Holiday Gift Guide 2016

This holiday season, be merry and gift well. We’ve rounded up 51 of our favorite stocking stuffers, over-the-top splurges, and unique experiences (gardening in Balboa Park, anyone?) from the city’s best boutiques and artists—organized by price, for every person and personality.

Choose a Price Range

$35 and Under

$36 to $100

$101 to $200

$201 to $300

$301 and Up

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$35 and Under

Treat Yourself

Give the Gift of Theater

This present lasts all year. Season tickets start at around $112 for the bigger companies like The Old Globe and La Jolla Playhouse. News flash: Broadway blockbuster Hamilton is coming to the Civic in 2017–2018, and season tickets for Broadway SD can guarantee your seat.

broadwaysd.com

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$36 to $100

Treat Yourself

Go Indoor Skydiving

Calling all daredevils who want to skydive without jumping out of a plane! The 50-foot wind tunnel at Mission Valley’s iFly reaches speeds of 120 mph and simulates all the thrills of an actual dive. Packages start at $80.

iflyworld.com

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$101 to $200

Treat Yourself

Make Pasta Like a Pro

Learn how to craft noodles at Tracy Borkum’s Kensington restaurant, Cucina Sorella. Monthly classes focus on different pastas, and are led by chef Daniel Wolinsky, who worked with renowned chef Massimo Bottura of the three-star Michelin restaurant Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy.

$68 per person, 619-281-4014

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$201 to $300

Treat Yourself

Edit Your Wardrobe

Local stylist Mahjuba Levine can help even the most challenged fashion victims. During her four-hour Closet Therapy session ($500), she will help you clean out your clothes and provide styling ideas for the pieces that remain. Or you can go shopping with her to ensure your winter/spring wardrobe is fashionista-approved ($150 per hour).

mahjuba.com

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$301 and Up

Treat Yourself

Garden in Balboa Park

Have an actual hand (or, thumb) in beautifying Balboa Park with the Adopt a Plot program, which allows the public to sponsor and develop an actual parcel of soil in the park. The plot comes free, but it must be designed, irrigated, maintained, and city approved, which can cost about $500 to $1,000. Still, what a perfect and unusual gift.

friendsofbalboapark.org

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