Musicians, Street Performers : Activities Galore for Horton Debut

A visitor to Horton Plaza this weekend can expect crowds, shops still under construction and enough activities to be entertained at every turn.

The plaza will offer music, comedy and dance, a chance to meet Mrs. Fields of cookie fame and, for some lucky shopper, a trip to Paris, London or Geneva.

During the grand opening weekend, there will be flamenco dancing, vaudeville, Dixieland jazz and mariachis, and tours of the shopping center by members of the Lamb’s Players Theatre.

The long-awaited plaza opens today, and henceforth, retail stores will be open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.

To celebrate today’s opening, a parade of 85 street performers will march from the Civic Center to the entrance of Horton Plaza starting at 8:40 a.m., to be followed by the formal dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9 a.m. with U.S. Sen. Pete Wilson, Lt. Gov. Leo McCarthy and Mayor Roger Hedgecock.

Nordstrom, Robinson’s and Mervyn’s department stores open today, along with about 50 of the 140 smaller shops that will make up the center. Among those that will throw open their doors:

- 10 women’s apparel shops.

- 2 men’s apparel shops, Georgetown Clothiers and Storton’s Men’s Fashion Theatre.

- 9 specialty apparel shops for men and women.

- 2 sporting goods stores, The Complete Athlete and Footlocker.

- 5 shoe stores.

- 3 jewelers--Ben Bridge, Jessop’s and Zales.

- 2 art galleries.

- Various specialty shops, card and gift shops and three gourmet takeout shops including, of course, Mrs. Fields Cookies.

None of the sit-down restaurants will open today, and the planned seven-screen United Artists cinema is not expected to open until Christmas. John Gilchrist, president of Ernest W. Hahn Inc., which developed the center, said Thursday that 20 more shops are expected to open by Sept. 1; 10 more by Oct. 4, including The Broadway department store, and 20 by Christmas. The subterranean Lyceum theaters are expected to stage their first production in the spring.

For shoppers from San Diego’s outlying areas who are unfamiliar with downtown driving, here are directions:

- From the north: Take I-5 south to the Front Street exit, follow Front to Broadway, then east to the Plaza.

- From north central: Take California 163 south, exit at Ash Street, drive west to 6th Avenue, south to F Street, then west to the 4th Avenue parking garage.

- From East County: Take California 94 to its end, then head west on F Street to the 4th Avenue parking garage.

- From South Bay: Take I-5 North to the B Street exit, follow B Street to 6th Avenue, then go south on F Street and west to the 4th Avenue parking garage.

The Horton Plaza parking lot has entrances at 4th Avenue and F Street and at 2nd Avenue and G Street. Organizers warn drivers to avoid Broadway this weekend, and remind them that G Street was recently made one way, heading east.

A good bet would be to park at any of several pay lots within four blocks of the plaza. There are 2,400 spaces in the Horton Plaza lot, and organizers expect as many as 20,000 people to pass through the center during each of the next three days, according to spokeswoman Patty Danos.

For those who manage to get a parking space at the center today, parking is free all day. Beginning Saturday, parking is free for up to 45 minutes. Validation with a $7 purchase gives 90 minutes of parking, and a $14 purchase is good for 3 free hours.