VOLUNTEERS TO CLEAN UP STARLIGHT BOWL
Save Starlight, a nonprofit community initiative, will host a cleanup event Aug. 13 at the abandoned Starlight Bowl open-air amphitheater in Balboa Park.
The cleanup kicks off the nonprofit’s campaign to preserve and revitalize the Starlight Bowl. Their mission is to revive the amphitheater as a viable community venue to host a new generation of inclusive and varied performances that reflect San Diego’s creative communities and culture.
District 3 Councilmember Todd Gloria will join the cleanup from 9 a.m. — noon.
“I am happy to see Save Starlight bringing the community together in this grassroots campaign to clean up the Starlight Bowl,” Gloria said in a news release. “They have a strong passion for this historic space and I’m looking forward to rolling up my sleeves on Aug. 13 to show my support.”
Also, the campaign will film the event to create a fundraising campaign video. Snacks will be provided for volunteers and musical accompaniment will enliven the bowl.
For more information, contact [email protected] or call 619-252-1744 or visit savestarlight.org.
NEW TENANT FOR OLD BOXING CLUB
Punch Bowl Social, an “entertainment” company based in Denver, Colorado, will soon be joining the Makers Quarter development project in East Village.
The hospitality group plans to transform San Diego’s landmark 1920s boxing venue, the Coliseum Federal Athletic Club, located at 1485 E St.
In its heyday, the club was one of three major boxing marquees in Southern California.
“When we opened our first Punch Bowl Social in Denver in a former brick warehouse, in a then-unpopular part of town, we realized what a positive impact we could have on the community around us and also in preserving and giving new life to the building itself,” said Robert Thompson, founder and CEO of Punch Bowl Social, in a statement.
“When we saw the Coliseum, we just knew that was the place. The opportunity to open a Punch Bowl Social within Makers Quarter in downtown San Diego, and especially in the historic Coliseum, couldn’t be a more perfect fit for us,” he said.
Punch Bowl Social bring classic games and entertainment (think pinball, skeeball, shuffleboard, vintage video games, ping pong, etc.), a Southern-influenced scratch kitchen and crafted beverages together under one roof, in an environment that is playful, unexpected and surprisingly intimate.
The project will sprawl over 20,000 square feet and is expected to be complete by the third quarter of 2017.
Makers Quarter is developing, restoring and transforming the buildings on Downtown city blocks between Broadway and G Street, as well as 14th and 17th streets, into a dynamic urban sector with a character all its own.
To learn more about Makers Quarter, visit makersquarter.com.
ARTWALK ADDS INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS
Mission Federal’s ArtWalk Liberty Station is the younger, smaller sister-act of ArtWalk, held in Little Italy every spring. This year’s Liberty Station event will take place Saturday, Aug. 13 and Sunday, Aug. 14.
“ArtWalk @ Liberty Station is a free weekend-long event that creates a platform for artists to showcase their work,” said Sandi Cottrell, ArtWalk San Diego’s managing director, in a press release. “The festival brings together families, art lovers, collectors, residents, visitors and more to one of San Diego’s most loved arts and culture districts.
“The beautiful park-like setting and rose garden at Liberty Station’s Ingram Plaza provides a scenic backdrop for artists to showcase their work,” she continued. “We are looking forward to putting on another successful ArtWalk @ Liberty Station this year for our 11th year anniversary.”
The popular outdoor art festival, known for its KidsWalk area and vast array of arts and craft exhibitors, is adding an interactive theme this year to engage attendees.
Several interactive exhibits are planned that will allow attendees to work with exhibitors to incorporate the interactions into their art. Local artist Nan Coffey will be conducting a live “inclusion art” piece on a large-scale canvas, depicting images from stories attendees share with her. James Yuransky will have participants paint geometric objects that he will incorporate into a 3D masterpiece.
Artist & Craftsman Supply in Hillcrest will also be on hand, offering an interactive activity that will focus on nature.
Finally, four painted butterflies will be hidden throughout the Artwalk Liberty Station venue for attendees to locate using clues and win a prize for the charity of their choice. This element will be called The Butterfly Effect and will also provide photo ops for social media.
Ingram Plaza is located at the corner of Historic Decatur Road and Roosevelt Road and attendance to ArtWalk is free. Festival times are from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Aug. 13, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 14. For more information about ArtWalk Liberty Station, visit artwalksandiego.org/libertystation.
REWARD OFFERED ON HOMELESS ATTACKS
A series of attacks on homeless people in early July have led San Diego Police on an intense search for the attacker. All four attacks — two of them fatal, two life threatening — were similar in nature and investigators believe they are related. San Diego Crime Stoppers and the SDPD Homicide unit are offering a $1,000 reward for assistance in identifying and locating the suspect responsible for these attacks.
Locations of the existing crimes include 2700 block of Morena Boulevard; 3700 block of Greenwood Street; 2500 block of Bacon Street; and 700 block of Kettner Boulevard. All attacks occurred in the early morning hours.
To see a video of a suspect at large, visit youtu.be/jEoWzrMlzIM.
SDPD urges the public to report any suspicious behavior and asks the homeless population to “remain vigilant, avoid sleeping alone and to stay in open, well-lit areas.”
Anyone with any information should call the homicide unit 619-531-2293, Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line 888-580-8477, or visit sdcrimestoppers.org.