A World of WNDR

If you’ve ever wondered what it would feel like to perform on one of San Diego’s most iconic stages, here’s your shot. The Old Globe is looking for local singers, songwriters, and musicians to take the spotlight before performances of its upcoming musical Begin Again—and the gig comes with a chance to perform on the theater’s main stage and at a new community music event, Begin Again: San Diego Sessions.

Inspired by the opening scene of Begin Again, which makes its pre-Broadway premiere at The Old Globe this fall, the open mic–style performances celebrate local talent while giving audiences a taste of San Diego’s music scene before the curtain rises.

Solo artists and duets ages 18 and older can submit video entries here through Friday, July 10. Selected performers will be notified by July 14.

The public is also invited to Begin Again: San Diego Sessions, a free event on Monday, July 20, at 7 p.m. in the Globe’s Copley Plaza. Attendees can catch performances from top contest participants while enjoying discounted drinks from the theater’s pub.

“Begin Again is a story about hope and someone finding their light,” says Adena Varner, Director of Arts Engagement at The Old Globe. “The opening moment, which is what we’re excited about with this contest, is about an artist who’s unknown taking a chance at an open mic night—and then their life changes.”

“What I love about San Diego is it’s a space where hopes and dreams seem to actually be able to come true, and people get to find themselves, find their light and their voice, so I think the spirit of the show really resonates with who we are as San Diegans,” she says.

For director Lorin Latarro, the pre-show performances are a chance to weave San Diego into the production. While the musical has been developed in New York with New York–based musicians and actors, these performances create a direct connection between the show and the city’s local music community.

“One of the things Lorin is passionate about is wanting these performances to feel like San Diego, so we want them to be diverse,” Varner says. “We want these moments to look like us and all that that means… We have submissions from artists based in Tijuana, North County, and East County, so it’s geographically diverse, ethnically diverse, and we’re looking at age diversity as well.”

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The Old Globe has hosted community engagement opportunities tied to past productions—including an art contest and walk-on performances—but nothing quite like this.

“We’ve also never had an open mic night on the plaza, so we’re excited, and we really want the music community to know that they’ve got a place at The Old Globe, too,” Varner says. “We’re getting in the practice of making sure our community feels connected to our shows and have an opportunity to contribute in a way that’s meaningful and impactful for them.”

Begin Again is based on the 2013 film starring Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo, with a book by Jenna Clark Embrey and Molly Beach Murphy and music and lyrics by Pat Monahan of Train. Performances run September 6 through October 11, with opening night on September 17.

At the time of publication, The Old Globe had received nearly 100 video submissions.

The weekend forecast predicts mid-70s temperatures, lots of sun and a high likelihood of fun happening all over San Diego. Those looking to have a sporty outing can head to Petco Park to watch the Padres, support the Bombers arena football team in Oceanside or see the first-place San Diego Wave take on Angel City FC. Free receptions for The Studio Door’s annual PROUD+ exhibition, Oriana Poindexter: Field Notes at The Photographer’s Eye, and Best Practice Gallery’s …And love dares you to care for [a michelada with San Miguel] mean a myriad of ways to indulge in local artwork. As for the culinary scene, Trattoria Don Pietro has a stacked evening planned for its grand reopening and the Candy Land Café pop-up will begin its three-month run at Bayside Kitchen + Bar. 

Food & Drink | Concerts & Festivals | Theater & Art Exhibits | More Fun Things to Do

Food & Drink Events in San Diego This Weekend

Trattoria Don Pietro Grand Reopening 

July 9

Trattoria Don Pietro invites all—in the tradition of Joe Busalacchi—to dig in during the Old Town eatery’s grand reopening this Thursday from 6 p.m. to midnight. As with many spots in the local Busalacchi culinary empire, Trattoria Don Pietro pays gastronomic homage to Sicily, and it boasts both an updated space and a new menu premiering Thursday. Patrons can enjoy a DJ (beginning at 6:30 p.m.), a cocktail hour (6-7 p.m.), passed appetizers, a complimentary welcome cocktail or glass of champagne, and seated reservations (7-10 p.m.) To cap off the celebration, the restaurant will transition to party mode with a late night social (10 p.m. to midnight). 

