Updated 5:18 p.m. Dec. 5, 2014
A yearlong celebration of the centennial of Balboa Park got underway Friday with the annual December Nights holiday festival and a message from President Barack Obama hailing the 100th anniversary of the Panama- California Exhibition, the park’s first major event.
Obama said the country prospers when men and women come together for a common purpose.
“This legacy was fortified nearly a century ago with the completion of the Panama Canal and the establishment of San Diego as a new major port city,” Obama said. “In the years since, San Diego has written its own chapters in America’s story, and its spirit has enriched the character of our nation.”
The president lauded San Diego for its role in global trade and protecting the country as a military hub.
“I wish everyone all the best as you reflect on this special milestone and pay tribute to all those who have made San Diego what it is today,” Obama said.
City officials are using the two-day December Nights event to launch the yearlong centennial celebration of the exhibition that first brought international attention to San Diego.
The festival, which continues Saturday at noon, features holiday music at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, tours of the Houses of Hospitality and free admission to museums between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Because more than 300,000 San Diegans are expected over the two days of the annual festival, city officials are urging attendees to take public transportation. Trolley riders can get off at the City College station and transfer to a No. 7 bus, which goes up Park Boulevard.
Organizers will also offer free shuttles from parking lots at City College and Petco Park, at the corner of Park Boulevard and Imperial Avenue. The shuttles will take riders to Sixth Avenue at Laurel Street.
Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Rep. Susan Davis, D-San Diego, Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, City Council President Todd Gloria, and Balboa Park Conservancy President Carol Chang were scheduled to take part in a kickoff ceremony at 6 tonight at the Organ Pavilion.
The city is using the centennial to make a series of improvements throughout the park, including expanded wireless Internet access and new decorative lighting.
The inaugural “Winter Wonderland” opened at Petco Park for a 12-night run, featuring a snow scene, light displays, “Candyland” and a 40-foot tall Christmas tree decorated with almost 16,000 lights and more than 250 ornaments. The event is part of an effort by the Padres and the city to bring more off- season attractions to the ballpark.
Current and former Padres players are expected to make appearances, according to the team.
The Winter Wonderland will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays leading up to Christmas, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Padres said it will also be open on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Christmas week.
Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for children. Kids 3 and under are free. A family photo with Santa Claus will cost $25, and rides on a “Polar Express” train are $5.
—City News Service
