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San Diego Reader 2024 Holiday Guide – like none other

Candle-making, tree lighting, pajama jam

Author
Publish Date
Nov. 27, 2024
Jingle Terrace at the Moonlight Amphitheater
Jingle Terrace at the Moonlight Amphitheater

Holiday Candle Making Workshop

3138 Fifth Avenue

Gaslamp

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” That line from the beginning of John’s Gospel goes a long way toward explaining the raw appeal of the Christmas narrative. In this story, the good guys win. Hooray! Here’s your chance to join in the celebration and light a single candle against the darkness — a candle you created. Choose from a range of scents and vessels, and let expert Lini guide you step by step while you enjoy complimentary snacks and beverages. Friday and Saturday nights starting November 29, 8:30 pm-9:30 pm, $85.

Salute the Season Tree Lighting

North Promenade

Liberty Station

Plenty of places will host tree lightings this holiday season, but how many of them will use a Chevy Silverado EV RST to provide juice for an array of bulbs adorning an 88-foot Norfolk pine? (Cue up the commercial of a truck jolting its way through the Julian backcountry and safely lighting up one of our majestic Coulter pines. “Christmas: brought to you — wherever you are — by Chevy.”) The free festivities begin at 5 pm on November 29, and include a showing of The Grinch movie, photos with Santa, live music, and fire truck rides.

Holiday Pajama Jam at Wicked West

1735 National Avenue

Barrio Logan

When [under] the roof there arose such a clatter/ I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter… Holiday PJs are highly suggested — which is not necessarily the same thing as suggestive, mind you — at this 21+ event brought to you by San Diego Collective (“Curators of Good Vibes from America’s Finest City) and Hickies and Dryhumps, featuring DJ sets from Noodles, Kaos, Julz, Nikks, and Reecaps. Start your season with a hip-hop happening running from 4 pm-9 pm on December 1. Tickets start at $12.30

Ninth Annual Release the Holiday Cheer

2455 Cushing Road

Liberty Station

How did we know the Grinch could be saved? His dog Max liked him! San Diego’s “most charitable and pet-friendly military appreciation event” returns with the gift of free veterinary care for military/veteran families, thanks to a grant from the MacBeth Foundation. The gathering runs from 11 am-2 pm on December 1, and includes live music; a vendor village with military discounts; face painting, temporary tattoos, and friendship bracelet making; a Christmas read-aloud; photos with Santa; and of course, the famous pet parade and costume contest. Tickets range from free to $12.16.

Holiday Posada

14145 Campo Road

Jamul

Las Posadas is a religious festival honoring the journey of Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem before the birth of the baby Jesus — through terrain not too terribly unlike our own back country. Make your own journey and bring a new, unwrapped toy, a teddy bear, or a $25 donation to Jamul Casino this December 5, and join in a Christmas Posada hosted by La Revista Binacional and The Emilio Nares Foundation in support of children with cancer. Games, raffles, food, drinks, and of course, piñatas! The evening of “hope, giving, and celebration” runs from 6 pm-8:30 pm.

Lessons and Carols

5998 Alcala Park Way

University of San Diego

Out of darkness shall emerge light, out of sorrow, joy. Every year, the University of San Diego keeps Christ in Christmas in beautiful fashion through this collection of readings from the Old and New Testaments tracing the story of salvation history that culminated in the birth of Jesus — illuminated throughout with carols and hymns. Admission is free for the event, held on December 6 from 7:30 pm-9 pm amid the ornate grandeur of the University’s Founder’s Chapel.

Holiday Pop-Up Bar

435 Sixth Avenue

Gaslamp

Jimmy Buffett, born on Christmas Day in 1945, has gone to the big luau in the sky, but he left us a Christmas album to remember him by. Let’s get away from sleigh bells, let’s get away from snow/ Let’s make a break some Christmas, dear, I know the place to go… But if, oh alas, you cannot manage to sail off to Christmas Island this season, you can at least stop by the lobby of the Margaritaville Hotel on December 6, 13, or 20 from 5 pm-8 pm to visit their holiday pop-up bar. Enjoy live music and a special holiday cocktail menu as you dream of hanging your stocking on a great big coconut tree…

Salute the Season Tree Lighting at Liberty Station

Jingle Terrace: SoCal Holiday Splash!

