SAN DIEGO.- San Diego's streets have a new look.

From the lamps of the Gaslamp District in Downtown San Diego hang the faces of world famous personalities, some of them highlight aspects of the Tijuana-San Diego area's development as one region; all of this as an effort made to promote Tijuana Innovadora, to have its second installment next October.

The message is clear: the event that became a citizen movement after an appalling success in 2010 is inviting the San Diegan public to visit south of the border.

From October 11 to 21, the world's eyes will be set on the region once again. The movement started two years ago, drawing over 800,000 people with guests like former vice-president Al Gore, communicator Larry King, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone and Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales among others of the same caliber.

This year the goal is to have over a million attendees, and for that they have a line-up with the likes of Steve Wozniak, Apple's co-founder; the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Ada Yonath; TOMS Chief Shoe Giver, Blake Mycoskie; Economy Secretariat, Bruno Ferrari and Wired Magazine's Editor, Chris Anderson.

To promote the event in the United States, officers and organizers visited San Diego where they invited the community to be a part of Tijuana Innovadora.

"We have a great line-up, 120 of the world's best minds will gather in Tijuana," said the event founder, José Galicot.

It was announced that tickets will be on sale through the event's official website and that the prices will range between 15 and 35 dollars.

On his part, Consul General Remedios Gómez Arnau, stated that this kind of movements are trying to change the mistaken idea many US citizens have about Tijuana as well as showing them that it is a city with a great cultural, innovator and gastronomical value.

"The idea is to take San Diego by surprise," he said. "Help them realize that the concept they have about Tijuana has changed, this event is a great opportunity to do so."

Derrik Chinn is a great example of that, a Tijuana resident for the last five years, he created the "Turista Libre" concept, a series of tours through which US tourists are taken to Baja's assets.

"I lived through an era in which news headlines made me want to pack up my things and leave," he said. "But something compelled me to stay and I can only admire how the people's spirit has made things change."

James Clark, director of the Regional Chamber of Commerce in San Diego, emphasized the economic importance between the two cities. "We are one of the biggest metropolitan areas separated only by a border."

He said that among their strengths, Tijuana and San Diego must try to unite a variety of sectors, like universities or convention centers. He also reminded people that next week authorities from both sides will travel to Washington trying to guarantee funding to finish the last two stages of the San Ysidro crossing port's transformation; he considers that border crossings are vital for the region's economic development.

Making the most out of the gastronomic movement, Tijuana Innovadora will hold a "Culinary Battle", a competition "Iron Chef" style where famous names of the culinary industries from both side of the border will meet.

Tijuana Chef Marcela Valladolid, host of Food Network's TV show "Mexican Made Easy" and Sam "The Cooking Guy" will be the hosts of the event in which Chefs like Javier Plascencia, Miguel Ángel Guerrero, Chad White, Martín González, Diego Hernández, Paul McCabe, Drew Deckman, Jason Knibb and Neil Fraser will compete.

"The competition will have local ingredients as a base trying to showcase Baja California's riches."

He explained that there won't be a competition between chefs from one side of the border against the other but rather that they would work together to see what can they create.

One of the most iconic moments from the first edition was the massive performance of "Pa Bailar, Tijuana" that had thousands of people from both sides of the border dancing simultaneously to one song.

The idea is still alive and the Lux Boreal dancing group will be once again in charge of setting the choreography to an original song by La Ballena de Jonás.

Alexandra.Mendoza@sandiegored.com

Translation: Karen.balderas@sandiegored.com