2415 San Diego Avenue, Old Town

Candy Land Café

July 9–October 4

In 1948, Eleanor Abbott, a hospitalized San Diego school teacher, created a candy-coated board game to entertain young polio victims. Candy Land’s local legacy will add another chapter with the opening of Candy Land Café pop-up at Bayside Kitchen + Bar on Thursday, where guests can decorate gingerbread cookies, share sweet treats and walk the colorful path of King Kandy in life-sized form. Tickets start at $25 and come with 90-minute seating, a $10 food credit and a $5 merchandise credit; kids younger than two years old don’t require a ticket. 

2137 Pacific Highway, Little Italy

Hash House a Go Go Brunch at The Nat

July 12

Indulge in smoked salmon and focaccia, wild boar chilaquiles or biscuits with sausage gravy with a side of rooftop views during this Sunday’s pop-up brunch atop the San Diego Natural History Museum. General seating is first-come, first-served from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with museum admission ($25 for adults and $17 for youth). The VIP experience ($144), open to 12 guests, comes with a tapas-style brunch, two beverages and a one-hour guided tour of The Nat’s most exclusive sections; VIP seatings are available at 10:15 a.m., 11:45 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.

1788 El Prado, Balboa Park

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Concerts & Festivals in San Diego This Weekend

5 Seconds of Summer at Viejas Arena

July 9

The 2010s revival of the ‘boy band’ sparked many acts, the most notable being One Direction, BTS and Australian pop-punk quartet 5 Seconds of Summer. Though it can be hard for groups to shake off that adolescent label, 5SOS have made a valiant effort with Everyone’s a Star!, their most fully-formed and, dare I say, grown-up album yet. This Thursday (8 p.m.) at Viejas Arena, hear the new 5SOS record and an opening set by indie rock group The Band CAMINO, who dropped their fourth album, NeverAlways (Vol. 2), in May. Tickets start at $42 for this concert.

5500 Canyon Crest Drive, Rolando

San Diego Black Pride 

July 10–12

This Friday-Sunday, San Diego Black Pride returns “Unbound & Unlimited” with a ballroom event, a yacht party (sold out) and an all-day community celebration. The festivities will begin with the Mini Ball on Friday (8 p.m.) at Liberty Station’s Chapel and conclude Sunday from 1-9 p.m. with live performances, DJs and Black queer owned vendors at The Soap Factory during Sunday Service. Ticket options (18-plus) include admission to Sunday Service ($35-$50), the Mini Ball ($30-$60) and the Day & Night Pass ($50), which comes with entry to both events. 

Citywide

Marine Band San Diego Summer Concert at Piazza della Famiglia 

July 11

Fresh off their 4th of July performance at the San Diego County Fair, Marine Band San Diego’s 35-piece ensemble will return to the Piazza della Famiglia for their free annual summer concert this Saturday at 7 p.m. During their performance, Marine Band San Diego will pay tribute to famed American composers like George Gershwin, John Williams and John Philip Sousa, whose catalog of military standards includes the official U.S. Marine Corps march, “Semper Fidelis.”  

West Date Street between India Street & Columbia Street, Little Italy

Encanto Block Party Music Festival at Marie Widman Park

July 12

Growing up in Carlsbad, I never quite understood why people vacationed there. What, so you want to check out the field where I have soccer practice? Pay my orthodontist a visit? Carlsbad just felt like a town by the beach, no better or worse than any other in the country. It took going to college out of state for me to actually understand just how rare a place like Carlsbad is.

Thanksgiving break my freshman year, my first time coming home after three months in the Midwest, my shoulders dropped. I rolled down the windows and drove to lifeguard tower 37—the hangout magnet for Carlsbad’s youths (and, in the summer, tourists)—and the smells of the ocean woke me right up like smelling salts do. I finally got it.

Carlsbad isn’t just a stopover town on your way to something better. It is the destination. Travel + Leisure named Carlsbad one of the top 50 places around the world to travel in 2026. From the whole globe, the travel magazine picked my home. Sure, we’ve got the Flower Fields and Legoland—but now it’s the smaller ships and indier dreams that are giving it street-level character.

It’s not just Carlsbad, either. People have talked about the “North County bubble” for decades—a force field that prevents its residents from traveling south of the 56. It’s often used derogatorily, and it’s a fairly accurate burn.

