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For the 5th consecutive year, La Maestra Community Health Centers and Mission Fed Credit Union are partnering to spread holiday cheer with their annual Toy and Gift Drive, benefiting patients and families in need this season. Donations of new, unwrapped toys, books and gifts for children of all ages are being accepted at any of Mission Fed’s 34 branch locations throughout San Diego County or at its corporate headquarters – 10325 Meanley Drive, San Diego, CA 92131 – from Nov. 14 through Dec. 5. All donations will be distributed to low-income families visiting La Maestra’s El Cajon and City Heights locations. For donation drop-off locations, visit missionfed.com/locations. Monetary donations for the Toy and Gift Drive will also be accepted at Mission Fed branches or at lamaestra.networkforgood.com. La Maestra Community Health Centers on Facebook / Instagram

The Jane Austen Bollywood Musical you didn't know you needed! This modern adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel, "Pride and Prejudice," features the lives of four unmarried daughters in an Indian family. Directed by Gurinder Chadha, "Bride and Prejudice" features vibrant Bollywood musical set pieces and dance numbers guaranteed to make you shake what your mama gave you. There will be a live Bollywood cultural dance performance before the film by San Diego Indian dance groups Arudra Dance School and 35-Bhangra Club. Filmmaker Gurinder Chadha is the director of the hit sports comedy-drama "Bend It Like Beckham" that follows the lives of two young women chasing soccer glory despite their parents' wishes. At 40 years plus, Picture This at the Central Library is the longest running cinema series in San Diego. Weekly screenings showcase Hollywood, American independent, and international cinema, with occasional added features including speakers, artists, and music. Visit mysdpl.org/austenevents for other Austen 250 events! San Diego Public Library on Instagram

"Hauntings of the Holiday - Christmas Ghost Stories" is inspired by the Victorian tradition of telling ghost stories on Christmas eve. We invite you to step back in time at the beautifully decorated Villa Montezuma for an afternoon of chilling tales. Expected stories inhabited by spectral visions, spirits, shadows and Christmas visitations by writers beyond Mr. Dickens.

Get into the spirit of the season as the Library hosts its annual Holiday Sing-a-Long, with warm support from the Friends of the Coronado Public Library! Led by Crown City Chorale, a subset of Coronado’s Musica Vitale, all are encouraged to bring their singing voices- and holiday bells- to this festive event Enjoy treats of cocoa and cookies provided by the Friends as we gather for an afternoon of music, laughter, and holiday cheer!

Need ideas for your holiday baking this year? Get inspired at this fun baking demo with Chef Tommy of Big City Chefs! Space is limited, registration is recommended. Walk-ins will be accommodated as space permits. About Chef Tommy: Food has been my passion for as long as I can remember! I spent a lot of my childhood helping my mom in the kitchen experimenting with flavors and learning the magic of cooking. By age sixteen, I was working as a busser soaking in the energy of a busy restaurant. Instead of following my culinary dreams, I took a detour and instead went to college to study accounting. I received a Bachelor of Science and cruised through a successful five-year sales career. Despite my successes, I always felt I was meant for something more and decided to pursue my true calling in the restaurant world. I kicked things off as a server in Charleston, SC before moving to San Diego, where I worked my way up to General Manager at Knotty Barrel. Along the way, I enrolled at the Institute of Culinary Education and gained experience working at Michelin-starred Gramercy Tavern in NYC, Trust and as Sous Chef at Sandpiper Wood Fired Grill & Oysters. By December 2024, I was ready to break free from the traditional kitchen grind and launched my own personal chef and catering company. Now, I’m thrilled to be working with Big City Chefs offering catering, cooking classes and more! Whether you’re looking for an unforgettable meal or a hands-on cooking experience, I’m here to take you on a culinary adventure! Coronado Public Library on Facebook / Instagram

Come enjoy the community music event at La Jolla Riford Public Library featuring Jungnyeon Lee, an independent cellist.

