Here's What's New In San Diego For Fall 2019

Major Attractions In January 2018, the San Diego Zoo announced its most ambitious project to date, a $69 million brand-new children’s zoo  to be completed in spring 2021. Named after Denny Sanford, a San Diego philanthropist who donated $30 million to this endeavor, the new exhibit will give kids greater opportunities to discover the natural world through play and will be designed to help children develop empathy and better understand and identify with wildlife. Families will be able to venture through four ecosystems—communities of plants and animals that have unique adaptations for their environment. In each region, children will learn about the animals and their environments in ways that awaken their senses and inspire creativity, exploration, and empathy for nature through play. More than 100 species will reside on the 2.3-acre space.

New Hotels In June 2019, The Guild Hotel  opened in downtown San Diego. The 162-room Marriott Tribute Portfolio property is housed in a historic landmark, 1920s-era Army-Navy YMCA building. The boutique hotel revives a hospitality space that served as a place of respite and leisure for millions of service men and women. The Guild’s exterior Italian Renaissance-style facade and staircase are true to its original design and guests are welcomed into a redesigned contemporary lobby that includes a full-service bar. Guest rooms include cozy, European-inspired accommodations and the property also offers a two-bedroom penthouse suite with private rooftop deck. Headed by Executive Chef Justin Vaiciunas, Luca restaurant highlights the city’s indoor/outdoor lifestyle with a main room centered around a vibrant outdoor courtyard that serves as an urban oasis in the heart of downtown. Luca’s menu features light Mediterranean-inspired fare. The YMCA’s former basketball court with elevated running track has been transformed into a grand ballroom featuring original brick wall inlays and hardwood floors. The former underground pool on the basement level is now re-imagined into a one-of-a-kind event space with some original design elements intact. Various private spaces throughout the property are available for special meetings, celebrations and signature programming.  More new hotels

Major Events The popular “Kids Free San Diego” promotion returns for its 8th year this October. Major San Diego attractions including SeaWorld San Diego, the world-famous San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park and LEGOLAND California Resort, along with more than 30 area museums will offer free admission to kids throughout the month. In addition to free attraction admission, many local hotels and restaurants offer specials throughout October, adding up to more than 130 offers throughout San Diego County. La Jolla Playhouse’s Without Walls Festival (WoW), a ground-breaking, site-specific theater series, returns Oct. 17-20, 2019. This is the first year that the biennial WoW will be held at ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station , in partnership with the NTC Foundation. Like previous WoW Festivals, the 2019 event will showcase multiple performances by acclaimed local, national and international artists, along with a selection of family friendly offerings occurring simultaneously throughout the weekend. More major event news

Restaurants, Breweries and Nightlife In August 2019, Animae, a new venue from Top Chef  Brian Malarkey’s restaurant collective, opens in a stunning space in downtown San Diego’s newest luxury condominiums near San Diego Bay. Animae will serve West Coast Asian cuisine created by Executive Chef Joe Magnanelli, formerly of San Diego’s celebrated Urban Kitchen Group. The coal-fired menu utilizes a Josper oven and Japanese Robata grill to prepare large format proteins like West Coast Wagyu, while the finest raw seafoods are presented as crudos. Standouts include koji marinated tomahawk pork with curry, fennel pollen and Asian pear; kung pao sweetbreads with pepper, wasabi peas, broccoli and lotus; and Kampachi with sea bean, daikon, serrano, shiso, and plum vinaigrette. An adjacent casual daytime counterpart, known as Animae Cafe, will serve contemporary takes on Asian favorites from ramen to fresh spring rolls. With pops of lush greenery across the ceiling, Animae Cafe appears as an upside down zen garden. Animae is part of the Puffer Malarkey Collective behind other distinct San Diego restaurants including Herb & Wood, Green Acre and Farmer & the Seahorse.  Slated to open in summer 2019, Huntress  is a contemporary steakhouse inside the former Grand Pacific Hotel, a historic structure built in 1887 in downtown’s Gaslamp Quarter. Helmed by Executive Chef James Montejano, who has worked at Michelin-starred restaurant Michael Mina, Huntress will offer the finest meats, seafood dishes and other signature classics. Guests can enjoy dishes like the A5 Japanese Wagyu and 45-day, dry-aged porterhouses in addition to a prime filet mignon carpaccio. Huntress will boast one of the largest Japanese whisky selections in the country with more than 100 labels displayed on the second-floor mezzanine, in addition to its incredible selection of masterfully crafted cocktails and hand-selected wines.   More restaurant news

Visual Arts and Museums On display through November 2019, the 78-year old San Diego Art Institute (SDAI) in Balboa Park hosts Forging Territories: Queer Afro and Latinx Contemporary Art . Focusing on cultural equity and thought-provoking programming, SDAI’s newest exhibit explores and highlights conversations around talented but underrepresented African American and Latinx artists who identify as LGBTQ. The exhibit showcases rarely told stories of personal and cultural awakening and reflects the artists’ responses to a sense of identity and place, the influence of the current political moment and the comfort of shared background, language and history. The exhibit brings together 20 established, mid-career and emerging contemporary artists who live within the region and work in such varied media as painting, drawing, photography, film and performance. Forging Territories is curated by Ruben Esparza, founder and director of Queer Biennial, an international art fair.   The Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park recently announced the newest addition to its permanent exhibit collection: Sun, Earth, Universe . Opened on July 20, 2019, this interactive exhibition explores the fascinating world of space science and astronomy and examines the big questions NASA is trying to answer. How is Earth changing? What is it like on other planets? Does life exist beyond Earth? Packed with engaging, hands-on exhibits and dazzling imagery, this 600-square-foot exhibition connects visitors with current NASA science research and includes fun and compelling exhibits for visitors of all ages. Guests can design, build and test a model spacecraft, play the Your Mission to Space board game, or help younger visitors pilot rovers across a Mars landscape play table. The fun experiences in Sun, Earth, Universe introduce visitors to ongoing NASA research in the fields of heliophysics, Earth science, planetary science and astrophysics, as well as encouraging them to imagine what the future of Earth and space science might hold.   More visual arts and museum news

Performing Arts The Old Globe theater in Balboa Park debuts the world premiere musical Almost Famous on stage Sept. 13–Oct. 20, 2019. Written by Academy Award-winner Cameron Crowe and based on his iconic 2000 film, Almost Famous is set in San Diego in 1973 and follows a 15-year-old aspiring music journalist hired by Rolling Stone magazine to go on the road with an up-and-coming band. Based on Crowe’s own experience, the story is about a young man finding his place in the world and the indelible characters he meets along the way.   More performing arts news

Transportation and Tour Companies Beginning in October 2019, Swoop Airlines, the low-cost carrier owned by Canada’s WestJet Airlines, will offer new services from Edmonton, Alberta, and Abbotsford, British Colombia, to San Diego. The flights will be available seasonally from October–April with the possibility of year-round schedules in the future.

Awards In June 2019, San Diego’s Addison restaurant in the Fairmont Grand Del Marresort received a Michelin star for the new 2019 California guide, and eight local restaurants received Bib Gourmand status, a category established by Michelin in 1997. Bib Gourmand spotlights restaurants that Michelin inspectors rated highly for offering quality meals at affordable prices. San Diego’s designees offer a diversity of cuisine and culinary trends and are Campfire, Cucina Sorella, Cucina Urbana, El Jardin, Juniper & Ivy, Kettner Exchange, Lola55, and Solare.

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There's somethign to smile about in San Diego. For more information on San Diego’s offerings, including exciting vacation packages and valuable coupons for attractions, restaurants and more, visit the San Diego Tourism Authority's website at www.sandiego.org.