Balboa Park December Nights: 32 Magical Years of San Diego's Favorite Holiday Event

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - August 17, 2009) - Balboa Park December Nights,
San Diego's favorite kick-off to the holiday season, will take place for
the 32nd consecutive year on Friday, December 4, 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. and
Saturday, December 5, noon to 10:00 p.m. In the spirit of the holidays,
participating Balboa Park museums open their doors free of charge from 5:00
to 9:00 p.m. both evenings. The largest free community festival in San
Diego, December Nights is expected to attract more than 325,000 visitors
over two days.

Entertainment, wonderful food and holiday cheer are all part of this
classic and elaborate San Diego celebration. Long-standing traditions --
including food from around the globe at the International Christmas
Festival at the House of Pacific Relations Cottages; the charming Santa
Lucia Procession at the San Diego Museum of Man; unique gift shopping at
the museum stores and with the artisans of Spanish Village; and musical and
dance presentations from the San Diego Junior Theatre, San Diego Civic
Youth Ballet, Del Cerro Baptist's Christmas Story Tree and more -- fill the
heart of Balboa Park. In addition, the varied museums open for free from
5:00 to 9:00 p.m. both nights feature a wide variety of exhibitions and
entertainment -- from the Timken Museum's annual Christmas Tree displaying
the exquisite Schlappi Collection of Hord and Schlappi Christmas ornaments
-- to the Reuben H. Fleet's kid-friendly and interactive Motion Mania -- to
the San Diego Natural History Museum's Fossil Mysteries set to holiday
music in the atrium.

The Barona Band of Mission
Indians will return as a proud sponsor of December Nights. Barona will
also bring back the popular "My Ancestor's Village," a re-creation of a
traditional Native American village, as a tribute to the local Tribes and
the important role they have played in San Diego's history. The Barona
Tribe has contributed more than $275,000.00 to the event since 2005.

San Diego Gas and Electric, A Sempra Energy Utility, will once again cover
the center of the Plaza de Panama with a dazzling and
energy-efficient canopy of holiday lights. This canopy of lights will
illuminate the Park for the entire Holiday Season.

Photos are available at
http://www.balboapark.org/press/details.php?ContentID=35.

Balboa Park December Nights 2009 is co-produced by:

The City of San Diego - the Office of Special Events and other City
departments provide festival management expertise and the Business
Improvement District (BID) Council, a non-profit business association of 17
BIDs throughout San Diego, whose members manage civic special events for
more than 1 million guests annually.

Balboa Park December Nights is co-hosted by:

The Balboa Park Cultural Partnership, a coalition of the non-profit
cultural institutions in the Park serving over 6 million visitors annually;
Balboa Park Central and the City of San Diego Park and Recreation
Department

In addition:

Del Cerro Baptist Church provides staging and lighting for the Organ
Pavilion and the Community (More than 2,500 performers provide their gift
of music, dance, and drama. Hundreds of volunteers from Balboa Park
cultural institutions, and from the community, provide their time and
talents.)

Founded in 1978, Balboa Park December Nights is the largest free community
event in San Diego, attracting more than 400,000 visitors annually. The
two-day festival, Balboa Park's holiday gift to San Diego, features free
admission to museums and cultural attractions (from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. both
evenings), international foods, multi-cultural music and dance
performances, Christmas carolers, bell-ringers, choirs and bands, along
with a variety of holiday-themed areas. Event hours are Friday from 5:00 to
10:00 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 10:00 p.m.