Come June 8 and 9, you’ll be able to indulge in one of San Diego’s tastiest traditions: the Taste of Gaslamp. You can spend the afternoon strolling the streets of the historic Gaslamp Quarter–the venerable anchor of San Diego’s downtown–while heartily sampling the very modern flavors and aromas of one of the city’s most exciting culinary districts.

The Sofia Hotel, meanwhile, provides an unbeatable place to stay while you explore the Gaslamp’s mouth-watering thoroughfares: Its near radius encompasses dozens of the neighborhood’s top restaurants, including one of its very own: the Currant American Brasserie.

Taste of Gaslamp

Here’s how the “culinary walking tour” works: Your ticket–purchased for either date of the event–lands you a handy reference map and a pass to participating eateries, which will be offering up special representative samples from their menus. The great thing about the tradition is it’s self-directed: You can roam to whatever establishments in whatever order you’d like.

Throughout, those 21 and over will be able to wet their whistles at the Samuel Adams Beer Garden, which will be facilitating a full-fledged beer tasting–a great way to freshen your palette between nibbles!

All the while, you’ll be soaking up the elegant Victorian-informed architecture of the Gaslamp Quarter, born in the 1860s and boasting an immensely colorful biography. From a rough-and-tumble past–this was once a lively hotspot for gambling parlors and saloons–the district has evolved in recent decades into an absolute destination for dining and entertainment even as it emphasizes historic preservation.

The Sofia

The Sofia Hotel perfectly encapsulates the distinctive atmosphere of the Gaslamp Quarter. The classy institution traces its roots to the 1920s and the Pickwick Corporation, a stagecoach outfit, and is officially recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The former Pickwick Hotel was spectacularly reborn in 2006 as The Sofia Hotel.

Even as you’re hitting the streets for the Taste of Gaslamp, be sure to check out The Sofia’s own Currant American Brasserie, an innovative eatery combining easy glamor with a seasonal, creative, French-inspired approach to dining. Whether you’re stopping in for happy hour or seeking a topnotch dinner, you’ll be tasting the very best of the area’s food-growing and culinary traditions with every plate.

The Sofia Hotel and Taste of Gaslamp: a match made in heaven!

This annual tradition pays tribute to all those brave men and women who’ve served in uniform to protect our nation–and involves all ages as it does so. The USS Midway Museum provides a unique and entirely appropriate venue for these events, variously dignified and exhilaratingly fun.

The proceedings get underway with the Veterans Wreath Ceremony on the morning of May 25. During this moving occasion, some of the children in attendance will join active members of the military as well as veterans to acknowledge those who gave their lives in the Armed Forces. These heroes will be honored with biodegradable wreaths cast over the side of the venerable ship harboring the museum.

Kids and adults alike will love the hands-on fun of the Adventure Discovery Zone, which runs the full duration of Legacy Week. Participants will be able to explore authentic military gear and engage in other activities. On Sunday and Monday, Legacy Week attendees will have the exceedingly rare opportunity to meet with some of the very aviators whose beloved aircraft are exhibited in the museum–a chance to put faces and stories behind these elegant, history-drenched machines.

Sunday is marked also by a daylong American Red Cross blood drive as well as an afternoon concert by the US Navy Band. On Monday, the American Legion Post 492 will facilitate a special Memorial Day ceremony.

That’s not all: On Saturday evening, the rootsy band Creedence Clearwater Revisited will perform a rousing benefit concert on the USS Midway’s flight deck.

Legacy Week, first and foremost, is about paying tribute to the men and women of America’s Armed Forces. It also provides the perfect time to explore the USS Midway Museum, one of San Diego’s top attractions. Nearly 30 aircraft and a plethora of interactive exhibits give visitors unparalleled immersion in military history and heritage–all in the context of a regal aircraft carrier, put in duty in 1945 and once the world’s largest ship.

If you’re bedding down at The Sofia Hotel around Memorial Day, don’t miss the chance to climb aboard the Midway and give thanks to our veterans!

Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is a wonderful, whimsical musical based upon the classic Dr. Seuss book. Back for its 15th incredible year, the family favorite features the songs “This Time of Year,” “Santa for a Day” and “Fah Who Doraze,” the delightful carol from the popular animated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Celebrate the holidays as the Old Globe Theatre is once again transformed into the snow-covered Whoville, right down to the last can of Who-hash.

Special Autism-Friendly Performance

This year, The Old Globe will offer an autism-friendly performance of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! on Saturday, December 15 at 10:30 AM. Following in the footsteps of successful autism-friendly performances of The Lion King and Mary Poppins on Broadway, The Grinch will be performed in a friendly and supportive environment for children on the autism spectrum and their families.

The event will ’step off’ from the park downtown at 4th and K.

The Big Bay Boom July 4th Fireworks Show is back for its eleventh year, promising another spectacular display over San Diego Bay. Fireworks will be discharged simultaneously from barges placed strategically around the Bay off Shelter Island, Harbor Island, Embarcadero North, Seaport Village, Embarcadero South Marina Park, Coronado Ferry Landing and Imperial Beach. The impeccably choreographed display will last approximately 17 minutes.

More than 850,000 people are expected to come to the waterfront to watch the show and the Port of San Diego strongly encourages carpooling or taking the San Diego Trolley. Stay tuned for more information about free shuttle and parking locations.Come down to the bay and enjoy the biggest fireworks show in San Diego!

Fireworks will begin at 9:00 pm.

The fireworks score is simulcast live on Walrus 105.7 FM.

Where to Watch

• Shelter Island
• Harbor Island
• Embarcadero
• Seaport Village/Coronado Landing
• Plus Imperial Beach Pier

• Visit Website

4/27/12 – 6/10/12 When an auto dealership in Longview, TX launches an endurance contest, ten economically-strapped strangers embark on a journey that puts their hearts, minds and bodies to the test. The contestant that keeps at least one hand on a brand-new hardbody truck the longest gets to drive it off the lot. Only one can win, but for all involved, that truck holds the key to their own private American dream.

Featuring a brilliant rock, folk and country score from Amanda Green (Bring It On: The Musical) and Trey Anastasio (leader of the improvisational jam band Phish), extraordinary dance numbers from Benjamin Millepied (Black Swan) and a masterful story from Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright (I Am My Own Wife, Grey Gardens), this world premiere musical is bound to become an American classic.

World-Premiere Musical
La Jolla Playhouse Commission
Book by Doug Wright
Lyrics by Amanda Green
Music by Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green
Choreography by Benjamin Millepied
Directed by Neil Pepe

Visit Website

adapted By Matthew Spangler
based on the novel by T.C. Boyle
directed by Sam Woodhouse

March 17–April 8, 2012 on the Lyceum Stage

World Premiere

Recipient of an “Edgerton Foundation New American Plays” award

The Story:

This world premiere production is adapted from the modern fiction classic by T.C. Boyle, the writer Newsweek calls “America’s most imaginative contemporary novelist.”

In the sun-baked beauty of Topanga Canyon, the lives of three people are on a collision course. Delaney Mossbacher, nature writer and staunch environmentalist, lives a tidy, comfortable existence with his wife and young stepson behind the walls of a gated hilltop community. They are living the American dream, unquestioning of their absolute right to all that they have. Cándido Rincón and his sister-in-law América, recently arrived undocumented immigrants from Mexico, live in a ravine at the bottom of the canyon, fighting the elements and tirelessly mowing lawns and cleaning houses while they save for an apartment. They cling to their vision of the American dream, which manages to elude their grasp at every turn. One summer day, Delaney, driving up the narrow, twisting canyon road, hits Cándido with his car. The lives of the two men and their families will never be the same.

Playwright Matthew Spangler is the author of the critically-acclaimed stage adaptation of the blockbuster novel The Kite Runner. Now Spangler has fashioned a rip-roaring tale that screams out, “We are all in this together!” Part satire and part parable, Tortilla Curtain is humorous and heart breaking, a story that speaks passionately to the future of California and the challenges of forming “a more perfect union” in our changing America.