"We are uncovering and elevating the qualities that make The Valley special while creating a modern destination that reflects how people live, work, shop, dine and gather today," Lowe Senior Vice President Todd Majcher said in the owners' October announcement renaming the former Mission Valley mall "The Valley."
This season, the gathering happens mostly in one place: The Oasis, the patch of grass in front of the AMC. The coat drive bin sits there, and so do the Santa photo sessions, the Hanukkah menorah lighting and the December holiday market. The newest full-service restaurant on the property opened just across the walkway from it. For anyone who has used this center for errands, a movie or a Target run, the renovation already has a center, and it's the lawn.
A 1981 Mall With a New Owner and a Plan
The center at 1640 Camino Del Rio North was built in 1981 and covers about 1.1 million square feet. Westfield sold it in 2023 to Lowe Real Estate and Real Capital Solutions, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, which also reported that renovations will continue into 2027.
The owners scheduled a public unveiling for Friday, October 9. The program listed an 11 a.m. ribbon cutting, remarks from Councilmember Stephen Whitburn and Mayor Todd Gloria, an Aztec blessing, a "Taste of the Valley" and family activities across the property.
Lowe's stated vision for the property includes:
- A walkable, transit-oriented mixed-use village
- Common areas with improved architecture, upgraded access, unified gathering spaces and public art
- New signage, graphics and wayfinding under the rebrand
- More food, entertainment and specialty retail alongside existing merchants
- Experiential retail and other uses for the historic Macy's building
- "New residential opportunities in strategic locations"
Majcher also said the work would preserve the center's "expansive open-air setting and mid-century-inspired architecture." Of everything on that list, the gathering space is the piece with a calendar already attached, with dates running through December.
Why the Lawn by AMC Became the Address
The center's own event listings use The Oasis near AMC as their usual reference point, with Yard House next to it as the other landmark.
The Stand held its grand opening on October 8. According to Times of San Diego, it's located directly across from AMC. It's the 23rd location for the family-run chain founded by Murray Wishengrad and its third in San Diego. It seats 200 indoors and outdoors and has a full bar. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and parking is free. That gives the lawn a sit-down meal with a bar on one side and a movie theater on the other.
The Valley's planned food lineup also included a piece built specifically for the grass. In August, the Union-Tribune reported that the owners of Encuentro Café, the Venezuelan restaurant in Old Town, planned a second location at The Valley that would sell picnic baskets for the lawn in the center square.
The center's seasonal farmers market ran out of the same spot. Its official listing moved it to the last Saturday of each month starting in July, and its listed run ended with an October 31 market at The Oasis in front of AMC.
The November and December Calendar
Here is the holiday calendar the center has posted for this season, in date order. Nearly every entry is on the lawn or right next to it.
| Date | Event | Where on the property |
|---|---|---|
| Through Dec. 24 | One Warm Coat Drive with the YMCA of San Diego County | Donation bin at The Oasis near AMC |
| Mon., Nov. 30 and Mon., Dec. 7 | Pet Photos with Santa | Near AMC and Yard House |
| Dec. 5–6 | Holiday Vintage Market with Exchange SD | Listed on The Valley's events calendar |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | Sensory Santa | The Oasis outside AMC and Yard House |
| Wed., Dec. 9, 5–7 p.m. | Hanukkah Under the Stars, with a menorah lighting and children's choir | The Oasis grass area near AMC |
| Sat., Dec. 12, 1–6 p.m. | Holiday Collective Market | The Oasis lawn near AMC |
| Sat., Dec. 19, 8–10 a.m. | Breakfast with Santa | Outside Panera and Nordstrom Rack |
Breakfast with Santa is the one event set away from the AMC side, outside Panera and Nordstrom Rack. For everything else, the lawn is the place to go. The coat drive is already running, so the bin at The Oasis takes donations on any visit before Christmas Eve.
What's Pouring and Scooping Near the Lawn Now
The food lineup has filled in gradually. The first new spot, EM Coffee House, opened April 14 near Hot Topic. It's owned by local restaurateur Nick Truong and serves Vietnamese drip coffee and matcha.
Here is how the center's directory lists the rest of the announced lineup:
- Bacio di Latte: listed as "NOW OPEN." The Milanese small-batch gelato chain also has locations in Del Mar and La Jolla, and its store page lists daily hours of 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Philz Coffee: listed as "NOW OPEN," with hours on its store page.
- Pepper Lunch: listed as "COMING SOON" in unit 212. The Tokyo-born cook-your-own hot-plate teppanyaki chain was announced for November.
- Oakberry: listed as "COMING SOON."
For a December evening event on the lawn, the open options now include gelato until 11 p.m., coffee, and a 200-seat restaurant across from the theater that stays open until 11 on Thursday through Saturday nights.
What the Lawn Doesn't Change Yet
The holiday season comes before most of the plan is finished. The Union-Tribune puts continued renovation work in 2027. The Macy's building and the residential pieces are still described only as goals in the owners' plan. The new tenant mix is also bringing departures. A Union-Tribune report in August said new and relocating tenants would focus on experiences, dining, personal care and fitness, and that Trinity Theatre Company would be leaving.
The everyday anchors are still in place. Target and AMC both keep active listings in the center's directory, and AMC's page shows showtimes into November.
Getting There on a Busy December Weekend
The owners point to the Mission Valley Center Trolley Station as part of the property's access, along with I-8, I-805 and Highway 163. The trolley matters most on the days when Snapdragon Stadium, also in Mission Valley, has a crowd of its own. The stadium's calendar lists the following games for the rest of the year:
- San Diego Wave FC on Friday, November 6, at 7 p.m.
- The SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl on December 23 at 4:30 p.m.
- The Holiday Bowl on December 28 at 2 p.m.
The Poinsettia Bowl on December 23 lands in the final days of the coat drive, but none of the stadium dates fall on a day with a scheduled lawn event. The December 12 Holiday Collective Market, from 1 to 6 p.m., and the December 9 Hanukkah gathering, from 5 to 7 p.m., both fall on dates with no listed stadium game.
If you're moving to San Diego on PCS orders and planning your first holiday season here, it helps to know which places in each part of the city actually fill up this time of year. That kind of local knowledge is part of how Alanna Strei helps military families get settled. Book your free VA relocation consultation, and we'll help you plan around the San Diego you'll actually be living in.