1250 Vale Terrace Drive

Vista

Whenever you pick up a Christmas card that has that heavenly host filling the sky and proclaiming “Peace on earth to men of good will,” you will note that one of them always has a trumpet — or at least a horn of some kind. That’s because God loves brass, and that’s why you want to head out to the Moonlight Amphitheatre on select nights of their Jingle Terrace event to hear the Jingle Brass Band. If you stop by on Decmber 6-8, you’ll also get to meet some Christmas reindeer! If you stop by on December 17 or 19, you’ll also get to meet some Christmas highland cows! Help provide hot meals in North County (there’s a cash donation station) while enjoying music, crafts, games, and costumed characters! Admission and parking are free! Runs from 5:30 pm-8:30 pm December 6-21.

Thriving Through the Holidays

Online

Ladies: Christmas is never not coming. Whether you’re a mom attempting to navigate your kids’ Christmas lists, or a daughter bringing home Mr. Right-For-You, Wrong-for-Them to meet the parents, or a girlfriend getting ready to help out in the kitchen with His Mom, or a sister having to hang out with certain members of your family instead of friends, you know: Christmas is never not coming. Join Dr. Michelle and this online event for help “navigating the holiday season with ease and grace,” as you take part in a day of “insightful discussions, practical tips, and interactive workshops” built with your well-being in mind. Help put the “happy” in Happy Holidays! Saturday, December 7, 8 am-9:30 am. Admission: $30.

Ocean Beach Holiday Parade

Newport Avenue

Ocean Beach

Look, you know you want to go to a Holiday Parade. And you probably suspect it should be the OB Holiday Parade: an institution, but never institutional, just like San Diego, man. So get out there on December 7 and get your spot for the show before it starts at 5 pm. BUT. But… But, if you just can’t make it, if you lack the drive for the drive out to the furthest reaches of the 8 West, if you just want to chill away from the chill of the wintery ocean winds… there is a solution. We hesitate to mention it, because the internet has already ruined so much. But this year, there is a Newport Cam, just so you can watch live from the comfort of your wherever. Find it at oceanbeachsandiego.com.

Breakfast with Santa

7027 Friars Road

Mission Valley

We probably shouldn’t even mention this little breakfasty shindig at Nieman Marcus in Fashion Valley — that’s where he gets stuff to give to the rich kids, don’t you know — because if you try to buy a ticket ($70 for kids, $55 for kids 3-12), the best you can do at this point is get put on a wait list. So most likely, no mimosas for you, no hot chocolate for your kids, no brioche French toast or eggs with herbed creme fraiche or applewood bacon or crispy potatoes for anyone. And oh, that’s right — no face time with Santa. Really not much point in mentioning that it’ll be on December 8 at 10 am. Except — maybe this can serve as your reminder to get in line early come next year!

Santa Bar Crawl

Holiday Hoopla

Sponsored
Sponsored

6506 El Cajon Boulevard, Suite H

College Area

If you’re of a certain age, you’ve seen a holiday movie that involved romance, and a romance that involved dancing. Not grooving, not freestyling, not shaking what your mother gave you, but dancing in that more formal, perhaps even more intimate way that couples do in movies. Moving in unison, gazing into each other’s eyes, dare we say it…talking. Maybe visit the Starlight Dance Studio on December 13 at 6 pm for a little lesson in line dancing and yes, partner dancing. But also for a pot-luck gathering, a salsa showdown (bring your best), and a generally sociable evening. Tickets are $12.51 online and $10 at the door with Venmo.

