As long winter nights begin to take hold in San Diego, Balboa Park will light up the city with its 34th annual December Nights holiday celebration, complete with endless amounts of fun, food and entertainment that are sure to pick up anybody’s spirits this winter. The free, two-day festival will take place Dec. 2 from 5 to 10 p.m. and Dec. 3 from noon to 10 p.m. with free admission to participating museums from 5 to 9 p.m. on both evenings. Balboa Park will come alight with the sound of carol singers, San Diego Junior Theatre musical numbers and a variety of hourly jazz, hip-hop, tap and modern dance performances that will spread holiday cheer to every corner of the park. Holiday-themed theater performances will curb any cultural appetite with glowing performances of Christmas classics, like “The Nutcracker Ballet” by the San Diego Youth Ballet, “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” at the Old Globe Theatre and a puppet version of “A Christmas Carol” at Marie Hitchcock’s Puppet Theater. A sampling of some of the kid-friendly fun this year includes a carousel ride at the San Diego Zoo, a Santa’s Express miniature railroad and Skyfari experience, a display of the Southern California LEGO Train Club’s latest creations at the San Diego Model Railroad Museum and many more exhibits and holiday activities at participating museums. And what would December Nights be without its wide variety of delectable food and drink specials to indulge in? The Cascades Holiday Marketplace, Palisades Midway and House of Pacific Relations International Cottages will host a variety of food fare and spirits from around the world and the Plaza de Panama will host pub fare, wine, beer and specialty cocktails at Prado Pub in the Square. For those who can’t miss out on a minute of the holiday activities around the park, pick up some unique cuisine on the go at one of Chef Deborah Scott’s two gourmet food trucks — Chop Soo-ey, which will be serving up her famous Asian-fusion barbeque cuisine, and her new Ms. Patty Melt & Wilbur the Weiner Dog truck dishing out every variety of patty melt and hot dog imaginable. To get to the park during the event, visitors can take advantage of free shuttle service from PETCO Park’s Tailgate Park, the County Administration Building’s north lot or the City College lots between 16th and B streets. Parking in the zoo lot is free, but is extremely limited and likely to fill up early. Parking in all other lots along Park Boulevard require a permit, $20 preferred parking or handicap designated parking only with the exception of the Inspiration Point parking lot, where $10 preferred parking is available until the lot fills up. To ensure a bright future for the annual event, Balboa Park has launched a Support December Nights website — www.supportdecembernights.com — to secure funding so the free, magical event can carry on for generations to come. For additional information about December Nights or to download a map of festival areas, visit www.balboapark.org/decembernights.