For decades, living up in North County meant giving up on culture, or at least culture within close proximity. But now, the main expansion of San Diego culture is happening up north. Central San Diego restaurants have started taking notice and are expanding into the area—spurred no doubt by Oceanside’s food boom and the Jeune et Jolie–Campfire–Wildland–Lilo constellation in Carlsbad. City Heights burger joint Key & Cleaver opened a new spot in Oceanside; the owners of Parc Bistro-Brasserie in Bankers Hill opened Parc Lounge in Rancho Santa Fe. Possibly the strongest market indicator is that Sam Fox—one of the most successful restaurateurs west of the Rockies—has started focusing on North County for his concepts. In 2025, he opened both The Henry in Carlsbad and Culinary Dropout in Del Mar.

For the ultimate insider guide, we found a handful of inspiring people who live and create and truly know six North County neighborhoods—San Marcos, Escondido, Oceanside, Leucadia, Rancho Santa Fe, and Vista—and asked them how they’d spend a dream day out and about in their town.

San Marcos

San Marcos is in full renaissance mode. The biggest story is that the grand North City vision is starting to peek through the scaffolding. It’s essentially the North County Downtown that’s been written in the tea leaves and discussed whenever someone gets stuck in traffic at the 5/805 merge: a 200-acre, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use face-changer that’s slated for 2,600 homes, 350,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, 250 hotel rooms, and about a million square feet of offices and labs. Its most recent manifestation is 222 North City—a 12-story residential tower with over 450 residences, rooftop garden, pool cabanas, art installations, and almost 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail (Necessity Coffee, Buona Forchetta, Draft Republic, Milonga Empanadas, and a grocery store anchor on its way).

Which means Restaurant Row is no longer burdened with being the primary caregiver for the hungry or the socially inclined. Patricia Prado-Olmos has watched the city morph during her nearly three-decade tenure at CSUSM, having spent the past six years as the school’s chief community engagement officer. She also just announced her forthcoming retirement at the end of the 2026–2027 school year, so she’ll have even more time to haunt local haunts.

Meet the Local: Patricia Prado-Olmos

Those in the know call the university “Cal State StairMaster” from the Sisyphean amount of stairs on the hillside campus. So, any day at or around CSUSM should start with a homestyle carbo-load (biscuits and gravy) from Mama Kat’s.

Rull, a Michelin-trained pastry chef who’s done stints on Netflix (Bake Squad) and Food Network (Super Mega Cakes, Halloween Wars), opened his patisserie last fall. The hype hasn’t cooled off yet: Get there early because the crowds do.

It’s happening, San Diego. The pre–Comic-Con excitement jitters begin to creep in as soon as July hits the calendar. But for those who forgot to set an alarm on registration day, whose batteries died or whose luck ran out in the virtual waiting room, or who simply prefer to soak up the fandom frenzy from the outside, we’ve got the best ways to experience Comic-Con weekend—no badge required.

Ready Party One: The Final Level 2026 SDCC Kickoff Party

Ain’t no party like an after-hours party, and XLE Productions’ Ready Party One is definitely one for comic book fans. Kick-start your convention weekend at Parq Nightclub and enjoy music by fan-favorite ’80s tribute band The Flux Capacitors, along with enough fandom fun, cosplay, retro gaming and pop-culture nostalgia to satisfy your inner geek. At least for the night.

Date & Time: Wednesday, July 22, 8 p.m.
Location: Parq Nightclub, 615 Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101
Price: Tickets start at $34

Interactive Zone at Petco Park and Gallagher Square Events

With more than a dozen activities and brand activations, Petco Park’s Interactive Zone is a badgeless fan’s playground, bringing together brands, games, celebrity appearances and immersive experiences all in one place. On Friday, July 24, Funko’s beloved annual party, hosted by Funko founder Mike Becker, returns to Gallagher Square. This year’s “Quest for the Grail” event will take guests on a journey to the sunken city of Atlantis. Expect themed décor, food, drinks, games and special guest appearances.

Date & Time: Thursday, July 23–Sunday, July 26 (times TBD)
Location: Lexus Premier Lot across from Petco Park
Price: Free; Funko Funday event is ticketed

Chuck Jones Gallery Pop-up Meet-and-Greets

Cartoon and art lovers can celebrate the work of Chuck Jones, creator of some of animation’s most iconic characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote and Pepé Le Pew, at Seaport Village’s Chuck Jones Gallery. During Comic-Con weekend, the showroom will also host meet-and-greets with talented artists including Disney artist and seascape painter Steve Barton, The Simpsons animator Stephen Reis, and licensed Warner Bros., Hanna-Barbera and Disney fine artist Ben Olson.