Experience a journey of solo flute pieces spanning different cultures and times with musician Pam Vliek Martchev. She will be featuring the flute, alto flute, and piccolo, as well as composers like Marin-Marais, Bozza, Karg-Elert, and more. Pam Vliek Martchev served as principal flute with the Boulder Philharmonic in Colorado for 10 seasons, and has been a guest principal flutist of the San Diego Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Santa Barbara Symphony, Reno Chamber Orchestra, California Chamber Orchestra, and Long Beach Opera. She has been featured on many chamber music series such as La Jolla Summerfest, Art of Elan, Jacaranda, Chamber Music Unbound in Mammoth, Blanco Performing Arts in Texas, the Tannahill Arts Festival in Scotland, Le Salon de Musique, Bruman at UCLA, Dilijan, and LACMA Sundays Live. She is currently a member of the woodwind quintet Presidio Winds. You may have heard her on movie soundtracks, CD recordings, television specials, and in the San Diego pit for broadway shows such as King and I, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, and My Fair Lady. A native of Long Island, NY, she began attending the Manhattan School of Music pre-college program at age 12, and continued another four years for her Bachelor of Music - her primary teachers were Harold Jones and Linda Chesis. During her student years, she won prizes in many competitions, was a soloist with the Long Island and Massapequa Philharmonic, and was featured on WQXR’s Young Artist Showcase. She has been a guest teacher at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC); University of Oregon, Eugene; University of Nevada, Reno; and Manhattan School of Music. Her students have auditioned successfully for conservatory degrees across the country, top prizes in national competitions including the NFA High School Soloist, the National Youth Orchestra, and CA All-Southern and All-State ensembles. She is a Haynes Artist, and is the flute professor at San Diego State University, Pt. Loma Nazarene University, the University of San Diego, and San Diego Summer Music Institute (SDSMI) Coronado Public Library on Facebook / Instagram

Zest up your gift list this holiday season and support Escondido’s small businesses. Shop, eat, and explore downtown Escondido (Grand Avenue) to discover special treats, sales, and discounts, while collecting stamps in the EDBA’s popular Bingo Game. Bingo cards, and a map of participating businesses, can be picked up at Heritage Garden at the corner of North Juniper Street and Grand Avenue between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. where a host of activities will take place. The Holiday Trolley is also back this year (noon to 5 p.m.) to get shoppers around! A Tree Lighting will take place at the end of the day (approximately 5:15 p.m.) in Maple Street Plaza. This season’s Shop Small campaign will run from Small Business Saturday through the end of the year; its theme celebrates Escondido’s rich agricultural roots and citrus heritage, so add a little zest to your holidays — shop, dine, and celebrate local. For more information, please visit www.downtownescondido.com/small-business-saturday Escondido Downtown Business Association on Facebook

Learn how to create beautiful designs on thin metal sheeting in this unique and creative craft. Then turn them into festive cards, just in time for the holidays! Card artist Sylvia Hwa will show you how in this hands-on workshop. Register: https://coronado.librarycalendar.com/event/sv-hold-40994 Coronado Public Library on Facebook / Instagram

Spreckels Organ Society will host a Holiday Celebration & Annual Holiday Sing at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in the heart of Balboa Park. Starting at 1:30 p.m. there will be an Educational Workshop, with Raul Prieto Ramírez, San Diego’s Civic Organist and the Society’s Artistic Director, will invite kids and families to join him on-stage to build a little mechanic pipe organ, assisted by docents. While the kits are being built on stage, Ramírez will perform some fun holiday music for the audience. Once the little pipe organs are set and ready to play, Ramírez will have the kids play together with the Spreckels Organ. There will be a Concert & Annual Sing-Along following the educational workshop, at approximately 2:15 p.m. Ramírez will play a few magnificent pieces by great composers, serving as an interlude before the audience is invited on stage (approximately 2:45 p.m.) to participate in the annual sing-along of Christmas carols and popular holiday songs. “Hallelujah” by G.F.Haendel will be sung by the entire audience, while performed on the Spreckels Organ by Ramírez; this serves as the golden closure for the annual Holiday Celebration Event. For more information about the Spreckels Organ Society, visit www.SpreckelsOrgan.org. Spreckels Organ Society on Facebook / Instagram