradient side stripes that “symbolize the connection between San Diego’s neighborhoods and define the city’s diversity.”
Open
Carlsbad’s beloved Campfire restaurant has added a little sister to the family. Wildland — an all-day, no reservations restaurant, bar + bakery — is now open on State Street just a couple of blocks from big sis. It’s open daily, 8 a.m.-9 p.m., for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Try This
Yo quiero Taco Bell. The fast food chain’s first-ever Live Más Café — a test concept built around specialty beverages — is now open daily on H Street in Chula Vista. The dine-in, pickup, or drive-thru menu includes Coffee Chillers, energy drinks, and new agua frescas all made by “Bellristas.” (CBS 8)
Ranked
Ooh la la. Addison — Fairmont Grand Del Mar’s upscale, thrice Michelin-starred restaurant — landed on La Liste’s prestigious roundup of top 1,000 restaurants for 2025. The list factored online reviews and reporting by reputable publications to give The Kitchen an 95.5% score out of 100%.
Outdoors
A dredging project is underway at the Old Mission Dam at Mission Trails. For the next two months, vehicle access on Father Junipero Serra Trail from the Visitor Center to the dam will be closed Monday-Friday, but open to pedestrians + cyclists. The Bushy Hill parking lot will be closed during construction.
Environment
The Department of Commerce and NOAA want to boost the Blue Economy, so they’re awarding funds to organizations fueling sustainable tech solutions to strengthen our coasts. UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Rady School of Management were awarded $13.5 million for their StartBlue Ocean Enterprise Accelerator. (NOAA)
Active
Registration is still open for the Carlsbad Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5K returning on Jan. 19, 2025. The North County race will likely attract 7,000+ runners, 1,500 of who will tackle the 26.2-mile marathon route boasting ~18 miles of ocean views. Good luck to all, you’ve totally got this.
Edu
Construction on the new “Living Seas” exhibition at Birch Aquarium is going swimmingly. Crews are wrapping up demo on the large-scale transformation, and the project has reached its one-third mark. The Pacific Ocean-focused exhibition is set to open in summer 2025 with immersive digital displays, projections, and big viewing windows.
Sports
What’s the current state of the Padres bullpen, and could it be even better in 2025? Go beyond the scoreboard and behind the scenes of the San Diego Padreswith Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.
Home
Did you know new windows could lead to lower energy bills? Read: Modern windows have better insulation. Renewal by Andersen is offering $400 off per window and $850 per door, so you can start the new year by saving on style upgrades for your home. Get your free quote.*
Plan Ahead
There are only a few weeks left in 2024. Use the remainder of your end-of-year budget + get your business in front of thousands. For a limited time, take 25% off ads in our self-service ad portal when you use promo code “2025" at checkout.
City Guide
City Guide
✈️ Prepare for takeoff
Now arriving — or departing — at San Diego International Airport. | Photo via Monica Garske + SDtoday
The busy holiday travel season is upon us, and we’ve got a little gift for you. If you’re flying via San Diego International Airport — aka SAN — we’ve created a guide that covers everything from New T1 updates and parking, to food options and nonstop flights. Smooth travels, friends.
What to know
TSA’s peak screening hours are typically between 5-7 a.m., 9 a.m.-1 p.m., and 7-9 p.m.; check TSA wait times via the agency’s app. SAN’s website also offers helpful info on security + regulations. Departures only occur between 6:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m., so the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority tells SDtoday that mornings are peak hours at SAN. The busiest days to travel are Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays.
Nonstop flights
SAN offers 80+ nonstop flights — 74 domestic that go to various US regions, plus 10 international flights. Here are a few nonstop flights you might want to hop on:
Touch screen compatible gloves. Beat winter dryness + rough skin by keeping hands protected when you’re out and about, thanks to gloves that still let you use your phone.
Hi, San Diego. I recently got together with my friend and co-worker Michael (you remember Michael — he says hi) to chat through some projects and, of course, drink good, local coffee. We tried seasonal drinks from Kaffee Meister in Santee — gingerbread and peppermint lattes — and in about two sips, we were in the holiday spirit. Ah, the power of the season.
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