Christmas on the Plaza

875 Hotel Circle South

Mission Valley

The Morris Cerullo Legacy International Center is “a dream born by God in the hearts of Morris and Theresa Cerullo to be a unique place of refreshing, blessing, impartation, worship, prayer, ministry and miracles that would be marked by the unmistakable presence of God.” It’s also the host to a free event on December 13 and 14 from 4 pm-8 pm featuring carolers, a life-size Natvity, food trucks, live music, an LED tree and dome, a simulated ride in their 4D dome theater, miniature ponies, kids’ activities, and all manner of thing. You are invited to bring a new, unwrapped toy for a child 12 or younger.

Christmas in the Park

14134 Midland Road

Poway

Why did The Polar Express hit the way it did? Lots of reasons. But one of them was surely the romance of the train. You can have your Jet Age efficiency, but if you want magic, well…it wasn’t a plane that took Harry Potter to Hogwarts. Take a little trip out of time of your own in Old Poway Park on December 13 and 14, starting at 4:30 pm with, you guessed it, a tree lighting and Santa’s arrival on the Poway Midland Railroad. And after you do a little caroling, listen to a little music, sample a treat and get the kiddies a craft, you can take your own nighttime ride on the rails.

Santa bar crawl

Holiday Inspired Pop-up Bar at Margaritaville Hotel

702 Fifth Avenue

Gaslamp

Santa flew so you could crawl. Journey through the Gaslamp’s most decked-out bars while dressed in your best Santa Suit (or maybe dressed as one of his Little Helpers), enjoying free-entry, drink specials, and more. Eight venues, some with live DJs, welcome shots along the way, and a free after party! So yes, you have to be 21, and yes, you have to be ready to party. Check in at Whiskey Girl between noon and 6 pm on December 14. Early bird tickets can be had online for just $24 or so.

Winter Wonderland

310 Euclid Avenue

Chollas View

You shouldn’t let the Christmas season pass without seeing a little snow. You know this. It doesn’t matter whether there was snow at the first Christmas. It doesn’t matter that snow makes no sense in San Diego. Neither do flying reindeer. This year, get your flake fix on at Festival Park at Market Creek Plaza on December 14 from 4 pm-8 pm. Admission is free, but feel free to donate $5 per family to help keep the snow falling. Register online to snag your place in line, and keep an eye out for the toy giveaways!

Rooftop Makers Market

600 F Street

Gaslamp

When it comes to presents, it’s the thought that counts — and maybe also the view. Ascend to the roof of the Andaz hotel for a visit to a pop-up market featuring local makers, along with live music, food and drinks for sale, and plenty of selfie spots to help you remember all the effort that went into finding that certain special something for that certain special someone. Event runs 11 am-3 pm on December 15.

Disney/Hello Kitty pop-up market

1640 Camino Del Rio North

Mission Valley

Peanuts creator Charles Schulz embodied the great paradox of Christmas. He gave us the script for A Charlie Brown Christmas, which brilliantly penetrated the commercialism of Christmas to find the meaning beneath it all. He also sold countless plushies and images of Snoopy in a Santa cap. Come to think of it, there’s a Mickey Christmas Carol that does much the same thing. Anyway, here’s a Disney/Hello Kitty pop-up market at Mission Valley Center with free prizes for the first 100 adults in line. Runs 11 am-7 pm on December 15.

Disney / Hello Kitty Market

Festival of Christmas

4773 Marlborough Drive

Kensington

The first celebration of Christmas was a song, performed by a heavenly choir for an audience of shepherds. The Stellarum Chamber Choir returns to the Kensington Community Church for their third annual Festival of Christmas, featuring both classic and innovative presentations of sacred and secular music, plus poems and readings to summon up the spirit of Christmas. Revel in the “Wexford Carol,” the “Shepherd’s Carol,” and the “Seal Lullaby,” among others, and sing along with familiar classics like “Angels We Have Heard on High” and “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.” Tickets are free, but seating is limited. Doors open at December 15 at 4:30 pm, concert starts at 5 pm.

