It’s the most spooky time of the season, Halloween is here and Thanksgiving plans with your in-laws are right around the corner. San Diego is bustling with events for food lovers including the San Diego Beer Week; Ramona’s Art, Wine & Musical Festival; and the inaugural San Diego Coffee Festival. The city will also be hosting festive gatherings around town for Halloween and Día de Muertos, bringing out our city’s lively spirits. There are plenty of fun things to do this weekend in San Diego, so throw on your costume and let’s celebrate.
Food & Drink | Concerts & Festivals | Theater & Art Exhibits | More Fun Things to Do
Food & Drink Events in San Diego This Weekend
San Diego Beer Week
November 1-10
San Diego is the epicenter of SoCal’s craft brewery scene, known as the “Capital of Craft,” with various local innovators contributing to the regional brewing excellence. During the 16th annual San Diego Beer Week, bars, restaurants and pubs all over the county, in partnership with the San Diego Brewers Guild, will be pouring their classics along with limited-edition brews, like the new Capital of Craft IPA collaboration beer. The beer week festivities will begin this Friday with a virtual kick-off toast at all Guild member locations, the Ghost Town Tap Takeover at North Park Beer Co. and the Brewery Ignighter Night Market at Barley & Sword Brewing Co.
Countywide
Ramona Art, Wine & Music Festival
November 2
Explore Ramona’s arts and culture scene at the Ramon Art, Wine & Music Festival this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Begent Ranch. A variety of bands and solo artists hailing from the area will play on four stages, more than 50 juried artisans showcase fine artwork and over a dozen local wineries, plus purveyors of cider, beer and mead, sell homegrown sips. There will also be shopping, local food trucks and live and silent auctions. General admission tickets are $85, while all-inclusive VIP passes are going for $155.
18528 Highland Valley Road, Ramona
San Diego Coffee Festival
November 2
No matter if your preferred morning caffeine boost is espresso, french press or cold brew, coffee aficionados will have plenty to try at the inaugural San Diego Coffee Festival. This Saturday, attendees can sample unlimited coffee tastings from 30+ roasters and enjoy live music at Broadway Pier. The event is split into two tasting sessions (10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.), and though some ticket options have already sold out, general admission tickets for each session (starting at $31.36), as well as all-day VIP ($72.91) is still available. Kids ages 13 and under receive free admission.
1000 North Harbor Drive, Embarcadero
Concerts & Festivals in San Diego This Weekend
Downtown Chula Vista Día de los Muertos Celebration
November 2
Community and culture will intertwine at Downtown Chula Vista’s 4th annual Día de los Muertos Celebration, with musical and dance performances, an ofrenda competition, a mercado from Las Jefas Market and much more from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. this Saturday. At this free festival, attendees can pay respect to the dearly departed with a personal tribute on the community altar, dress up for the Catrín & Catrina Ensemble Competition, and admire the altar-laden lowriders of Impalas Car Club SD.
Downtown Chula Vista
Fall Back Festival
November 3
Local families are invited to participate in a range of history-inspired activities and help raise funds for the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation at the free annual Fall Back Festival from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. this Sunday. Held in front of the Gaslamp Museum at the Davis-Horton House, there will be contests, including the popular pie eating contest, educational booths, old-timey games and arts and crafts as they bring San Diego’s history to life.
5th Avenue and Island Avenue, Gaslamp
Carlsbad Fall Village Faire
November 3
As the bi-annual Carlsbad Village Street Faire celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024, its yearly fall iteration returns this Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with more than 800 vendors lining along Grand Avenue. The Carlsbad Fall Village Faire includes a full day’s worth of activities and features with a farmers market, two food courts, live music, children’s carnival rides, a beer garden and plenty of chances to shop for antiques, clothing and whatever else you can carry home.
Grand Avenue between Carlsbad Boulevard and Jefferson Street, Carlsbad
Fleet Week Concert Series
November 3
While the Fleet Week festivities pop up all over San Diego (Nov. 1-11), the musical talents of the armed forces will perform for the public in the Piazza della Famiglia this Sunday at 6 p.m. as part of the Fleet Week Concert Series. At this free performance, the Navy Band Southwest Rock Band will play a mix of contemporary rock classics along with rousing stars and stripes standards. This will be followed by a concert from the Marine Band San Diego Sound Strike Monday evening at the same time and place.
