Port of San Diego to Welcome Surfin' Santa to Seaport Village

Thursday, 19 November 2009
Contact: Marguerite Elicone (619) 686-6222

On Saturday, November 28, the Port of San Diego, Seaport Village and SDG&E will join forces to ring in the holiday season.

It all begins at 1 p.m. with a blast of cannon fire announcing the arrival of a special guest. Santa Claus, minus his traditional fur-trimmed red suit, will debark a pirate ship and head for shore. Donned in swim trunks, he’ll arrive in Seaport Village to kick off an afternoon filled with holiday music and live entertainment.

Helicopter Crew Helps Port on Imperial Beach Pier Project

Monday, 16 November 2009
Contact: Dale Frost (619) 686-6461

A Huey helicopter was used to lift and then set three 60-foot-long piles on the Imperial Beach Pier to strengthen the structure. This marks the first time a helicopter was used on a Port construction project.

The work is part of a more than $600,000 Port District maintenance project to ensure the pier’s continued safety and longevity.

Restored Corsair Fighter Plane Joins USS Midway Museum Collection

Friday, 13 November 2009
Contact: Dale Frost (619) 686-6222

Visitors to the USS Midway Museum can get a close-up view of a restored F4U-4 Corsair, a rare signature fighter plane. The recently donated Corsair now joins 25 other aircraft on display at the aircraft carrier museum.

View photo slideshow

Imperial Beach Pier to be Temporarily Closed for Pile Replacement

Thursday, 05 November 2009
Contact: Marguerite Elicone (619) 686-6222

The Imperial Beach Pier will be closed temporarily from November 16 through November 21, 2009 in order to replace three pier piles.  A helicopter will be used to transport the piles, which are 60 feet long and weigh approximately 2,800 pounds each. 

Scores of Baja-Bound Sailboats Parade Out of San Diego Bay

Monday, 26 October 2009
Contact: Dale Frost (619) 686-6200

A procession of 180 sailboats paraded out of San DiegoBay on October 26 as they began the 16th annual Baja Ha-Ha Cruiser’s Rally which finishes in Cabo San Lucas.

At 10 a.m. sharp, while aboard a boat positioned near the west end of Shelter Island, Captain Luis Rios Hernandez, the Captain of the Port of Ensenada, fired a shotgun blank into the air, signaling the official start of the race.

Swimmers to Make a Splash Across San Diego Bay at Inaugural Sharkfest™ Swim

Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Contact: Barbara Moreno (619) 686-6216

Experienced open-water swimmers will race across the Big Bay in the first-ever San Diego-Coronado Sharkfest™ Swim on Sunday, October 25.

But don’t be alarmed by the name. There won’t be any real sharks in the Bay, just as many as 500 swimmers churning up the waters between Coronado Island and San Diego’s bayfront.

Disabled Veterans Compete in VA Summer Sports Clinic on San Diego Bay

Thursday, 24 September 2009
Contact: Barbara Moreno (619) 686-6216

For the second year in a row, the National Veterans’ Affairs Summer Sports Clinic has come to San Diego Bay – changing the lives of our nation’s wounded veterans. Sixty-four men and women are participating in the event from September 20 to September 25. The participants come to San Diego from across the country.

“The goal of the National Summer Sports Clinic is to heal the whole person – body, spirit and mind through these adaptive programs – that’s what you get here. That’s the true mission of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs,” said Richard Olague, Public Affairs Coordinator.

YachtFest Makes a Splash on San Diego's Shelter Island

Friday, 18 September 2009

YachtFest 2009, which has been called the West Coast’s premier boutique yacht show,is underway at San Diego’s Shelter Island. Visitors from around the world come to San Diego to take advantage of opportunities to tour elegant yachts ranging from 48- to 156-feet.

The largest superyacht, Piano Bar, was the 2008 winner of YachtFest’s 2008 Best in Show award-and of course there is a piano on board.

Hollywood Film Crew Recreates Comic-Con at San Diego Convention Center

Thursday, 20 August 2009
Contact: Barbara Moreno (619) 686-6216

It’s déjà vu for San Diego as a flood of costumed pop culture fans hit the streets outside of the San Diego Convention Center on August 20. Just one month after the country's leading comics and popular arts convention Comic-Con came to town, the buzz once again is being recreated by the magic of Hollywood. The San Diego Film Commission announced that a production crew is in town to film the motion picture, "Paul."

The comedy, from Friedgold Films, Inc., stars British comedians Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as two comic book fans who travel across America and experience Comic-Con. Pegg and Frost are known for their other comedies, "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz." Pegg also recently played "Scotty" in the 2009 version of Star Trek.

"San Diego will certainly appear as a character in this movie,” said Kathy McCurdy of the San Diego Film Commission. “This should lead to movie-enhanced tourism and new interest in San Diego as a vacation destination. Movies are good business."

Construction to Begin on New Restroom at Pepper Park in National City

Thursday, 06 August 2009
Contact: Marguerite Elicone (619) 686-6222

Visitors to Pepper Park, located on San Diego Bay near the Sweetwater Channel in National City, will soon have the convenience of a new, modern restroom.  Construction will begin Wednesday, August 12 on the new facility which will incorporate current accessibility requirements and architecture that will complement the theme of the future National City Aquatic Center.