Top San Diego Things to Do in January

From restaurant week, festivals, performances and more; find the best San Diego things to do in January 2017 in our events roundup.

Edited by Madelyn Harris

New Year’s Day Polar Bear Swim 
Jan. 1. Some will come to swim and others just to dip their big toe in the big blue (without turning blue), but all should come to share in the joy of the new year and the warmth of good friends, fellow swimmers and great potluck food. Cider and coffee is provided. 10 a.m. start. La Jolla Shores. lajollacoveswimclub.com

Vegan and Vegetarian Corner with Tina Malka
Jan. 4. Beginners and seasoned home chefs will enjoy the creative family dishes and baking from attending this monthly vegan/vegetarian corner class taught by chef Tina Malka. $44. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. 512 Via De La Valle #102, Solana Beach. 858.876.6386. thecuriousfork.com   

Beau Jest
Jan 6-Feb 12. Sarah’s parents are delighted she is engaged to a charming doctor. Only thing is, she’s not. When they arrive in town for a dinner party, she hires an actor to keep the fiction alive—hilarity and romance ensue in this riveting production. Lamb’s Players Theatre, 1142 Orange Ave., Coronado, 619.437.6000. lambsplayers.org

Masters of Illusion
Jan. 6, 13. Experience a night full of magic, excitement, mystery and suspense with four stars of the hit CW TV series Masters of Illusion. Watch as they perform their best illusions in front of a live audience, without assistance from camera or computer gimmickry. $65. 9 p.m. 777 Harrah’s Rincon Way, Valley Center. 760.751.3100. harrahssocal.com

Our American Music: Free Community Concert
Jan 7. This exciting concert, headlined by the San Diego Symphony, features musical highlights of works that will be performed throughout January as part of “Our American Music,” a month-long exploration of music made in America. Iconic pieces by composers like Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein and George Gershwin will be performed along with some musical surprises. 8 p.m. Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., downtown. 619.235.0804. sandiegosymphony.org

San Diego Wine & Beer Co. Wines from Around The World Tasting
Jan. 7. The San Diego Wine & Beer Co. is hosting a special tasting of wines from around the world. This tasting involves an array of reds and whites from various regions. $10. 11 a.m.–4 p.m. San Diego Wine and Beer Co., 7080 Miramar Rd. Suite 100. 858.586.9643. sandiegowine.net

San Diego Resolution Run 15K & 5K
Jan. 7.  Are you ready to keep your New Year’s resolution to exercise regularly? You can begin with this event that offers adult 5K and 15K run/walks plus youth races and a stroller strut run. 6:30 a.m. Start/Finish at 1590 E. Mission Bay Drive 619.269.7047. sandyfeetevents.com

Rent
Jan. 10-15. Catch the 20^th anniversary touring production of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning rock musical—originally premiered in 1996—that reimagines Puccini’s La Boheme. San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., downtown. 619.570.1100. broadwaysd.com

Marjorie Prime
Jan. 11-Feb. 5. This smart, thought-provoking play about memory takes place in the near future, when artificial intelligence has reached new heights, and lifelike robots provide companionship for the lonely. North Coast Repertory Theatre. 987-D Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach, 858.481.1055. northcoastrep.org

Bad Jews
Jan. 12-Feb 12. The night after their grandfather’s funeral, three cousins engage in a verbal battle over a family heirloom in this savage comedy about family, faith and legacy. Cygnet Theatre at Old Town Theatre, 4040 Twiggs St., Old Town, 619.337.1525. cygnettheatre.com

Our Great Tchaikovsky  
Jan. 12-Feb. 12. Hershey Felder takes audiences on a time-bending journey exploring the mystery around some of the greatest music ever composed by one of the greatest composers of all time: Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. San Diego Rep, Lyceum Theatre, 79 Horton Plaza, downtown, 619.544.1000. sdrep.org

Rosanne Cash
Jan. 12. Singer and songwriter Rosanne Cash’s exciting show celebrates her highly acclaimed, three-time Grammy-winning album, The River & the Thread. The River & the Thread is a collection of original songs that connect and re-connect Rosanne to the American South, the place of her birth and the home of her ancestors. 7:30 p.m. Jacobs Music Center. 750 B St., downtown. 619.235.0804. sandiegosymphony.org

Arranged
Jan. 13.  Abe and Julia are high-profile celebrities embarking on a dangerously flirtatious correspondence. Esther and Yoni are shy young Orthodox Jews embarking on an arranged marriage. On the surface, the lives of these two couples couldn’t be more different. But Anna Ziegler’s funny, insightful and mysterious new drama Arranged explores the hidden connections between seemingly disparate worlds, illuminating the surprising forces that bind strangers together. Ziegler returns with this exciting Old Globe commission following the world premiere of The Last Match. 7:30 p.m. Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre. 1363 Old Globe Way. 619.231.1941. theoldglobe.org

What You Are
Jan. 15. The time: Today. The place: A small Nevada town. Don, a middle-aged white American, does his best to make ends meet even as he struggles to connect with his politically active daughter. When he finds himself embroiled in a racially charged incident at work, his life and his living turn upside down. JC Lee’s What You Are, an Old Globe commission, is an up-to-the-minute look at a fractured nation desperately trying to reconnect. 4 p.m. Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre. 1363 Old Globe Way. 619.231.1941. theoldglobe.org

San Diego Restaurant Week
Jan. 15-22. San Diego Restaurant Week celebrates local restaurants by showcasing the fresh and delicious ingredients that the region is known for. For eight days only, enjoy dishes compiled of local products and ingredients at over 180 participating restaurants throughout San Diego County. Dinner will be served as a three-course, prix-fixe menu for just $20, $30, $40 or $50 per person and lunch will be served as a two-course prix-fixe menu for only $10, $15 or $20 per person. Various locations around San Diego. sandiegorestaurantweek.com

