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The two-time Tony Award-nominated director begins her tenure in early 2026.

On Friday, Dec. 5, Songwriter Sanctuary will ring in the holidays with a season closer featuring original music from some of San Diego’s folkiest and funniest troubadours. Don your gay apparel and join Cara Cormier, Peggy Watson and Dave Beldock, and JT Moring as they swap songs and stories in a Nashville-style round. The event is hosted by the legendary Jeff Berkley in partnership with Normal Heights United. (4650 Mansfield St. Suggested Donation $10. All ages. Doors 6:30 p.m., Music 7 p.m.) All donations collected go directly to artists, and no one is turned away for lack of funds. Community Care: Normal Heights United has a big community fridge and pantry just steps from the venue. Please consider bringing unopened/unexpired items for under-resourced neighbors! If our Songwriter Sanctuary audience can stock it once a month, that would be an incredible gift to the community and support for our venue partners at NHU who actually church like churches should church! (No frozen items please.) About the Artists Cara Cormier flings lyrical spaghetti into the universe to keep herself sane, help people laugh, and create a more just and compassionate society. Drawing from her rural Kansas Mennonite upbringing, Cara uses her love of folk and Americana styles to craft cheeky, heartfelt story-songs using acoustic guitar, harmonica, mandolin, banjo, and spoons. From hysterical dating accounts to mischievous protest songs to tender confessionals, Cara writes the songs you never expected to hear. David Beldock and Peggy Watson started their collaboration as unlikely music partners. While David spent years performing with various bands, honing his rock and blues guitar playing, Peggy was rooted in contemporary folk traditions with occasional detours into jazz and pop. But when they joined forces, they discovered that writing songs together was a fun challenge that they couldn’t resist. The result has been a collection of melodic, thoughtful, funny, and emotional songs that appeal to a wide range of listeners. Their styles span everything from folk to jazz to blues to show tunes. JT Moring is a dynamic entertainer known for incisive songs/stories and audience engagement. He performs solo on guitar or banjo, and in collaboration with a collection of San Diego County’s top musicians. 2024 was a year of recording, performances with Storytellers of San Diego (where they let me sing as long as I tell a story to go with it!), house concerts, backyard parties, Adams Avenue Unplugged, and recording and releasing a new album LINES. Get on the email list for notifications. 2025 has seen a lot of new songs and lots of performances, many of them with Richie Strell (harmonicas and other noisemakers), and Terry Wardell (bass). Event Details Location: Normal Heights United Church: 4650 Mansfield St, San Diego, CA 92116. Thank you to our generous venue partner for sharing this beautiful space with the local music community! Time: Doors 6:30 p.m., Show 7-9 p.m. ish. Suggested Donation: $10 (all ages) but please be generous in your support of these top tier talents whose creative work is their livelihood. 100% donations go to artists. No one turned away for lack of funds. All Ages: Bear in mind we do not censor our artists so please make sure to check out the lineup and make the best decision for your family. Parking: Street parking. Food/Drink: Beverages for small purchase, thanks to our sponsors Babe Beverages and Duck Foot Brewing Company. Guests are welcome to bring their own food into the venue (please eat and dispose of waste respectfully). There are so many delicious restaurants within walking distance - feel free to grab something take-out and bring it in! Accessibility: Normal Heights United is a 120+ year-old building with a non-traditional seating arrangement, but we want every guest to feel safe and supported. Please send any accommodation requests to Molly at mollyrose@nhunited.org at least five (5) business days prior to the event. Entrances & Seating: The venue has an ADA ramp entrance and two rows of reserved seating for guests who use wheelchairs and/or need additional space. Balcony seating (stair access only) is available for those who prefer less noise or stimulation. Our online RSVP form also includes a space to share accessibility preferences. Sensory & Safety: A sensory/safety station in the foyer offers single-use masks, ear plugs, and hand sanitizer. Two Corsi-Rosenthal box fan filters run during the event. Notepads are available at entry and concession for anyone who prefers to communicate in writing. If you’re feeling unwell, please plan to join us another time to help keep our community healthy. Event Enhancements: Whenever possible, we post a QR code with lyrics to featured artists’ songs for enhanced accessibility. Future Goals: We are actively seeking funding partners to provide ASL services for the 2026 season and have long-term goals of offering a livestream ticketing option. Please stay tuned and continue supporting us as we work toward these and other accessibility goals. Photo/Video Consent: Unless artists give blanket consent, please ask for consent before posting the faces and/or prominent features of folks online. While we've previously operated under the assumption that public events imply consent, a thoughtful call-in reminded us that consent must always come first, especially in a time when people’s images can be weaponized. Songwriter Sanctuary is committed to prioritizing consent and will continue to model and encourage this practice in our community. For inquiries, media comps, or further information, please contact: Lindsay White lindsaywhite.music@gmail.com Songwriter Sanctuary San Diego on Instagram