Date & Time: Thursday, July 23–Saturday, July 25, 2026 (times TBD)
Location: Chuck Jones Gallery, 809 W. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA
Price: Free

PAWmicon Pet Cosplay

Get your pup’s—and your own—cosplay game ready because Helen Woodward Animal Center’s PAWmicon is back. Enjoy a Comic-Con-themed outing with the whole family while raising awareness for orphaned pets in San Diego. Divided into three categories—Flying Solo, Dynamic Duos & Trios & More, and Fantastic Floats—the event is a paw-fect way to jump-start the festivities.

Date & Time: Tuesday, July 21, 2026, 4:30–7 p.m.
Location: Presidents Way Lawn at Balboa Park
Price: Free

Comic-Con-Themed Bar Crawl

Why leave all the fun, mischief and mayhem to badge holders when you can join more than 300 partygoers and crawl through some of downtown San Diego’s top bars and nightclubs? Whether you’re called to save the universe or have an allegiance to the dark side, the annual Comic-Con Bar Crawl gives attendees exclusive access to more than 20 venues throughout the Gaslamp Quarter, with free welcome shots, exclusive drink discounts and complimentary entry along the way. This event for ages 21 and older is a fun way to celebrate your fandom outside the convention center.

Date & Time: Friday, July 24–Sunday, July 26, 2026, 8 p.m.–2 a.m.
Location: Check-in at Toro, 672 Fifth Ave., San Diego, CA 92101, from 8–9 p.m.
Price: $13–$30

Her Universe Fashion Show

Geek out over couture at the annual Her Universe Fashion Show at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. Hosted by founder and Star Wars: The Clone Wars actress Ashley Eckstein and presented by Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, this year’s show will feature a selection of designers showcasing one-of-a-kind DC-inspired creations as they compete for a $2,000 cash prize.

Note: Wristbands are traditionally distributed the morning of the event on a first-come, first-served basis, but official details have not yet been announced.

Date & Time: Thursday, July 23, 6 p.m.
Location: Manchester Grand Hyatt, Seaport Ballroom, 1 Market Place, San Diego, CA 92101
Price: Free

Comic-Con Museum

A destination for all things fandom, Balboa Park’s Comic-Con Museum brings world-premiere and exclusive exhibits and events to the heart of San Diego, giving fans a place to geek out all year long. The museum is currently featuring the U.S. debut of Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder, showcasing 17 of the Doctor’s most iconic costumes, a full-size TARDIS and a collection of original sonic screwdrivers used on-screen. Visitors can also explore Sangre, Sudor y Mito: The Art and Tradition of Mexican Lucha Libre, featuring rare collectibles and authentic masks and costumes worn by legendary luchadores.

Date & Time: Open Thursday through Tuesday (closed Wednesdays), 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Location: 2131 Pan American Plaza, San Diego, CA 92101
Price: $15–$30; free for children younger than 6

Comic-Con Art Show

Browse an extensive collection of original drawings, paintings, jewelry and other whimsical creations from more than 100 professional and amateur artists at the Comic-Con Art Show. Many pieces will be available for purchase through the silent auction or Quick Sale, giving fans the chance to take home a one-of-a-kind Comic-Con souvenir while supporting talented artists.

Dates & Times:

• Thursday, July 23: 11 a.m.–8 p.m.
• Friday, July 24: 9 a.m.–8 p.m.
• Saturday, July 25: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.
• Sunday, July 26: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.

Location: Manchester Grand Hyatt, Grand Hall CD, 1 Market Place, San Diego, CA 92101
Price: Free

Hello Kitty Café Truck

Looking for a supercute way to fuel your Comic-Con adventures? Swing by the Hello Kitty Café Truck. This traveling pink café on wheels will be parked at Petco Park’s Interactive Zone, serving up tasty treats and exclusive merchandise. From limited-edition tote bags and hats to mugs and T-shirts, it’s the perfect stop to grab a snack and a little extra kawaii cuteness.