Martin Luther King. Jr. Day Parade
Jan. 15. Celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. at this annual waterfront parade along San Diego Bay. Enjoy an afternoon of bands, floats and drill teams as they march along the Embarcadero. 2 p.m. Harbor Drive, downtown. sandiego.org

The Nth Power
Jan. 15. The Nth Power are a group of top tier musicians who have propelled everyone from Beyonce, to Kanye West, Jay-Z, Chaka Khan, Maceo Parker, Ivan Neville, The Meters, and more. 8:30 p.m. $12-15. The Casbah. 2501 Kettner Blvd. 619.232.4355. casbahmusic.com

Jon Dore
Jan. 16. Ottawa-born comedian, host and actor Jon Dore is renowned for his offbeat humor and unique bait-and-switch style. He was named “one of 10 comics to watch” by Variety. 7:30 p.m. $16. 818 B 6th Ave. 619.795.3858. americancomedyco.com

San Diego Youth Orchestra Winter Chamber Concert
Jan. 20. This concert will include advanced wind and string performers from the New Youth Orchestra program and San Diego Select Wind Ensemble will accompany this exciting music repertoire. 7-9 p.m. $15-25. 10965 Sorento Valley Rd. 617.680.6234. thenewyouthorchestra.com 

Bernstein, Perlman, Hollywood – A Jacobs Masterworks Concert
Jan 21. In this one-of-a-kind concert, the movies come to Jacobs Masterworks. The concert opens with Leonard Bernstein’s brutally vital music from the Oscar-winning masterpiece On the Waterfront and a suite from Eric Wolfgang Korngold’s classic swashbuckling score to The Seahawk. After intermission, Itzhak Perlman takes the stage for an unforgettable selection of Hollywood melodies from Casablanca, Far and Away, Schindler’s List and more, all arranged for violin and orchestra by the greatest film composer of them all, John Williams. 8 p.m.  Copley Symphony Hall. 750 B St., downtown. 619.235.0804. sandiegosymphony.org

Raffi
Jan. 22. Raffi is a singer, songwriter, producer, author, lecturer, and tireless advocate for children. He is best known for his work as a children’s entertainer whose string of gold and platinum-selling recordings in North America includes his classic song, “Baby Beluga.”  Historic Balboa Theatre.  868 Fourth Ave. 619.570.1100. sandiegotheatres.org

Portland Cello Project
Jan. 22. Portland Cello Project has wowed audiences all over the country with their genre-bending performances, infusing the classical cello with an unforgettable modern twist as they cover songs by Radiohead, Taylor Swift, Kanye West, and more. 7:30 p.m. California Center for the Arts. 340 N Escondido Blvd, Escondido. 760.839.4138. artcenter.org

San Diego Sunroad Boat Show 
Jan. 26-29. The 27th annual San Diego tradition will be expanding this year with the addition of more floating docks to moor several larger vessels. In addition, there will be marine vendors, free boat rides, as well as food and beverages, making it a great family event for all to enjoy on the San Diego Bay. $13 for adults, children under 12 free. Thurs.-Fri. noon-6 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunroad Marina. 955 Harbor Island Drive. 619.497.5254. bigbayboatshow.com

Disney on Ice
Jan. 26-29. Rev up for non-stop fun with four of your favorite Disney stories at Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Enchantment. Thrill to high-speed stunts as Lightning McQueen and the crew of Cars race across the ice. Dive into adventure with Ariel and The Little Mermaid’s undersea kingdom. The toys are back in town with heroic action when Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the Toy Story gang escape Sunnyside Daycare in their most daring adventure. Plus, enter the wintery world of Arendelle with sisters Anna and Elsa and pals Olaf and Kristoff from Frozen as they learn that true love comes from within. From wheels to waves, icy wonderlands to infinity and beyond, your family’s favorite Disney moments will come to life. Valley View Casino Center. 3500 Sports Arena Blvd. 619.224.4171. disneyonice.com

Chinese New Year Food and Cultural Fair
Jan. 28-29.  Celebrate the Year of the Rooster at this free, two-day annual celebration, featuring more than 25 performances, children’s crafts, a lantern parade and a variety of Chinese and Asian foods and cultural displays.10 a.m.-5 p.m. Third Ave. and J Street., downtown, 619.234.4447 sdcny.weebly.com

San Diego Cat Show
Jan. 28-29. Pedigree cats will be judged on beauty and breed standards looking for the perfect cat. Non-pedigreed cats, “household Pet,” cats are judged on personality and health. Local rescue organizations will have cats available for adoption. Pedigree kittens and cat-related merchandise will be for sale. Both days feature educational talks introducing breeds, grooming tips, needs of older cats and cat training tips. It is the only cat show in the south western US to feature cat agility. There is even a stuffed animal contest for children. $9. Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Del Mar Fair Grounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. sandiegocat.org

Farmers Insurance Open
Jan. 28-31. San Diego’s most anticipated pro golf tournament has featured legends such as Tiger Woods and beloved local superstar Phil Mickelson. The action-packed week includes practice rounds for the PGA Tour players, pro-am tournaments, women’s and men’s days, a junior clinic, military appreciation activities and celebrity after-parties. Torrey Pines Golf Course, 11480 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, 858.581.7171. farmersinsuranceopen.com

Anthony’s Fish Grotto Closing
Jan. 31. As it celebrates 70 years of serving signature seafood dishes in San Diego, Anthony’s Fish Grotto will close its Embarcadero location this month. After owning a longstanding tradition on San Diego Bay for decades, the Ghio family announced the landmark seafood restaurant’s close. Come enjoy the delicious seafood one last time. 1360 N Harbor Dr. 619.232.5103. anthonysfishgrotto.com