Just like that, another year is in the books. Before the New Year arrives, get into the festive spirit at these events happening throughout San Diego this December. From holiday concerts and food festivals to art exhibits and outdoor celebrations, here are some great ways to close out 2024 in style.

Since her early days in Tempe, AZ, Andrea Van De Vort has had a passion for fashion—as illustrated in her fifth grade journal blueprinting her outfits months in advance—from the purse down to the shoes. Reminiscing on her childhood alongside 22 cousins, her fondest memories include going shopping wi

Avocados, craft beer, and Taylor guitars are some of San Diego’s most notable exports, but the city has a less-touted gift: Our backyard is known for fostering some of the most elite athletic talent in the country.Every year, local athletes from the North County down to the South Bay fill the colleg

I’ve lain awake just about every night for the last two weeks thinking about the question I posed in my last article: Can a couple last long-term with vastly different lifestyle preferences and social needs? To be fair, I’m an overthinker with anxiety, so it’s not super uncommon for me to be staring

The word “nightlife” may conjure images of bars and booze cruises, but San Diego County offers much to do after dusk for those looking to play without a pint glass in sight. From rollercoasters and ferries to live shows and haunted houses, here are 13 things to do in San Diego at night evening in th

Some say Christmastime can’t start until after Thanksgiving, but why fight the holiday spirit if it seeps in a little early? Put up those trees, listen to Mariah Carey, deck the halls—go nuts. And, while you’re at it, begin your holiday festivities with spirited events throughout San Diego. Gift sho

Only Brazil surpasses Vietnam when it comes to coffee production, but Vietnamese coffee culture also has deeply rooted traditions and a unique culture prized throughout the world. Coffee from the Southeast Asian country tends to be characterized by strong, intense flavors. It is traditionally prepar

Daytime temperatures will soon duck into the mid-60s in San Diego, but the city’s arts scene never takes a break for the chill. This week’s live music lineup includes a pair of concerts at Gallagher Square and a tribute to the region’s punk rock prowess at Punk in the Park. San Diegans can also floc

For his series Portraits on Kettner, local photographer Israel “Iz” Castillo snaps medium-format film photos of people simply as they are—no glam squad, no FaceTune, no filters. It’s an intimate look at the locals we pass everyday, often standing in the middle of the road in Little Italy during traf

Every year, after the shopping fervor of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, comes Giving Tuesday, a global initiative encouraging people to use their dollars for good. There’s no specific charity or organization tied to the movement—instead, you’re welcomed to choose the cause that lights you up and don

In 2020, Kat Alexander experienced a serious mental health crisis that would last more than a year. In 2022, she and her best friend, author and beloved San Diego Magazine contributor Mara Altman, began chronicling the crisis and its aftermath in what would eventually become EPISODES: The True Story

San Diego, with its gorgeous coastal views and year-round sunny weather, is a golfer’s paradise, offering an impressive array of courses that cater to all skill levels, whether your scorecard usually consists of eagles or bogies. For locals and out-of-towners alike, exploring these courses will not

They say “nature is the best medicine,” and luckily, that’s more than just an old adage. Studies have shown that spending time outdoors has tons of benefits, including mental health and physical advantages. s a San Diego resident, we’ve been blessed with plenty of opportunities to get the sun on our

Determined not to flip the kayak, I paddle hard, straight into the swell, following my guide Lillie Mulligan’s lead. The offshore wind drives a brisk fog atop the San Diego-Scripps Coastal State Marine Conservation Area, challenging our forward momentum. “Paddle harder,” Mulligan yells as our kayak

This past weekend, my relationship with Caleb* passed the six-month mark. We’re growing closer—and, as we do, it’s getting a bit more challenging to share our experiences in this column. Let me explain.I promised myself and readers that I’d be open and honest when it comes to writing about my dating

“I am the queen of hats,” Claude Rosinsky says. It’s a fitting title, considering how many she’s worn in her 82 years. The daughter of a royal physician in Morocco, she grew up in the capital city, Rabat. She went on to work for the United Nations and, later, with fashion icons like Christian Dior.

“I didn’t think I was an inventor for years,” says robotics engineer Danielle Boyer. But the 23-year-old Ojibwe creator embodied the title long before she embraced it—she designed her first robot at 17. That initial prototype became EKGAR (which stands for “Every Kid Gets a Robot”), a $20 remote-con

Monica Montgomery Steppe has always had two interests: music and public service. When she has time, she still occasionally sings at church, but it’s her devotion to public service that eventually led her to work for several San Diego city officials, including former San Diego City Council President

Now that Halloweekend has passed, we are on the cusp of Christmastime, but we can still revel in the pumpkin spice coziness of fall for a bit longer. So why stay cooped up inside when there’s so much to do around the city? Food lovers will have much to feast on, including Ambrogio by Acquerello’s fi

A handful of teenage girls share this bedroom. Posters of their favorite singers and notes from their friends paper the walls, and piles of stuffed animals populate the beds. One girl sits quietly at the vanity, brushing her hair and touching up her makeup. Juana Ortiz, her legal guardian, mentions