Date & Time:

• Thursday, July 23–Saturday, July 25: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
• Sunday, July 26: 10 a.m. (closing time TBD)

Location: Petco Park Interactive Zone, 100 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101
Price: Menu items vary

PopUp Bagels, Spider-Man and Donut Bar Activations at Pendry San Diego

Get ready to fuel up and hype up. Whether you’re a plain-bagel purist or an everything-bagel fan, don’t miss your chance to grab breakfast or recharge at PopUp Bagels’ Volkswagen bus parked outside Pendry San Diego. Then satisfy your sweet tooth at Provisional with a rotating selection of character-themed doughnuts from Donut Bar. Both are available throughout the weekend beginning at 7 a.m. until sold out.

On Saturday, July 25, from noon to 3 p.m., head to Nason’s Beer Hall to celebrate Sony Pictures’ upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Guests can sample Tom Holland’s nonalcoholic beer brand, BERO, served in limited-edition themed cans available exclusively during the event.

I am fairly sure they don’t let you graduate from Carlsbad High School without a W-2 from Legoland. Being a Legoland MC (Model Citizen, the employee’s moniker) is a rite of passage for all of us who grew up in North County. If you spent a day at the theme park in the 2010s, I probably pointed you toward the Granny Apple Fries or measured your height at a ride entrance.

And now we meet again. I can still point you to quality fries.

This is my first full issue as the new print editor for San Diego Magazine. But it’s not my first time here: I was an editorial intern for these pages back in 2018 (see photo). To be a part of a constant study of the city, its people, its culture, then finding the most compelling stories and bringing them to life—it was incredibly impactful and solidified my decision to pursue all of this (local, print magazine journalism) as a career. Since my internship, I’ve gotten my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Missouri School of Journalism and worked for nearly five years at Backpacker magazine. And I’m back at San Diego Magazine, baby. There’s a real magic to narrating the lives lived and dreams dreamt in the place that built me. I am excited to be a part of building the culture of where I’m from. And, born in Tri-City Medical Center and raised in Carlsbad, I can’t think of any other place than our North County issue for me to make my grand entrance as an editor.

Do you think Scrojo, the Belly Up’s punked-out poster artist featured on page 68, could last a day somewhere boring?

What I’ve always loved about North County is that the culture shifts every couple of miles as you reach a new town. For years, the media seemed to cast the realm above the merge as a two-toned monolith: sleepy surf towns to the west, suburbs and country living to the east. The nuance of each section seemed flattened or clumped. I think you’ll see the vastly different cultures of North County in this issue—but all distinctly San Diego. Which is to say a little mellower, fewer airs, come as you are.

It’s hard to imagine that the dusty trails and vibrant, muraled alleyways of Escondido are just miles from the barefoot surfers roaming Leucadia. Even though the SDM editorial staff is made up of two lifelong locals and other longtime residents, we don’t pretend to be the experts on every street. What a good city media company does is find the people who are experts, who have a unique hyper-local perspective—and give them the stage.

So we picked six North County neighborhoods—Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, Leucadia, Rancho Santa Fe, and Escondido—and reached out to artists, community leaders, business owners, anyone making their neighborhood brighter, and we had them describe their perfect day out and favorite things that give their neighborhoods meaning and culture. These itinerary curators included San Marcos’ Patricia Prado-Olmos, Leucadia’s Jeff Schade, Oceanside’s Aaron Crossland, Escondido’s Suzanne Nicolaisen, Rancho Santa Fe’s Charo Garcia-Acevedo, and Vista’s Steve Glaudini. If there’s anyone who lives and breathes North County, it’s them. Check out their recommendations in our feature on page 56.

This month, we’re also going back in time almost 15 years to the Big Bay Boom. Yes, that meme-ified Fourth of July fireworks show where enough pyrotechnics for a 17-minute show went off at once over San Diego Bay. Content Chief Troy Johnson remembers the day and dug back through the story for a hilarious locals’ take on the big debate: Was it the worst fireworks show of all time, or the greatest? (Page 38.)

Before I leave you to our hard work, a sentimental note. When my parents moved from St. Louis to San Diego in the early ’90s, my mom subscribed to San Diego Magazine to learn about her new neighborhood. Now, over three decades later, I’m here—on this planet and in these pages. I thought about my parents a lot as we worked on this issue. Maybe there are a couple new San Diegans reading this magazine for the first time. Maybe that’s you.

Well then, to both of us, I say, “Welcome.” Let’s do this.