Chunky Yarn Christmas

4893 Voltaire Street

Ocean Beach

“Mommy, I made it myself!” “Aw, how sweet, a gift from the heart. Great job, kiddo! But…what is it?” Avoid this and similar awkward exchanges by grabbing the kids and bringing them to Mike Hess Brewery for an evening of chunky yarn crafting under the watchful, professional eye of the pros at Patchwork. Sip on suds while you and/or the little ones create a wreath, a snowman, or a stand of festive trees. Tickets are $50 for the event, held on December 18 from 6:30 pm-8:30 pm. RSVP online.

Stellarum Chamber Choir will perform at the Festival of Christmas at Kensington Community Church

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

4673 30th Street

Normal Heights

Ugly Christmas sweater things are tricky. Anyone can head out to some big-box retail resell giant and pick up something garish and tacky and/or stupid and unfunny. And maybe something like that will prove ugly enough to win a prize at the Air Conditioned Lounge’s Ugly Christmas Sweater Party, held from 9 pm-11:30 pm this December 28. But that was never the point. The point, Charlie, was and is to wear something that somebody, somewhere thought was truly wonderful — in the best/worst case scenario, something handcrafted with love. Remember, people, camp is born, not made. Tickets start at $7.18.

Get Lit candle-making workshop

Gatsby’s New Year’s Eve party cruise

Grape Street pier

Embarcadero

Gatsby never had a yacht of his own, but a yacht was the making of him. The poor young striver rowed himself out to Dan Cody’s Tuolomee and warned him about an incoming storm. That led to five years traveling the world as Cody’s personal assistant, a tour of duty that started him on his way to becoming the American icon of extravagant wealth and wild parties that he is today. So: board the Inspiration for a proper (or improper!) New Year’s Eve fling from 9:30 pm-1:30 am. Open bar, casino, four DJs on three decks — the works, on the water. Tickets start around $140.

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San Diego Reader 2024 Holiday Guide – like none other

Candle-making, tree lighting, pajama jam

Author
Publish Date
Nov. 27, 2024
Cover Stories
Special Issues

San Diego Reader 2024 Holiday Guide – like none other

Candle-making, tree lighting, pajama jam

Author
Publish Date
Nov. 27, 2024
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San Diego Reader 2024 Holiday Guide – like none other

Candle-making, tree lighting, pajama jam

Author
Publish Date
Nov. 27, 2024
Jingle Terrace at the Moonlight Amphitheater
Jingle Terrace at the Moonlight Amphitheater

Holiday Candle Making Workshop

3138 Fifth Avenue

Gaslamp

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” That line from the beginning of John’s Gospel goes a long way toward explaining the raw appeal of the Christmas narrative. In this story, the good guys win. Hooray! Here’s your chance to join in the celebration and light a single candle against the darkness — a candle you created. Choose from a range of scents and vessels, and let expert Lini guide you step by step while you enjoy complimentary snacks and beverages. Friday and Saturday nights starting November 29, 8:30 pm-9:30 pm, $85.

Salute the Season Tree Lighting

North Promenade

Liberty Station

Plenty of places will host tree lightings this holiday season, but how many of them will use a Chevy Silverado EV RST to provide juice for an array of bulbs adorning an 88-foot Norfolk pine? (Cue up the commercial of a truck jolting its way through the Julian backcountry and safely lighting up one of our majestic Coulter pines. “Christmas: brought to you — wherever you are — by Chevy.”) The free festivities begin at 5 pm on November 29, and include a showing of The Grinch movie, photos with Santa, live music, and fire truck rides.

