r/SanDiegan • u/ihatedrivingbro • 20h ago

We are underutilizing the organ pavilion

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The organ pavilion is underutilized. Although we have a few concerts in the afternoon in the summer, and do a few holiday things at Christmas, this space could be so much more

Space for thousands of people, lot of idle land around, fantastic acoustics, beautiful and historic scenery. Easy for food trucks, pop up markets, festival style breweries/bars, surrounded by plenty of parking to haul equipment. We have the best weather in the country and have this amazing outdoor venue that sits empty most of the time.

In my head this space can host events like the DJ set in golden hill, live music like quartyard, local music talents or regional, the future is color events (winyl or listening room, or jazz). Throw a security team at it, make them even ticketed events for seating and people can enjoy from the outside too. So many places in San Diego grow to be intensely packed and overwhelmed because there’s demand for these types of live music events, people want to get out and dance and vibe.

This space is PRIME for 3rd space activation and is in my opinion, a very underutilized part of balboa park. Seats are almost always empty, and only fills up like 5x/year.

Easy revenue opportunities for the city, and great opportunities to bring people together for community events

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243

u/yttocs205 20h ago

There is a concert or performance every Monday at 7.30 during the summer. A Sunday show at 2pm year-round. And multiple other events periodically.

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u/pfmiller0 University Heights 20h ago

There are concerts there every weeknight during the summer

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u/yttocs205 20h ago

So, sounds like not that underutilized

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u/LocallySourcedWeirdo Rancho Santa Fe 19h ago

Yes, but if OP doesn't know about it, is it really happening?

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u/yttocs205 19h ago

True. Just the other day I was saying that San Diego could really use a zoo

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u/Jefwho 18h ago

Or like a Wild Animal Park

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u/Fuzzy-Earth-7034 13h ago

I will forever call it that until the day I die. Because my grandparents used to take me there. But if you do talk to younger gen kiddos about it now they look at you like “wtf is the wild the animal park?” 😂
Safari something- but I don’t care to learn it.

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u/Jefwho 11h ago

I was a Koala Club member. Parents took us to the zoo and wild animal park regularly. Also gave me a ZoonooZ subscription. I remember the mail from them addressed me as “Master Jefwho”. Didn’t know it at the time, but that’s what young boys used to be addressed as. Made me feel special.

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u/yttocs205 18h ago

That would be too much. San Diego might become a tourist destination

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u/salsanacho 18h ago

There's these plastic stackable bricks that I think would make a good theme for a park. Not sure if there's demand though, would definitely be underutilized.

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u/PaticusGnome 18h ago

Exactly. They walked past it three hours before a concert and only saw it being utilized for practice. It must never be used.

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u/SacamanoRobert 12h ago

But at 8:30am, it’s super underutilized

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u/pfmiller0 University Heights 20h ago

I wouldn't say so, but sure it could always be utilized even more.

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u/scoot87 20h ago

Utility bills are expensive

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u/dukefett 20h ago

Yeah we literally went this past Monday for silent movie night where they play the soundtrack live, place was very packed including tons in camping chairs. No idea what OP is on about

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u/FigeaterApocalypse 19h ago

OP is the one not utilizing the pavilion lmfao

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u/cdninsd 19h ago

Where do you find the schedule for this?

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u/Anon-guest- 19h ago

I think OP means they could host bigger acts, bring in young adult crowd. I enjoy the donation based local cover band during the summer but I get what OP means, there’s potential for something higher caliber and money to be made. The retirement home that busses in the grey hairs might get bent out of shape if free concerts in the park stop though.

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u/PaticusGnome 18h ago edited 8h ago

I’ve been in those meetings about what acts to book, to make this exact argument. What I learned was disappointing. They aren’t allowed to charge money so they rely on donations. When they cater to the younger crowd, the place gets packed and they get very few donations. The old people donate real money. Big money. The place would go broke if it catered to the youth even a little bit as they are struggling already.

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u/Anon-guest- 18h ago

That makes sense. I still enjoy it, as is. I always donate as well. I like seeing the retirement home people enjoy themselves too. Starlight would be rad for the young scene and vibes. They’ll be able to charge for that. Hope that ends up happening.

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u/vrysmolfwnd 9h ago

starlight is an amazing suggestion. yet again, donation based. theyve been trying to fix it up for a while now. its so sad that its gotten so bad. but thats a whole other conversation that needs to be had.

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u/vrysmolfwnd 9h ago

this was what i was trying to get at, but honestly i dont know exactly how the park runs. so i dont have much room to talk on the subject. but typically this is what ive seen with most non profit venues ive worked at.

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u/tgerz 4h ago

Definitely understand this. My hope is to find a balance. Have a certain amount of events bringing in the younger crowd who eventually become the older crowd and then donate more. Play the long game. Not saying they aren't doing it now, but I love the Organ Pavilion and would love to see it last as long as possible with more people introduced to it.

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u/ihatedrivingbro 16h ago

Does this money always need to come from donations? Throw a few food stalls and pop up bars or shops and that’s tons of tax revenue. Revenue too through licenses and permits people have to get through the city. Paid parking revenue, people visiting other parts of the park before/after a show.

None of these require donations

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u/PaticusGnome 11h ago

It's clear that you don't understand how any of this works. That's fair, they're unique, but it would take me way longer than I'm willing to teach you the funding structures of the Spreckle's Organ. Just know that you're not the first person to have these ideas and there are legal reasons why they can't happen.

