{"id":238869,"date":"2016-12-02T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-12-02T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/december-nights-are-best-in-balboa-park\/"},"modified":"2016-12-02T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2016-12-02T08:00:00","slug":"december-nights-are-best-in-balboa-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/december-nights-are-best-in-balboa-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Las noches de diciembre son mejores en Balboa Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

por Alex Owens<\/p>\n

Although the chances of having a white Christmas in Balboa Park are fairly slim, there\u2019s perhaps no place in San Diego where the Christmas spirit is as prevalent.<\/p>\n

While the park will have Christmas and holiday-themed events going on all through the month, the peak of these events is December Nights, the city\u2019s biggest annual event and the largest holiday event on the West Coast.<\/p>\n

\"Santa<\/a>
Santa Claus (Bill Swank) has been a fixture at December Nights for decades, talking to eager children about their holiday wishes (Courtesy Balboa Park December Nights)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This year\u2019s December Nights takes place Friday, Dec. 2 and Saturday, Dec. 3, and the event is expected to attract 325,000 people. Many attend because the museums are free, others do so for the international food offerings (the bratwurst is always popular), while others come to enjoy the performances of Christmas music.<\/p>\n

There are some new offerings to that festive blend that excite Tomas Herrera-Mishler, the CEO of the Balboa Park Conservancy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year, we are having an artisan marketplace near the Timken,\u201d he said. \u201cIt will feature handcrafted items by local artists. We wanted to celebrate local makers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another project new to December Nights is the Fab Trailers Photo Booth, a whimsically decorated vintage trailer with a gleeful Southern California winter holiday as the backdrop and a professional photographer behind the camera. It\u2019s a great and fun way to take the family holiday Christmas photo.<\/p>\n

There will also be photo options with at least seven \u2014 if you count Einstein at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and the Grinch near the Old Globe \u2014 Santa Clauses, including one by the zoo and one at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to top having a photo with the Grinch,\u201d Herrera-Mishler said, laughing.<\/p>\n

Herrera-Mishler is also excited about a new event to be held the last week of the year: A food truck festival that runs Dec. 27-30.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just like the one we do in summer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Each day between 4 and 8 p.m., food trucks, featuring all types of cuisine, will set up at the Plaza de Panama. In addition, the following acts will be performing: John Roberts Trio on Dec. 27; Save the Starlight Band on Dec. 28; Leonard Patton Danny Green Quartet on Dec. 29; and Jarabe Mexicano on Dec. 30.<\/p>\n

There is plenty of other things going on between December Nights at the beginning of the month and the Food Truck Festival at the end.<\/p>\n

The popular seasonal favorite \u201cHow The Grinch Stole Christmas\u201d plays at the Old Globe through Dec. 26. The show stays the same but each year, there are always new bits added to make repeat visits enjoyable.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Sun Harbor Elves entertain at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, one of dozens of singing and dancing groups who will perform in Balboa Park during the two-night affair. (Photo by Isaiah Leggett)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The San Diego Zoo will be celebrating \u201cJungle Bells\u201d and be open late until 8 p.m. starting Dec. 9 through Jan. 2. Some of the festivities include special animal demonstrations and holiday-themed musical performances.<\/p>\n

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the zoo, and the San Diego History Center has an exhibit dedicated to Balboa Park\u2019s world famous attraction, which runs through May.<\/p>\n

There are many other events around the park that are fitting for the holiday season.<\/p>\n