“Should Old Acquaintance be forgot, and never thought upon”. Ring out the old and bring in the new. Believe it or not, there’s a lot to do this weekend besides nursing a hangover. Let’s have a good time on this first weekend of 2016.
Thursday, Dec. 31
The San Diego International Auto Show (Thursday 12/31 through Sunday January 3rd) If you love cars, and don’t we all, you have to check out over 400 awesome rides. Join KyXy and Little Tommy Sablan this Saturday from 11AM to 1PM. You can win some cool prizes while you hang out with Tommy.
Big Night San Diego (9 p.m. to 2 a.m., Hilton Bayfront) Who needs Ryan Seacrest? Ring in 2016 with one of the biggest parties in our city, Big Night San Diego, at the Hilton Bayfront in downtown San Diego. This massive, all-inclusive New Year’s Eve party features 10 party areas, five dance floors, DJs, unlimited drinks, food, party favors and, of course, a lively countdown to midnight.
AleSmith’s Annual Tap Recap (11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Alesmith Brewing Company) Mmmmmm Beeer. Craft beer enthusiasts will enjoy this refreshing year-in-review event at the AleSmith Tasting Room (9990 AleSmith Ct. The Tap Recap menu includes Beer Geek Speedway, Kona Speedway, Reforged, ThaiPA and a bunch of barrel-aged brews, as well as favorite entries from IPA Week and San Diego Beer Week’s Speedway Grand Prix, including Triple Hammerhead, Hazelnut and Butterfinger brews. Cheers to the year!
New Year’s Eve Gala at Hotel Del Coronado (7 p.m., Hotel Del Coronado) San Diego’s famous Hotel Del Coronado hosts a formal, black-tie New Year’s Eve celebration with a “Havana Nights” theme in its elegant ballroom, complete with Cuban-inspired décor. The event includes a reception on the Garden Patio at 7 p.m., followed by a five-course dinner, open bar and dancing along to live music from a 10-piece orchestra. Of course, the party culminates with a midnight countdown and toast to welcome 2016.
Casino Royale New Year’s Eve (6:30 p.m.,The Westgate Hotel) The Westgate Hotel in downtown San Diego shakes and stirs in the New Year with this Casino Royale-themed party featuring James Bond-inspired cocktails, a five-course dinner and casino games. The evening of espionage begins in the hotel lobby at 6:30 p.m. with a “Secret Services Identification Checkpoint,” followed by drinks, dinner and “top secret” musical performances in The Versailles Salon. At midnight, the champagne will flow during a balloon drop and countdown. The dress code for this event is “secret agent attire,” so play along.
Friday, Jan. 1
2016 Polar Bear Plunge (10 a.m., La Jolla Shores) You have to be mildly insane to do this. The La Jolla Cove Swim Club (LJCSC) hosts its 16th annual Polar Bear Plunge, a dip in the chilly waters off La Jolla Shores to ring in 2016. After the cool, non-competitive plunge, swimmers can warm up with a chili and soup potluck.
Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert (2:30 p.m., Copley Symphony Hall) Strauss Symphony of America, featuring members of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, present this 16th annual New Year’s Day concert at Copley Symphony Hall. The show will feature dancers from Kiev-Aniko Ballet of Ukraine and International Champion Ballroom performers dancing to uplifting Viennese music, waltzes and sweeping melodies from operettas performed by European singers and a full orchestra.
Puppet Show: Jack and the Beanstalk (2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater) Bring the kids to this free, one-hour puppet show at the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater in Balboa Park (2130 Pan American Plaza). This time, the hand puppets and their masters will tell the classic story of “Jack and the Beanstalk.”
Saturday, Jan. 2
Mountain Bike With a Park Ranger (9 a.m., Mission Trails Regional Park) On the first Saturday of each month in 2016 – beginning on Jan. 2 – Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP) will host this event series where visitors can explore the park during a two-hour bike ride accompanied by An MTRP park ranger. The ride, designed for beginner cyclists, will give visitors a chance to explore nature alongside those who know the park best. If you arrive early, SDMBA volunteers will help you make adjustments to your bike so you’re in ship-shape for the ride. Participants are encouraged to bring a daypack with water, sunscreen and food.
Cannon Battles on the Bay (2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Maritime Museum of San Diego) The Maritime Museum of San Diego invites patrons to hop aboard its tall ships Hawaiian Chieftain and Lady Washington for some thrills by way of cannon battle recreations on San Diego Bay. On Saturday and Sunday, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., cannons will sound off during this exciting reenactment event. Visitors can help the crew defend the ship during the recreations, raise the sails and heave on the lines, or just sit back, relax and take in the action-packed show. The ships will depart from the Maritime Museum.
Live Music at Upstart Crow Coffeehouse (7 p.m., Upstart Crow Bookstore in Seaport Village) I love this coffee house / bookstore. Part of an ongoing Saturday night series, the cool coffeehouse in Seaport Village hosts a free concert featuring some of San Diego’s homegrown artists. Grab a coffee and cozy up in a seat – the tunes start at 7 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 3
Live Steel Drum by Bill Harris (12 p.m. to 3 p.m., The Headquarters at Seaport) Take in some tunes in the outdoor courtyard at The Headquarters at Seaport as musician Bill Harris and his steel drum band perform live during this three-hour show. The event is free and open to the public.
Classical Melodies in Balboa Park (1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Casa del Prado in Balboa Park) If you’re looking for a relaxing way to spend your afternoon, start it with a walk through Balboa Park – and stop by Casa del Prado to hear the San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory’s ensemble rehearse. Students aged eight to 25 gather every weekend until May 29 and start rehearsing at 8:30 a.m. The rehearsal is free.
Dating Sunday, January 3rd: Online dating site Match.com is saying that this Sunday, January 3rd, will be its busiest day of the year, dubbing it “Dating Sunday.” They’ve even pinpointed the time when users will log on the most — 8:52 p.m. ET. Match.com says the Sunday after New Year’s is always the busiest time of the year for the dating site. Match says, “People everywhere are making their New Year’s resolutions and they do not want to be alone anymore.”
Chargers at Denver (1:25PM on CBS) For loyal Charger fans this might be “Hating” Sunday. I have a number of friends in sports talk radio and everyone agrees that this will be the very last time the Chargers represent San Diego in an NFL game. Cue the wrecking ball, the Q will be coming down. Don’t hate Dean Spanos. Dean’s a nice man. Moving to LA might be heartless but business is business and there is NO heart in business. This is a smart business decision. And it breaks my heart. Thank you Chargers for a great 54 years.
Have an awesome weekend. See y’all next year.
CREDIT: NBC 7