Parades to Panic : Just 5 Days Left! And So Many Things to Do

In the five days left before Christmas, boats will be parading, carolers will be wandering through malls, shoppers will be panicking and volunteers will be cooking Christmas meals for the needy.

Needless to say, there will be a multitude of activities and events in the next few days to insure San Diegans are kept in the holiday mood.

Eighty-four boats will participate in the Mission Bay Boat Parade of Lights tonight, event co-chairman Jim McKeon said. The parade will begin at 7 p.m. at Quivira Basin and will follow a five-mile route along the shoreline of the bay before ending at Sea World for the lighting of its giant Christmas tree at 9 p.m.

“The last few years we’ve had a tremendous turnout, even when it’s been foggy,” McKeon said. “We’re expecting a few thousand people at the various viewing areas, and of course we’re urging people to show up early in order to find parking and a good spot to watch the parade.”

San Diego Bay will host its own boat parade Sunday, starting at Campbell’s Marina at 6 p.m., continuing past Seaport Village, the Embarcadero and Harbor Island before ending up at the south end of Shelter Island, where participating boats will be judged on their use of lights, decorations and “Christmas spirit,” a parade spokesman said.

Chula Vista will follow suit Monday with its second annual Christmas Parade of Lights. Boaters are expected to enter Chula Vista Marina by 6:30 p.m., parade spokeswoman Roberta McClellan said.

“The best places for viewing the parade are anywhere throughout the Chula Vista Marina and also the Bayside Park area,” McClellan said.

From now until Christmas Eve, carolers will be strolling through Horton Plaza, Mission Valley Center, Fashion Valley, University Towne Centre, North County Fair and Grossmont Center, offering traditional and contemporary holiday music for harried shoppers.

All San Diego area malls are operating with extended hours, though Horton Plaza spokeswoman Linda Klay said it is up to the individual stores to decide if they want to stay open later than the mandatory time.

“For instance, all stores are required to stay open till 8 (tonight),” Klay said. “They have to maintain core hours decided on by mall management, but they can stay open longer if they wish. Many if not all of the large department stores are staying open until 10 or 11 each night.”

Two organizations offering meals for the homeless and needy are the Catholic Worker and the Salvation Army. The former is offering a complete holiday meal from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve at the St. Didacus Kitchen on 16th Street downtown. Volunteers are still needed for food preparation and serving, Catholic Worker Secretary Susan Brauer said.

The Salvation Army expects about 1,600 people for its Christmas Day dinner, which begins at 11:30 a.m. in Golden Hall downtown, organization spokesman Charles Hansen said. About 350 volunteers will assist with the sit-down, full turkey dinner, and all are welcome to attend, Hansen said.

On Christmas Day, all city, county, state and federal offices, buildings and courts will be closed. All banks, savings and loans, and most retail stores also will be closed. There will be no trash collection. Instead, trash will be picked up a day later for the rest of the week.

Federal offices, buildings and courts will also be closed Friday, federal government spokeswoman Roberta Duckworth said. There will be no mail service Thursday or Friday, she said.

“From what I understand President Reagan has declared Friday a federal holiday as well,” Duckworth said. “It seems he wanted to give us a four-day weekend to celebrate the holidays with our families.”