As San Diegans get ready to say goodbye to old man winter and hello to spring, one thing is certain — there’s a lot happening downtown. Here are some highlights: • Wine Steals is opening a fourth location in East Village this month. Located in the Park at Petco Park, this venture has a new twist. The 18,000-square-foot building will also be the home of Proper, a Gastro Pub with intriguing menu items like beef cheeks, shepherd’s pie and their unique fish ’n’ chips called chippees. “We want this new location to cater to locals,” said founder Ken Mills. “We want to be known as the friendly neighborhood hangout.” Mills watched the gastro pub concept take off in England. One of his bartenders, Justin, was raised in Europe and also shares Mills’ appreciation for the pub scene. When interviewing bartenders, they asked applicants to “build a drink in your mind and tell us about it.” Their specialty cocktails menu features unusual names. One drink called the Florodora was named after a popular London musical. Be sure to check out the outdoor seating area on the second floor. Overlooking Petco Park, you can tell it’ll be the happening scene during baseball and rugby games. • Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company kicks off “Self “(the remix) at the 10th Avenue Theatre. “Self” is a spoken-word, hip-hop play that mixes together stories, movement and music to tell the tale of an American child of Iranian and Guatemalan immigrants, growing up in California in the shadow of the Iranian Hostage Crisis. The show runs through March 21. • Anthology, on 1337 India St., will feature a Craft Beer Night and 52nd Street, an up and coming Billy Joel tribute band featuring local musicians Don Bowman and John Bowe on March 31, 7:30 to 9 p.m. We suggest getting there early for Happy Hour and getting a seat on the first floor. • The annual Busker Festival is April 10 and 11 in Seaport Village. Most of the acts perform outside throughout the village from noon to 5 p.m. Prepare to be amazed by magicians, dance groups and other quirky street performers. A special “Buskers after Dark” performance will be held April 10 from 7 to 10 p.m. This show is best suited for those over 18 years old. — Marc and Darlynne Menkin are the co-owners of Where You Want To Be Tours. Many of their tours and teambuilding scavenger hunts feature secret downtown areas. www.wheretours.com








