December 3, 1999
San Diego's biggest New Year's celebration, Expo 2000, will kick off the new millennium with an incredible three-day party in the only place big enough to hold it all —the largest urban park in North America-Balboa Park.
Touted as the premier millennium party in the City of San Diego, Expo 2000 will transform the 1,200-acre park into a dazzling display of lights, special events and "parties within the party," for the first three days of what will become a year-long celebration of "Past, Present and Future," the theme of Expo 2000. In fact, San Diego is one of 10 cities in the nation participating in the White House Millennium Council's national Millennium Community program. One of the committee's criteria for inclusion as a millennial city is consistency with the national millennium theme "Honor the Past — Imagine the Future."
"Balboa Park is one of the grandest parks in the country, comparable to Central Park in New York or Golden Gate Park in San Francisco," said Steve Wall, President and Chair, San Diego Exposition 2000 Organizing Committee, Inc. "The start of a new millennium allows us to offer a whole new generation of San Diegans the chance to participate in the rich history of the park and create a new legacy for future generations. Our plans for Expo 2000 only start with this three-day event. There is far more in store beyond that time."
The kick-off event begins New Year's Eve, December 31, with an adults-only evening from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. in the park and along the Prado area. All museums, which call Balboa Park home, will display special exhibits with millennium themes from 6 to 9 p.m. and is included in the price of a general admission ticket.
The rest of the celebration begins at 8 p.m., accompanied by live music on five different stages, and dance zones, in some surprising venues, all supported by a cast of colorful street performers. Food and beverages concessions will be open all evening.
"Parties within the Party" lend additional dimensions to the celebration, which include a celebration called, "Swingtime 2000," and a "Masquerade Ball." Price of these tickets include general admission and a buffet dinner.
Tickets to the park event are available now and are priced at $30 through Ticket-Master. Each theme party within the park is separately priced, and tickets can be obtained by calling (619) 235-1100. Admission to "Swing-time 2000" is $50 per person, the "Masquerade Ball" is $75 per person. Proceeds from all ticket sales will benefit the Balboa Park Millennium Society's endowment, which funds park-wide education, community and promotional outreach programs.
On New Years Day, January 1, the park will reopen with a children's parade at noon and a kite flying exhibition at noon for a special, free-admission Family Fun Day for guests of all ages. Several museums will be open free to the public from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., but attendees will also enjoy entertainment from local musicians, educational demonstrations and hands-on arts and crafts activities. Food and beverage concessions will be open throughout the park.
The last day of the kick-off celebration, January 2, will be a cultural celebration called Millennium Interna-tionale. The event starts at 8 a.m. with the Expo 2000 Millennium 5K Fun Run/Walk, which begins and ends in Balboa Park. The rest of the day, which runs through 6 p.m., features entertainment by regional musicians from both sides of the border representing the international cottages located within Balboa Park. Admission to the park for Millenium International is free.
Return
to Frontpage