ONGOING EVENTS

‘She Loves Me’
Through Dec. 8Set in a 1930s European perfumery, meet shop clerks Amalia and Georg, who, more often than not, don’t see eye to eye. After both respond to a “lonely hearts advertisement” in the newspaper, they now live for the love letters that they exchange, but the identity of their admirers remains unknown. Join Amalia and Georg to discover the identity of their true loves… and of all the twists and turns along the way. Wednesday through Sunday at 7:30 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. in the SDSU Don Powell Theatre, 5500 Campanile Drive. Tickets range $15-$20, available at bit.ly/2NX36Up.

‘A Christmas Past’
Through Dec. 15
Lamplighters Community Theatre presents “A Christmas Past” featuring two one-act plays. “The Long Christmas Dinner” showcases the lives of the Bayard family over nine generations. In this funny and poignant one-act play, characters age from children to seniors in one continuous ribbon. The second play, “A Child’s Christmas in Wales,” is a dramatization of Dylan Thomas’ wonderful, nostalgic look at memories of his childhood. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. at Lamplighters Community Theatre, 5915 Severin Drive. Cost is $23 adult; $20 for seniors, students and active military. Tickets and information available at lamplighterslamesa.com.

FEATURED EVENTS

Saturday, Dec. 7

Christmas on Mt. Helix
Mt. Helix Park’s 29th annual holiday event will feature European Christmas markets with local artisans, family caroling and a Nativity story. 2-5 p.m. at Mt. Helix Park, 4905 Mt. Helix Drive, La Mesa. Free admission and free parking and shuttle from Grossmont High School staff parking lot. Visit MtHelixPark.org.

Sunday, Dec. 8

Art for the Park reception
Art for the Park will showcase works by nine artists at the MTRP Visitor Center in a variety of mediums from acrylics, pastels, and watercolors to photography and printmaking. Each month, this gallery in the heart of Mission Trails displays artworks that remind the public how nature can feed the imagination and connect people to their creativity. The opening reception for Art for the Park on Dec. 8 from 2-4 p.m. is the ideal way to purchase unique works by local artists while also giving back to the park. The Art for the Park benefit exhibition runs Dec. 7-Jan. 3. The MTRP Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and admission is free, but closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. For more information, visit mtrp.org.

Tuesday, Dec. 10

‘The Nutcracker’
Through Dec. 11
Golden State Ballet presents the story of a little girl named Marie who falls asleep after a party at her home and dreams herself into a fantastic world where toys become larger than life. Her beloved nutcracker comes to life and defends her from the Mouse King, then is turned into a prince after Marie saves his life. There will also be a Christmas opportunity to give at the performance where you can bring a toy or canned food for the less fortunate. 7:30 p.m. at the Joan Kroc Theatre, 6611 University Ave., San Diego. Visit gsballetpilates.com for tickets and information.

Friday, Dec. 13

Holiday in the Village
Through Dec. 14The La Mesa Village Association’s Holiday in the Village returns to downtown La Mesa. This free, family-friendly event will feature a wonderland of festive holiday music and dance, food, children’s activities, shopping and more. Friday, Dec. 13, 4-9 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 14, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. in the downtown Village. Visit lamesavillageassociation.org for more information.

Saturday, Dec. 14

 Christmas City Tree Lighting
Through Dec. 22
The inaugural Christmas City tree-lighting ceremony at Legacy International Center will be a family-friendly evening that will include the lighting of a 52-foot, LED-lit tree that will “dance” to with the nearby 30-head, 40-foot show fountain. The evening will include food from the center’s new cafe, hot cocoa, holiday shopping, scavenger hunts, performances from local choirs and pictures with Santa Claus. Legacy International Center has partnered with Operation Homefront, designed to raise in-kind gifts to assist with military families who need it the most. This will be the first of four Christmas City nights including Dec. 15, 21 and 22. 6 p.m. at Legacy International Center, 875 Hotel Circle South, San Diego. Visit legacysandiego.com.

Friday, Dec. 20

Handel’s ‘Messiah’
Bach Collegium San Diego’s performance of “Messiah,” delivered by a dynamic cast of musicians in the manner of Handel’s most dramatic operas, has become its crown jewel and is not to be missed. 7 p.m. at First United Methodist Church of San Diego, Mission Valley, 2111 Camino del Rio South, San Diego. Tickets cost $20 student, $35 senior, $40 general and $70 premium; available at bit.ly/37Ge61M.

Monday, Dec. 23

Happy Hanukkah!

Wednesday, Dec. 25

Merry Christmas!

 Thursday, Dec. 26

 Happy Kwanzaa!

Saturday, Jan. 4

‘Back To The Sixties’
Concert featuring Howard Blank’s The Outsiders band. The Outsiders were/are a national recording and touring act with several Billboard hit songs from the mid-1960s, including the 1966 No. 5 hit song “Time Won’t Let Me,” No. 15 “Respectable,” No. 21 “Girl in Love,” No. 37 “Help Me Girl” – plus four albums. 7:30 p.m. at the Joan B. Kroc Theatre, 6611 University Ave. Tickets range $46-$52, available at bit.ly/2pTROII.