Kick off December at San Diego’s Best Brewery 2025, Pure Project Vista, with a soul-filling spent-grain breadmaking class. Whole grain dough, holiday flavors, award-winning beer, and a VIP experience in their beautiful barrel room. Tis' the Season! At the close of the brewer’s day, we will utilize the brewery's fresh spent grain to craft beautiful, whole-grain artisan bread. Guests will make the Grainbakers Spent Grain Artisan Bread. Once you have mixed your dough, you can customize your bread by adding various flavors from our selection of fruits, inclusions and spices. This class will have many selections, including: Dark Chocolate & Cherry Cheddar, Jalapeño & Bacon UBE Cardamon and Spice (Purple Sweet Potato) Honey Sea Salted Whole Wheat Rosemary and Sea Salt Cinnamon Raisin Holiday Fruit & Nuts Cranberry Orange Walnut** Cardamom & Raisin Cheddar, Jalapño & Bacon Class includes: Lecture and hands-on instruction to make artisan spent grain baked bread Recipe and instruction guide. Super fun mixing session to make your dough One bread in its first rise, in our very unique proofing box, ready to bake at home Extra spent grain for your freezer and recipes to make more bread VIP / FAQ: You will bake your bread at home. You leave with your bread rising in our very unique proofing box. Participants must be 18 or older and have a ticket. Please wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes. You are welcome to invite a friend to wait for you while you’re in class. You can have dinner together before class, and then they can doomscroll some social media over a pint while in class. Please inquire for groups of 6+ if you would like to do this activity as a pre-holiday work outing. We love teambuilders! Allergen Considerations: Almonds and Walnuts will be used. Pecans and Pistachios will not be used. Peanuts will not be used. Visit: https://www.grainbakers.com/event-details-registration/brewery-spent-grain-breadmaking-class-pure-project-vista?utm_source=Vesta&utm_medium=Referral Pure Project on Instagram and Facebook

Do you want to see your writing in magazines? Would you like to receive a check for what you write? If your goal is to write personal essays and get paid for them, this is the class for you. We will go through idea generation, how to find publications that are right for your idea, and how to pitch to editors and locate their e-mail addresses. You will finish the class with several ideas for essays, where to pitch them, and with a list of resources to build those bylines! You will be emailed the Zoom link 24 hours before the start of the class. If you sign up less than 24 hours before the start of the class, please either send us a message or email us at programs@sandiegowriters.org to request your link. Note: We are offering TWO scholarships for writers who self-identify as having financial need. If you are interested, please contact Kristen at programs@sandiegowriters.org. Thank you! San Diego Writers, Ink on Facebook / Instagram

Experience Edgar Allan Poe's macabre tales in the historic Villa Montezuma this weekend and next.

Author and anthology editor Curtis Ippolito joins us alongside author and contributor Jim Ruland for this great climate change crime fiction anthology by "Rock And A Hard Place" publishing. Visit: https://artifactrarebooks.com/#c4cdc138-235b-48ae-8b21-a41a9df9f413

See the magic of Raku and walk away with your own creation. We have $10 paint your own Christmas ornaments that will be fired right in front of you. We are also hosting a local artists sale with a variety of items like mugs, magnets, tiny succulent pots, vases, jewelry dishes, olive oil bottles & more. Visit: https://ceramicheights.com/ Ceramic Heights on Instagram

Singer-songwriter Natalia Jiménez is a creative artist, with a powerful voice and musical versatility that have made her one of the most important female figures in Spanish-language music. This internationally renowned GRAMMY, Latin GRAMMY, ASCAP & Latin Billboard winning artist has sold over 3 million albums worldwide and has recorded duets with Latin music’s biggest stars, including Marc Anthony (Recuérdame), Daddy Yankee (La Noche de los Dos) and Ricky Martin (Lo Mejor de Mi Vida Eres Tu) to name a few. Natalia Jiménez on Instagram

Wet felting fun! Saturday, September 6, from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Join us for a creative time around wool and fellowship! In this 3-hour workshop you will learn the ancient art of wet felting — the process of loose wool becoming a fabric (felt). This textile art technique has been used for millenniums in the making of rugs, clothing, and homes (yurts). Instructor Sylviane Collier will demonstrate the technique, taking you step-by-step through the project and providing guidance along the way so you may enjoy the creative process and let your inner artist take the lead. First, you will create your own picture by layering wool fibers (you will have a wide selection of dyed merino wool to choose from) to finish with the binding of all the fibers using a wet felting technique. We will use bamboo mats, water and soap for the felting process. It is not a messy process, just a wet one. Towels will be provided. Each student will create a one-of-a-kind 8”x 8” “painting.” Images of flowers, landscapes and animals will be provided for inspiration. Students are also welcome to bring their own. A material fee of $10 (cash only) to be paid to the instructor at the start of the class. No prior experience necessary. Ages 14+ welcome! All materials included. • Military, first responders and sibling discounts. • Scholarships available. • Homeschool funds accepted. • If this class is full, join the Interest List to be notified. • If you would like to be notified of future offerings, join the Interest List to be notified when new dates or spaces are available. Visit: Wet Felting | Painting with Wool San Diego Craft Collective on Instagram and Facebook

Choose from upcoming dates: Sept 11, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Oct 12, 2-5 p.m. Oct 23, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Bonjour! Welcome to our fragrant adventure! No experience necessary – just bring your curiosity and enthusiasm. Join us in crafting your very own signature scent under the guidance of our in-house French Perfume Designer, Jil Croquet. This workshop is an enjoyable three-hour session where you’ll dive into the art of perfume-making. From uncovering composition secrets to the sheer joy of smelling and blending scents, you’ll gain hands-on experience while learning the basics of fragrance design techniques. All the materials and tools you need are provided and included in the workshop fee. With a carefully curated selection of essential oils, we’ll explore this hidden world together. You’ll leave with your own personalized travel spray as a delightful keepsake of our aromatic journey. Come, let’s discover the captivating world of perfumery! This workshop is perfect for ages 14 and up, so grab a friend or come solo and let’s create some magic together! All materials and tools will be provided, and the cost of materials is included in the workshop fee. • Military, first responders and sibling discounts. • Scholarships available. • Homeschool funds accepted. • If this class is full, join the Interest List to be notified. • If you would like to be notified of future offerings, join the Interest List to be notified when new dates or spaces are available.