Holiday Pajama Jam at Wicked West

1735 National Avenue

Barrio Logan

When [under] the roof there arose such a clatter/ I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter… Holiday PJs are highly suggested — which is not necessarily the same thing as suggestive, mind you — at this 21+ event brought to you by San Diego Collective (“Curators of Good Vibes from America’s Finest City) and Hickies and Dryhumps, featuring DJ sets from Noodles, Kaos, Julz, Nikks, and Reecaps. Start your season with a hip-hop happening running from 4 pm-9 pm on December 1. Tickets start at $12.30

Ninth Annual Release the Holiday Cheer

2455 Cushing Road

Liberty Station

How did we know the Grinch could be saved? His dog Max liked him! San Diego’s “most charitable and pet-friendly military appreciation event” returns with the gift of free veterinary care for military/veteran families, thanks to a grant from the MacBeth Foundation. The gathering runs from 11 am-2 pm on December 1, and includes live music; a vendor village with military discounts; face painting, temporary tattoos, and friendship bracelet making; a Christmas read-aloud; photos with Santa; and of course, the famous pet parade and costume contest. Tickets range from free to $12.16.

Holiday Posada

14145 Campo Road

Jamul

Las Posadas is a religious festival honoring the journey of Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem before the birth of the baby Jesus — through terrain not too terribly unlike our own back country. Make your own journey and bring a new, unwrapped toy, a teddy bear, or a $25 donation to Jamul Casino this December 5, and join in a Christmas Posada hosted by La Revista Binacional and The Emilio Nares Foundation in support of children with cancer. Games, raffles, food, drinks, and of course, piñatas! The evening of “hope, giving, and celebration” runs from 6 pm-8:30 pm.

Lessons and Carols

5998 Alcala Park Way

University of San Diego

Out of darkness shall emerge light, out of sorrow, joy. Every year, the University of San Diego keeps Christ in Christmas in beautiful fashion through this collection of readings from the Old and New Testaments tracing the story of salvation history that culminated in the birth of Jesus — illuminated throughout with carols and hymns. Admission is free for the event, held on December 6 from 7:30 pm-9 pm amid the ornate grandeur of the University’s Founder’s Chapel.

Holiday Pop-Up Bar

435 Sixth Avenue

Gaslamp

Jimmy Buffett, born on Christmas Day in 1945, has gone to the big luau in the sky, but he left us a Christmas album to remember him by. Let’s get away from sleigh bells, let’s get away from snow/ Let’s make a break some Christmas, dear, I know the place to go… But if, oh alas, you cannot manage to sail off to Christmas Island this season, you can at least stop by the lobby of the Margaritaville Hotel on December 6, 13, or 20 from 5 pm-8 pm to visit their holiday pop-up bar. Enjoy live music and a special holiday cocktail menu as you dream of hanging your stocking on a great big coconut tree…

Salute the Season Tree Lighting at Liberty Station

Jingle Terrace: SoCal Holiday Splash!

1250 Vale Terrace Drive

Vista

Whenever you pick up a Christmas card that has that heavenly host filling the sky and proclaiming “Peace on earth to men of good will,” you will note that one of them always has a trumpet — or at least a horn of some kind. That’s because God loves brass, and that’s why you want to head out to the Moonlight Amphitheatre on select nights of their Jingle Terrace event to hear the Jingle Brass Band. If you stop by on Decmber 6-8, you’ll also get to meet some Christmas reindeer! If you stop by on December 17 or 19, you’ll also get to meet some Christmas highland cows! Help provide hot meals in North County (there’s a cash donation station) while enjoying music, crafts, games, and costumed characters! Admission and parking are free! Runs from 5:30 pm-8:30 pm December 6-21.

Thriving Through the Holidays

Online

Ladies: Christmas is never not coming. Whether you’re a mom attempting to navigate your kids’ Christmas lists, or a daughter bringing home Mr. Right-For-You, Wrong-for-Them to meet the parents, or a girlfriend getting ready to help out in the kitchen with His Mom, or a sister having to hang out with certain members of your family instead of friends, you know: Christmas is never not coming. Join Dr. Michelle and this online event for help “navigating the holiday season with ease and grace,” as you take part in a day of “insightful discussions, practical tips, and interactive workshops” built with your well-being in mind. Help put the “happy” in Happy Holidays! Saturday, December 7, 8 am-9:30 am. Admission: $30.