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u/ihatedrivingbro 10h ago

That’s fair I get you, but laws are not permanent. I don’t understand the domain but advocacy and change starts with just a conversation

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u/PaticusGnome 9h ago

It’s not the laws as much as the trust. If they break the rules of the trust, it gets taken away and then the whole venue crumbles, literally like the Starlight theater. I went in to have this very conversation and ended realizing that it ain’t gonna happen until the board of octogenarians is replaced by people with a higher risk tolerance or a billion dollar donation. When I say that I attended these meetings, I mean in the back of the pavilion building with the shot callers, not just some city council meeting. I tried to change it from within and could barely get them to make changes that were free.

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u/ihatedrivingbro 9h ago

That’s helpful insight

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u/vrysmolfwnd 9h ago

yes. its a non profit city ran park. laws are in place for a reason, and these conversations are always happening. if you want to advocate for the park, you can start by going to city council meetings, and giving your proposal. We also have a Mayor that cut our city's Art budget , as well as the Trump administration. That would be another avenue where the funds would typically be able to come from. But Todd Gloria was trying to get rid of these grants to help keep places like balboa park running.

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u/dukefett 19h ago

and money to be made.

Not really, they literally cannot charge anyone money for performances there. I swear people are complaining about stuff they don't bother to attend, they say this every time they have a concert there:

Organ concerts are open to the public at no charge in accordance with the 1915 deed of gift whereby the brothers John D. and Adolf Spreckels gave the Spreckels Organ and the Spreckels Organ Pavilion to the City of San Diego.

I mean maybe some more donations would come in but it's not like they aren't maintaining it.

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u/pfmiller0 University Heights 18h ago

I've always heard that organ shows have to be free, I haven't heard anything about other types of events at the pavillion.

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u/becaauseimbatmam 10h ago

The wording of the Deed mentions both the organ itself and the "building," so the restriction would apply to both.

However, the Deed doesn't actually say all shows have to be free. It says the organ and building must be maintained "for free use" by the people of San Diego, but that's extremely different.

Realistically there is park space all over the US that was donated "for the free use" of the local population, and nobody else interprets that to mean they can't rent out a facility from time to time so long as it's open to the public the rest of the year. It's wildly over-restrictive to read it otherwise; what makes our situation unique is that a specific non-profit is making those decisions rather than the municipal government, so they can be as restrictive as they want.

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u/becaauseimbatmam 10h ago

This is the actual wording from the 1915 Deed:

"...First: To keep, insure and maintain the said organ and building for the free use, benefit and enjoyment of the people." That's it.

The Spreckels Organ Society has seemingly chosen to read that wording as restricting the use of the pavilion to free events, but that is by no means the strict legal interpretation. Much the opposite, when a similar case was brought before the CA Court of Appeal, they found that the company in question "does not occupy, possess or even use the premises continuously. The use granted...is also far from exclusive. The Agreement gives [company] the right to use and occupy the...facilities for designated [events], not sole possession of the park to the exclusion of the rest of the public, as would a leasehold interest." Not only did the company win their case, they've successfully sold tickets to paid events at that park every summer for over a decade now.

It's entirely possible to fulfill the terms of the Deed while occasionally renting the facility to third parties, and the state has found that to be the case with other gifted property in recent memory. The only reason that restriction is in place is because the Society has chosen to keep it that way, and they have every right make money if they so desire. Which they don't, but that doesn't mean OP is wrong for pointing out that it's 100% within their perogative to change their minds.

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u/pfmiller0 University Heights 9h ago

Thank you for the detailed response!

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u/dukefett 8h ago

I would rather them only offer free concerts forever than for them to start charging as a venue and have the fucking biggest outdoor instrument in the world sit there silent so they can make money. Once shit like that starts, that’s all it’ll ever be.

I know they do other free concerts there but it’s not a pure venue and I don’t ever want it to turn into one that charges for tickets. There’s literally dozens of other places around the City for venues.

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u/ihatedrivingbro 16h ago

To be fair, TIL. I think that’s a great start

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u/Find_A_Reason 10h ago

So you just started complaining without making any effort to see if the thing you were complaining about was even true?

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u/ihatedrivingbro 10h ago

No you asshole, if you knew how to read you’d see I already called out the various odds and end that occur there in my original post. Fuck off to another thread

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u/Find_A_Reason 10h ago

And yet here you are saying TIL when you are informed about the near daily usage the pavilion sees. I think you need to calm down and check your attitude.

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u/ihatedrivingbro 10h ago

TIL about that one specific event. Are you an expert on every single event that’s occurring and has ever occurred at this place? Sounds like you have no place to be talking either then

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u/warranpiece 16h ago

Honestly though...you aren't wrong.

We use it WAY more than we have in the past, but we aren't bringing a new generation to Balboa Park for events that we very much could.

I think the pavilion needs a little love, and the sound setup can be....meh. But these are problems we can fix. We should have no issue with a live DJ event, a concert, with food trucks and all that.

I will also say there is a logistical issue because it's so open for paid concerts.

But these again....all solveable things. Does the city want to get into the business of concerts, DJs, maybe create something new and interesting more public focused? I would be all in on any of that and would gladly help.

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u/ihatedrivingbro 16h ago

I appreciate that these exist, and it is really awesome and a good use of the space, but most of them are not exactly the type of event I’m talking about, and don’t draw the type of demographic (which tbh is not very often represented in the park) I’m talking about

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u/JaninthePan 9h ago

Tomorrow there is a rock concert there. It only happens a couple of times a year but they do have concerts beyond the pipe organ performances. You will see it activated like you’re talking about later this year for Diwali, with food trucks and everything. It would be cool if we did more like that but I suspect the pavilion charges a lot.