Merchants of the Village open their doors Neighbors, merchants and visitors to La Jolla’s bustling Village are invited to celebrate the warmth and magic of the holidays among friends for a charitable holiday open house on Nov. 11. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., merchants on the 7700 and 7800 blocks of Girard Avenue will liven up the streets with store drawings, food and refreshments, live music, book signings and demonstrations to entertain the whole family. Shoppers will get great holiday gift ideas from local merchants as they stroll through the Village and enjoy the good old-fashioned customer service offered by La Jolla’s beloved shops. In the spirit of giving, all participating merchants will donate 10 percent of their net sales that day to local charities including Angels Foster Family Network, La Jolla Athenaeum, La Jolla High School Foundation, Children’s Miracle Network, La Jolla Elementary, Casa de Amparo, Words Alive! and the La Jolla Historical Society. Just look for the red and green balloons and get a little holiday shopping done for a good cause. Salk Institute launches fundraising campaign The internationally renowned Salk Institute for Biological Studies — one of the nation’s most influential scientific research centers — is launching its first ever, six-year $300 million fundraising campaign to support its biological research in areas such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, obesity and diabetes, aging, spinal cord injuries, blindness, ALS and crop yields. Funds raised from the campaign will accelerate the pace of life-changing discoveries that may lead to new therapies for complex diseases by funding recruitment and training for the world’s brightest minds in biological research. With fewer funds tricking down from the National institutes of Health (NIH) over the past decade, the campaign for Salk could not come at a more critical time. Nearly half of Salk’s $300 million goal has been raised in gifts from private individuals and foundations since fundraising began in 2009. For more information about the Salk Institute or how you can help, visit www.salk.edu or call (858) 453-4100. UTC grand opening with star-studded celebration The newly renovated Westfield UTC will open amid Hollywood stardom with the likes of international pop sensation Natasha Bedingfield and E! News host Giuliana Rancic providing entertainment for the grand opening party on Nov. 15. Living World Entertainment will kick off the star-studded evening with a visually stunning “Oceana” performance at 6:30 p.m. followed by a check presentation to the nonprofit Surfrider Foundation and 7 p.m. fashion show hosted by the always fashionable Giuliana Rancic. The all-star lineup will continue with a 30-minute acoustic performance by the internationally acclaimed British singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield, followed by celebrity DJ Sid Vicious spinning beats at 8 p.m. at the Palm Plaza to keep the party going. The glamorous evening among the stars is free and open to the public at Westfield UTC’s Palm Plaza, located in the center of the mall. Westfield UTC is located at 4545 La Jolla Village Drive. For more information, visit www.westfield.com/utc or call (858) 546-8858. — Mariko Lamb