Ocean Beach Holiday Parade

Newport Avenue

Ocean Beach

Look, you know you want to go to a Holiday Parade. And you probably suspect it should be the OB Holiday Parade: an institution, but never institutional, just like San Diego, man. So get out there on December 7 and get your spot for the show before it starts at 5 pm. BUT. But… But, if you just can’t make it, if you lack the drive for the drive out to the furthest reaches of the 8 West, if you just want to chill away from the chill of the wintery ocean winds… there is a solution. We hesitate to mention it, because the internet has already ruined so much. But this year, there is a Newport Cam, just so you can watch live from the comfort of your wherever. Find it at oceanbeachsandiego.com.

Breakfast with Santa

7027 Friars Road

Mission Valley

We probably shouldn’t even mention this little breakfasty shindig at Nieman Marcus in Fashion Valley — that’s where he gets stuff to give to the rich kids, don’t you know — because if you try to buy a ticket ($70 for kids, $55 for kids 3-12), the best you can do at this point is get put on a wait list. So most likely, no mimosas for you, no hot chocolate for your kids, no brioche French toast or eggs with herbed creme fraiche or applewood bacon or crispy potatoes for anyone. And oh, that’s right — no face time with Santa. Really not much point in mentioning that it’ll be on December 8 at 10 am. Except — maybe this can serve as your reminder to get in line early come next year!

Santa Bar Crawl

Holiday Hoopla

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6506 El Cajon Boulevard, Suite H

College Area

If you’re of a certain age, you’ve seen a holiday movie that involved romance, and a romance that involved dancing. Not grooving, not freestyling, not shaking what your mother gave you, but dancing in that more formal, perhaps even more intimate way that couples do in movies. Moving in unison, gazing into each other’s eyes, dare we say it…talking. Maybe visit the Starlight Dance Studio on December 13 at 6 pm for a little lesson in line dancing and yes, partner dancing. But also for a pot-luck gathering, a salsa showdown (bring your best), and a generally sociable evening. Tickets are $12.51 online and $10 at the door with Venmo.

Christmas on the Plaza

875 Hotel Circle South

Mission Valley

The Morris Cerullo Legacy International Center is “a dream born by God in the hearts of Morris and Theresa Cerullo to be a unique place of refreshing, blessing, impartation, worship, prayer, ministry and miracles that would be marked by the unmistakable presence of God.” It’s also the host to a free event on December 13 and 14 from 4 pm-8 pm featuring carolers, a life-size Natvity, food trucks, live music, an LED tree and dome, a simulated ride in their 4D dome theater, miniature ponies, kids’ activities, and all manner of thing. You are invited to bring a new, unwrapped toy for a child 12 or younger.

Christmas in the Park

14134 Midland Road

Poway

Why did The Polar Express hit the way it did? Lots of reasons. But one of them was surely the romance of the train. You can have your Jet Age efficiency, but if you want magic, well…it wasn’t a plane that took Harry Potter to Hogwarts. Take a little trip out of time of your own in Old Poway Park on December 13 and 14, starting at 4:30 pm with, you guessed it, a tree lighting and Santa’s arrival on the Poway Midland Railroad. And after you do a little caroling, listen to a little music, sample a treat and get the kiddies a craft, you can take your own nighttime ride on the rails.

Santa bar crawl

Holiday Inspired Pop-up Bar at Margaritaville Hotel

702 Fifth Avenue

Gaslamp

Santa flew so you could crawl. Journey through the Gaslamp’s most decked-out bars while dressed in your best Santa Suit (or maybe dressed as one of his Little Helpers), enjoying free-entry, drink specials, and more. Eight venues, some with live DJs, welcome shots along the way, and a free after party! So yes, you have to be 21, and yes, you have to be ready to party. Check in at Whiskey Girl between noon and 6 pm on December 14. Early bird tickets can be had online for just $24 or so.

