San Diego’s budget crisis has landed squarely on one of the city’s most beloved holiday traditions, with Mayor Todd Gloria’s proposed spending plan effectively pulling the plug on Balboa Park’s long-running December Nights festival.
Under the proposal, the city would cut the staff and funding that make the two-night celebration possible, including coordination of free museum admission, international food booths and multiple performance stages across the park. The news has rattled cultural groups, vendors and elected officials who consider December Nights a core piece of San Diego’s holiday season.
As reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune, mayoral aides say removing December Nights from the calendar would save the city about $1.5 million and eliminate the lone city position dedicated to planning and executing the festival. The two-day event typically draws an estimated 300,000 people each year, and without city coordination, any replacement holiday programming would be far smaller. Officials have not offered any further specifics beyond what was included in the initial budget release…