555 West Date Street, Little Italy
Theater & Art Exhibits in San Diego This Weekend
“Midnight at the Never Get” at Diversionary Theatre
Through November 17
In Mark Sonnenblick’s “Midnight at the Never Get,” a queer romance set in 1965 Greenwich Village clashes with the onset of the gay rights movement in New York City, with the story centered around intimate performances in an illegal backroom club called The Never Get. There will be informative and interactive post-show happy hours with director Stephen Brotebeck and members of the artistic team following the shows on Thursday and Sunday. Tickets are ranging from $11.50 to $41.50 for this musical, with daily performances Thursday through Sunday.
4545 Park Boulevard, University Heights
Art San Diego
November 1-3
Experience strolling through a curated arrangement of several museums’ worth of artwork all at once during Art San Diego at the San Diego Convention Center. This three-day art party includes pieces from all over the world, along with several programs, from showcasing regional visual artists in the Local Talent to the stunning, but still affordable, items in the Discoveries Collection. General admission tickets ($20) come with access to all three days of the event plus the Collectors’ Saturday Soiree (5 p.m. to 7 p.m.), while the $30 total ticket comes with all the GA perks plus complimentary drinks at the soiree.
111 West Harbor Drive, Downtown
“La bohème” at the Civic Theatre
November 1-3
The San Diego Opera kicks off its 60th season with a performance of their first-ever production, “La bohème” by Giacomo Puccini, at the Civic Theatre. The opera follows the timeless love story of two bohemian artists in 19th century Paris, with Lidiya Yankovskaya making her San Diego Opera debut as she conducts the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. Tickets are ranging from $23 to $285 for the three performances of “La bohème.”
1100 Third Avenue, Downtown
Cross-Border Gallery Exchange at Sparks Gallery
Opens November 2
In a display of border region collaboration, Tijuana art studio Ángulo Galeria will host the works of San Diego-based artists Kathleen Kane-Murrell and Alexander Arshansky, while Sparks Gallery receives artwork from Tijuana artists Jessica Sanchez and Aida Urbina. This concurrent exhibition, highlighting the thriving artistic exchange between Baja California and Southern California, will run through November 30 at both galleries. Mark your calendars: an opening reception will be held for the exhibition on Thursday, November from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
530 Sixth Avenue, Gaslamp
More Fun Things To Do in San Diego This Weekend
Monster Movie Mixer
October 31
Books & Records will trade in its warm ambience for a delightfully spooky setting for its Monster Movie Mixer, this Thursday from 8 p.m. to midnight. Come in your desired creature feature fit for the party, where you can compete in a costume contest, and enjoy themed sips, bites and live music. Tickets are $27.50 for this Halloween hangout, and come with food and one drink ticket per person.
2202 Fourth Avenue, Bankers Hill
Oceanside Haunted Market
October 31
When Thursday evening comes around, Oceanside’s weekly Sunset Market will return with a haunted holiday edition. From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Oceanside Haunted Market will feature the usual lineup of retail and food vendors offered at the market, along with a handful of fun Halloween activities. There will be kids trick-or-treating for those ages 12 years old and younger (while the candy lasts), plus a costume parade, live DJ and vendor costume contests at this free event.
Pier View Way and South Tremont Street, Oceanside
Mask-O-Raid IV
November 2
Don your masks as the Comic-Con Museum hosts its annual costume soiree, Mask-O-Raid, this Saturday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. There will be a raffle for Funko prototypes, an art sale where attendees can bid on pieces from artists and Comic-Con staff, and trick-or-treating for exclusive prizes. Attendees can also compete in the event’s costume contest, dance to terrifying tunes from DJ Chino and shop Halloween-themed items and exclusive gear from the gift shop. Tickets are $130 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
2131 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park
More Than Pink Walk
November 3
Show your support for survivors of metastatic breast cancer by taking part in the More Than Pink Walk this Sunday. After warming up with Orangetheory Fitness and exploring the many partnering nonprofits and advocates in the Hope Village, participants will march 2.2 miles through Balboa Park. Following the walk there will be live music, food, activities and a San Diego Mascot dance off. Registration for the More Than Pink Walk is free and can be done here.
Corner of 6th Avenue and Laurel Street, Balboa Park
