Coronado Times

Chanoyu Japanese Tea Ceremony
2026-02-08 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Choose Healthy, 171 C Avenue, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Experience a moment of tranquility and tradition at a Japanese tea ceremony (Chado) presented by Sokei, Morita, certified and experienced tea master. She has been practicing Chado for 18 years with the intention of bringing piece of mind, which is a universal human desire. Join us for a formal tea preparation where we will honor the principles of harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility. ​
Event includes:

Demonstration

Matcha and sweets

Lecture: History of tea, The spirit and philosophy of chanoyu, Seasonality, concept of hospitality

Number of guests: 5 (maximum)

Price: $75 per person

Wine & Lecture: Ellen Browning Scripps
2026-02-19 17:30 - 19:00 | 1000 Orange Ave, 1000 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
The Coronado Historical Association invites you to join us for this month’s installment of the popular Wine & Lecture Series on Thursday, February 19. Enjoy a captivating evening with a fascinating look into the life and legacy of Ellen Browning Scripps (1836–1932) — the celebrated philanthropist who appeared on the cover of Time Magazine in 1926 after giving away the equivalent of $100 million to institutions such as the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Scripps Memorial Hospital, and Scripps College.
This engaging lecture will explore Scripps’s remarkable career as a journalist, her lifelong dedication to social advocacy, and the pivotal role she played in shaping modern philanthropy. We will also highlight the broader legacy of women in philanthropy — a powerful tradition of leadership that continues today.
Join us for a wine & cheese reception at 5:30 pm, followed by the lecture from 6 to 7 pm.
Tickets are available now on our website.

Member: $15.00
Non-Member: $20.00

Important Registration Information: Reservations are required. Please be aware that tickets for the wine & lecture events are nonrefundable, as proceeds support our educational mission.
If you have any questions, please email info@coronadohistory.org or call 619-435-7242.
Purchase the book through the University of Nebraska Press by clicking the image below:

About the Speaker
Molly McClain (PhD, Yale) is a professor of history at the University of San Diego. Her academic honors include USD’s distinguished University Professorship and the Davies Award for Faculty Achievement. A ninth-generation San Diegan, she is the author of four books and numerous articles, including Ellen Browning Scripps: New Money and American Philanthropy (2017). An editor of The Journal of San Diego History for over a decade, she encouraged writers to explore the region’s fascinating and understudied past. McClain has worked on a variety of public history projects, including the successful designation of the La Jolla Park Coastal Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places in 2024. She is a former board member of the La Jolla Historical Society.

Small Changes, Big Impact: Electrification That Fits Your Home
2026-02-26 10:00 - 11:30 | John D. Spreckels Center Activity Room, 1019 7th St., Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
Join Emerald Keepers for a free talk at the Coronado Spreckels Center’s Activity Room (1019 7th St.). Kathy Nicholson of the San Diego Building Electrification Coalition (SDBEC) will provide information and advice on electrifying your home to reduce energy and gas consumption. The talk will be followed by a Q&A.
Subjects include:

Why electrification matters (health, safety, efficiency)

Common myths (cost, reliability, complexity)

Opportunities to update your home including heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, induction cooktops and heat pump dryers

Which updates have the biggest impact

Click here to register.

Wine & Lecture: Rooted in History
2026-03-19 17:30 - 19:00 | 1000 Orange Ave, 1000 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
The Coronado Historical Association invites you to join us for this month’s installment of the popular Wine & Lecture Series on Thursday, March 19. Rooted in History: The Coronado Flower Show’s Century of Blooms will dive into the vibrant history of the Flower Show, a community tradition spanning over 100 years. Join our panel of organizers as they share personal stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and the show‘s evolution from a village event to a cherished community centerpiece.
Join us for a wine & cheese reception at 5:30 pm, followed by the panel discussion from 6 to 7 pm.
Tickets are available now on our website.

Member: $15.00
Non-Member: $20.00

Important Registration Information: Capacity is limited and reservations are required. No walk-ins will be admitted.
If you have any questions, please email info@coronadohistory.org or call 619-435-7242.
Harold Taylor Slide 116. Coronado Historical Association.

Wine & Lecture: San Diego's South Bay Railroads
2026-04-16 17:30 - 19:00 | 1000 Orange Ave, 1000 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA, 92118, United States
The Coronado Historical Association invites you to join us for this month’s installment of the popular Wine & Lecture Series on Thursday, April 16, about San Diego’s South Bay Railroads! Enjoy an engaging evening with Bruce Semelsberger, archivist at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum, as we explore how the opening of the California Southern Railroad in 1885 transformed San Diego and sparked the Great Southern California Land Boom of the 1880s. Discover how San Diego’s would-be rail barons set their sights on Coronado and the South Bay — and find out what happened next in this fascinating chapter of local history.
Join us on Thursday, April 16, at 5:30 pm for a wine & cheese reception followed by the lecture from 6 to 7 pm.
Tickets are available now on our website.

Member: $15.00 each
Non-Member: $20.00 each

Important Registration Information: Reservations are required. Please be aware that tickets for the wine & lecture events are nonrefundable, as proceeds support our educational mission. If you have any questions, please email info@coronadohistory.org or call 619-435-7242.

About the Speaker
Born in Akron, Ohio, in 1947, Bruce Semelsberger received his education in Cuyahoga Falls and briefly pursued electrical engineering at the University of Akron before joining the U.S. Navy, serving in electronics from 1966 to 1970. Afterward, he built a long career in San Diego’s electronic component industry until retiring in 2016.
His lifelong fascination with railroads began with a few old maps and led him to join the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in 1984. What started as a volunteer cataloging project became a decades-long commitment as Research Director, Librarian, and Archivist. Bruce has lectured widely, taught railroad history at Cuyamaca College, and helped restore trains, tracks, and facilities.
Today, he continues collecting material for a book on San Diego’s early railroad history while hiking, researching, and preserving the region’s rail heritage for future generations.
