NITE OUT Cabaret: Show Must Go On Productions presents the opening of a new Cabaret series, Holiday Celebration NITE, tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the San Diego Hilton Del Mar. There will be a jazz piano hour and an 8:30 p.m. cabaret show, followed by dancing afterwards. Tickets are $18 at the door. A portion of the ticket price will be donated to victims of the wildfires. Call (858) 794-9044 for reservations and information.

Hip-hop dance auditions: Culture Shock San Diego, a professional youth outreach hip-hop and breakdance troupe, is holding auditions tonight, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Culture Shock Dance Center, 2110 Hancock St., second level. Culture Shock Dance Troupe is a nonprofit dance company that cultivates self-worth and respect for all people through the power of dance. For more information, call (619) 299-2110.

First night of Chanukah celebration: Cantor Leon Natker will lead a table service to celebrate Shabbat and Chanukah at 6:30 p.m. at Dor Hadash, 4858 Ronson Court in Kearny Mesa. Bring your favorite chanukiah (menorah) and candles, or enter the contest for the best homemade chanukiah. The evening will feature a potluck dinner — including latkes. A donation of $5 per family unit is suggested to help cover costs. RSVP to Teri Wilner at (858) 278-2837 or Barbara Chancy at (619) 475-9116.

Grand opening at the Bookgarden Café: The Bookgarden Café at 4496 Park Blvd. is hosting an art show by artist Dan Allen as part of their grand re-opening. The event, held from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. tonight, includes complimentary beverages and appetizers. Call (619) 260-1917 for more information.

Dys-FUN-ctional theater: Misift Productions puts the “fun” back in “dysfunction” with the decidedly un-holiday Dysfunctional Family Theater, a program of four one-act comedies about family units gone haywire. Performances are Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 p.m. now through Jan. 3 at Adams Ave. Studio of the Arts, 2804 Adams Ave. Tickets are $10 and are available at the door. Call (619) 584-3593 for more information.

Holiday Pops: Celebrate the season with the San Diego Symphony’s “Holiday Pops” concert, featuring the San Diego Master Chorale and the San Diego Children’s Choir. Enjoy beloved carols, traditional favorites and a salute to Perry Como’s quintessential holiday showstoppers. Call (619) 235-0804 for tickets and further information.

Get a winter fur coat: To pet and cuddle with, that is. The San Diego Humane Society and SPCA are always looking for stable, loving homes to adopt their animals. Call (619) 299-7012, ext. 2288, for monthly adoption schedules.

Leaping cossacks & sugarplum fairies: The San Diego Ballet presents The Nutcracker “Leaping Cossacks, Sugarplum Fairies and a Legion of Rats” today at 2:30 p.m. at the Mandeville Auditorium in La Jolla. Tickets are $17 for students and $27 for adults. Call (800) 595-4849 for tickets and further information.

Christmas trees, Dr. Seuss-style: Aviara Four Seasons, a resort in Carlsbad, presents the Festival of Trees, an annual holiday display that benefits children’s charities. The lobby, with a stunning ocean view, is filled with Christmas trees decorated by the in-house florist. This year’s theme has each tree designed after a book by Dr. Seuss. Guests can bid in a silent auction for the trees’ ornaments, and parents are encouraged dress up the kids and bring the camera for holiday photos. Admission is free. Call (760) 603-6800 for details.

Groovelily at the Old Globe: The Old Globe presents Striking 12: The Groovelily Holiday Show tonight at 8:00 p.m. The hip and fun holiday cabaret-style concert celebration is written and performed by the popular folk rock group, Groovelily, and blends the contemporary tale of a man with the holiday blues with Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Match Girl. Tickets are $19-38. Call (619) 231-1941 for more information and showtimes.

Festival of Lights: Take a tram tour on the Wild Animal Park’s Wqasa Bush Line this evening between the hours of 4:00 and 8:00 p.m. The 55-minute electric train ride glides through the park, giving riders a breathtaking view of zebras, rhinos, giraffes and hundreds of other rare and endangered animals, made extra special with the park’s holiday light displays throughout. Tickets are $25.45 for adults, $23.05 for seniors and $18.45 for children 3-11, free for kids under age 2. Call (760) 747-8702 for more information.

‘Die Mommie Die!’: Want to escape the crowd of relatives for a few hours? Hillcrest Cinemas is showing the Charles Busch film Die Mommie Die! Today at 4:30 p.m. and again at 9:50 p.m. The film is a laugh-out-loud, queer take on Joan Crawford, Lana Turner and Bette Davis movies, written and starring Busch as fallen pop diva Angela Arden. Call (619) 819-0236 for more information.

Nectar of the holidays: Try something different for the holiday feast. Nectar, a recently opened Gaslamp restaurant, serves up contemporary California cuisine, focusing on seasonal flavors, with emphasis on organically grown local produce. Nectar is open today from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. for breakfast, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch, and 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. for dinner, thought they may close early depending on evening holiday clientele. Call (619) 615-3146 for more information. Nectar is located at 911 Fifth Ave.

Ice-skating: Pretend San Diego actually has a winter season, and skate off that holiday feast today from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Horton Plaza’s 100-by-60 foot ice skating rink in downtown San Diego. Cost is $6 for general admission and $2 to rent skates. Call (619) 238-1596 for more information.

Holiday Menorah display: La Jolla’s Prospect St. and Girard Ave. attracts over 230 people a year, soaking up the display of holiday decorations that light up the downtown area and reflecting on the meaning the Chanukah menorah. The free show begins at 7:00 p.m. Chabad La Jolla Shores presents a special eight-foot menorah that burns brightly on the corner of Herschel and Prospect St. Call (619) 454-1444 for more information.