Winter Wonderland

310 Euclid Avenue

Chollas View

You shouldn’t let the Christmas season pass without seeing a little snow. You know this. It doesn’t matter whether there was snow at the first Christmas. It doesn’t matter that snow makes no sense in San Diego. Neither do flying reindeer. This year, get your flake fix on at Festival Park at Market Creek Plaza on December 14 from 4 pm-8 pm. Admission is free, but feel free to donate $5 per family to help keep the snow falling. Register online to snag your place in line, and keep an eye out for the toy giveaways!

Rooftop Makers Market

600 F Street

Gaslamp

When it comes to presents, it’s the thought that counts — and maybe also the view. Ascend to the roof of the Andaz hotel for a visit to a pop-up market featuring local makers, along with live music, food and drinks for sale, and plenty of selfie spots to help you remember all the effort that went into finding that certain special something for that certain special someone. Event runs 11 am-3 pm on December 15.

Disney/Hello Kitty pop-up market

1640 Camino Del Rio North

Mission Valley

Peanuts creator Charles Schulz embodied the great paradox of Christmas. He gave us the script for A Charlie Brown Christmas, which brilliantly penetrated the commercialism of Christmas to find the meaning beneath it all. He also sold countless plushies and images of Snoopy in a Santa cap. Come to think of it, there’s a Mickey Christmas Carol that does much the same thing. Anyway, here’s a Disney/Hello Kitty pop-up market at Mission Valley Center with free prizes for the first 100 adults in line. Runs 11 am-7 pm on December 15.

Disney / Hello Kitty Market

Festival of Christmas

4773 Marlborough Drive

Kensington

The first celebration of Christmas was a song, performed by a heavenly choir for an audience of shepherds. The Stellarum Chamber Choir returns to the Kensington Community Church for their third annual Festival of Christmas, featuring both classic and innovative presentations of sacred and secular music, plus poems and readings to summon up the spirit of Christmas. Revel in the “Wexford Carol,” the “Shepherd’s Carol,” and the “Seal Lullaby,” among others, and sing along with familiar classics like “Angels We Have Heard on High” and “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.” Tickets are free, but seating is limited. Doors open at December 15 at 4:30 pm, concert starts at 5 pm.

Chunky Yarn Christmas

4893 Voltaire Street

Ocean Beach

“Mommy, I made it myself!” “Aw, how sweet, a gift from the heart. Great job, kiddo! But…what is it?” Avoid this and similar awkward exchanges by grabbing the kids and bringing them to Mike Hess Brewery for an evening of chunky yarn crafting under the watchful, professional eye of the pros at Patchwork. Sip on suds while you and/or the little ones create a wreath, a snowman, or a stand of festive trees. Tickets are $50 for the event, held on December 18 from 6:30 pm-8:30 pm. RSVP online.

Stellarum Chamber Choir will perform at the Festival of Christmas at Kensington Community Church

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

4673 30th Street

Normal Heights

Ugly Christmas sweater things are tricky. Anyone can head out to some big-box retail resell giant and pick up something garish and tacky and/or stupid and unfunny. And maybe something like that will prove ugly enough to win a prize at the Air Conditioned Lounge’s Ugly Christmas Sweater Party, held from 9 pm-11:30 pm this December 28. But that was never the point. The point, Charlie, was and is to wear something that somebody, somewhere thought was truly wonderful — in the best/worst case scenario, something handcrafted with love. Remember, people, camp is born, not made. Tickets start at $7.18.

Get Lit candle-making workshop

Gatsby’s New Year’s Eve party cruise

Grape Street pier

Embarcadero

Gatsby never had a yacht of his own, but a yacht was the making of him. The poor young striver rowed himself out to Dan Cody’s Tuolomee and warned him about an incoming storm. That led to five years traveling the world as Cody’s personal assistant, a tour of duty that started him on his way to becoming the American icon of extravagant wealth and wild parties that he is today. So: board the Inspiration for a proper (or improper!) New Year’s Eve fling from 9:30 pm-1:30 am. Open bar, casino, four DJs on three decks — the works, on the water. Tickets start around $140.

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