Larger crowds would be music to the ears of proponents of Plaza Central. To incentivize folks to eat midweek lunch in downtown’s Civic Center Plaza, the San Diego Symphony is sweetening the pot by raffling off tickets to the Noel Noel Christmas show at The Rady Shell (a $200 value).
“The Symphony is connected to and supports the Civic Center and that area,” San Diego Symphony Director of Ticketing Casey Patterson says. “It’s beneficial for downtown.”
The Plaza Central concept has been in place since October. The short-term goal is to get downtowners back out into Civic Center Plaza (the walled off courtyard surrounded by the Civic Center Theatre, City Hall and Golden Hall).
The long-term goal of the Downtown San Diego Partnership and the Prebys Foundation is redevelopment of the immediate area.
On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (from 11 am to 2 p.m.), Plaza Central is activated by food vendors. Colorful picnic tables are placed around the courtyard and a musician plays on a stage. In at least one instance, a makeshift pickleball court was set up.
Crowd estimates have ranged from a couple dozen up to roughly 80.
To incentivize attendance, The Symphony is donating six pairs of tickets. They’ll be raffled off at the end of the next two weeks. The public can register onsite at Plaza Central all three days this week, with a drawing happening on Thursday, December 11.
Registration will be the same for the next week, with the final drawing occurring on Thursday, December 18.
Three winners each week will receive a pair of tickets to the Noel Noel show. Winners can choose to attend either of the December 19, 20 or 21 shows at the bayside Rady Shell.
According to the Symphony’s website, the plot synopsis for the musical extravaganza is: Something unusual is happening in San Diego this holiday season – Santa’s letters have disappeared. With Christmas fast approaching and no messages arriving from local children, Noel, the North Pole Postal Division’s supervisor elf, finds herself in the middle of a mystery. As the city awaits Santa’s visit, Noel works to solve the case before time runs out. SDSun
