Whether you’re sourcing stocking stuffers for your loved ones or searching for a white elephant gift the whole office will want to steal, a good gift is hard to find. So we rounded up dozens of locally sourced and national products to help you check off everyone on your list this holiday season. Welcome to America’s finest holiday gift guide, curated by our in-the-know editors.
Local brand Corridor Candle Co. pours the smells of San Diego into local landmark–inspired candles that actually last. The brand’s festive holiday-only scent, December Nights, adds lemon, amber, and moss notes to fir and cypress to make that classic Christmas tree aroma sexier.
Courtesy of Hardworking Gentleman
Hardworking Gentlemen Daily Face Duo – $30–40
Shop Moniker
Get the hardworking gentleman in your life a much-needed skincare set from an Encinitas-based brand. A great pick for teen boys new to self-care, the duo (DIYable at Liberty Station outpost Shop Moniker) contains a face wash and moisturizer infused with aloe and coconut and tea tree oils, clearing complexions without obliterating moisture barriers.
Courtesy of Scisters Salon
Element Shea Butter Lotion – $12
Scisters Salon
Element’s shea butter lotion provides enduring hydration ideal for San Diego’s notoriously warm, dry climate. Free of animal products, gluten, paraben, and fragrance, the vitamin E–packed product is friendly to sensitive skin, though those craving a little aromatherapy can mix in an essential oil of their choice.
Courtesy of Morrow Soft Goods
Honey Gingham Sleepwear Set – $200
Morrow Soft Goods
Subtly hint to a lover or roommate that it’s time to let go of that holey college t-shirt they wear to bed by gifting them these lightweight French-linen jammies. Sustainably minded brand Morrow adds bamboo-derived rayon to their gingham sleepwear set to balance linen’s slight natural stiffness and ensure the fabric is soft from the very first sleep.
Courtesy of Gold Leaf
Alaia Robe – $148
Gold Leaf
The Ritz Carlton of robes. If you listen closely as you enshroud yourself in organic Turkish cotton, you can hear the wheels of a room service cart headed to your penthouse suite. The Alaia robe is both lightweight and cozy, perfect for a night of hot chocolate, snuggling, and holiday movies.
Courtesy of Esquina Wine Shop
Abbondanza Montepulciano d’Abruzzo – $20
Esquina Wine Shop
This sessionable, chillable organic red offers an approachable foray into low-intervention wines, making it a fab hostess gift for both kinds of pals: the one who’s hosting a vegan, gluten-free holiday potluck and the one who will serve beenie weenies at the white elephant exchange.
Courtesy of Home Ec
Art School Dropout Infused Glass coaster – $20
Home Ec
Checker-print is one of the biggest home trends of the last few years—but gifting a pal an area rug can feel a bit presumptuous. Instead, offer a small dose of stylish squares with these handmade coasters from local small biz Art School Dropout.
Courtesy of Maya Moon Co
Chakra Chocolate Truffles Gift Box – $25
Maya Moon Collective
Eating chocolate already feels like a spiritual experience. Snacking on this box of seven truffles can be a literal one—every box includes a link to guided meditation to complete while trying each flavor.
Courtesy of Home Ec
Black Slip Babes Crab Plate – $28
Home Ec
About 10,000 stitches behind on your plan to knit everyone scarves for the holidays? Go the handmade route without the finger cramps at Little Italy outpost Home Ec, which vends one-of-a-kind, artisan creations like this funky Black Slip Babes Crab plate from local artist Kim Nguyen.
Photo Credit: Becka Vance Photography
Movie Night Snack Basket – Prices Vary
The Mighty Bin
Treat your favorite film buff to an earth-friendly movie night snack basket: jars of sweet and savory eats from the bulk bins at zero-waste North Park shop The Mighty Bin. We recommend grabbing popcorn, garlic powder, gummy mix, and carob-covered almonds.
Courtesy of Upton
Hersham Print – $185
Upton Home
Vista artist Mike Upton designed for breakout local brand Brixton before launching Upton Home with his wife Mariel. Rendered in soothing neutrals and soft colors, their big canvas prints (equipped with eyelets for quick hanging) match almost any décor.
Courtesy of The Surfer’s Journal
Surfer Magazine, 1960–2020 by Grant Ellis – $55
Surfer Magazine
Informed by his 17 years as Surfer Magazine‘s photo editor, North County resident and surf photographer Grant Ellis traces the publication’s sixty years of history in this coffee table tome featuring breathtaking shots of the world’s best surfers riding breaks in California, Hawaii, and other spectacular spots.
Courtesy of +COOP
Beyond the Canyon: Inside Epic California Homes by Roger Davies – $65
The Book Catapult
Got a pal who keeps up with Architectural Digest celebrity home tours like they’re new episodes of Love Is Blind? Get them some analog décor inspo with Beyond the Canyon, a roundup of incredible architecture, California design, and, yes, celeb abodes shot by prolific SoCal photographer Roger Davies.
San Diego Magazine One-Year Subscription – $10
The biggest no-brainer on this list, if you ask us. A subscription to SDMis the gift that keeps on giving—lucky recipients will find thoughtful stories on our region’s coolest restaurants, businesses, art, and culture in their mailbox each month (for less than the price of two issues off the newsstand).
Courtesy of Thread Spun
Culotta Creations Four-Element Geometric Drop Suncatcher – $75
Thread Spun
Brighten up a loved one’s day amid SD’s sometimes-gloomy winter weather with a stained-glass suncatcher that courts light and scatters colorful shadows. You can find the handmade piece at Thread Spun, a charming Encinitas boutique focused on sustainable goods.
Courtesy of You Need Ther-Happy
Mini Mists Gift Set – $54
You Need Ther-Happy
Friends who consider four-letter words a form of therapy will appreciate the cheeky names of these essential oil mists, each designed to help you wake up, chill out, or wind down. Each spray in the mini set makes a super stocking stuffer (and fits in a purse, offering an instant assist next time the little ones are melting down in a Target).
Courtesy of Adobe by Jess Vargas
Brass Round Trays (Set of Three) – $76
Adobe by Jess Vargas
These multipurpose solid brass trays from Carlsbad homegoods shop Adobe by Jess Vargas arrive in three sizes: 3.75 inches (hello, pretty incense holder), 5.1 inches (an ideal jewelry-storing spot), and 5.75 inches (fancy snack platter).
Courtesy of Adobe by Jess Vargas
Bath and Meditate Bundle – $36
Adobe by Jess Vargas
If gifting a spa weekend is out of the budget this year, remind your bestie to unwind in a subtler way with this Bath and Meditate Bundle, which pairs a yummy-smelling vegan soap with palo santo and incense sticks.
Courtesy of Salt & Stone
Salt & Stone Hand Cream – $20
Shop Good
Help your mom beat dry winter mitts with a squalane and snow mushroom–boosted hand cream from natural skincare company Salt & Stone. It comes in two scents: bergamot-and-hinoki and santal.
Courtesy of KYPRIS Beauty
Kypris Lip Elixir Balm – $49
Shop Good
Some folks are Chapstick people, some are Carmex people. Some are just trying to find a lip balm they like enough to not lose. Help those in the latter category out with Kypris’ lip elixir, a luxurious balm packed with peptides, plant butters, and hyaluronic acid.
Courtesy of Ibiza Passion
“Be Fierce” Removable Mini Hearts Earrings – $90
Ibiza Passion
Say “I love you” with earrings shaped like hearts. Say “I’ll love you, even if you change” with heart-shaped earrings that shapeshift—wearers can detach and reattach hearts to turn the baubles from simple, gold-plated studs to statement danglers.
When shopping for home décor obsessives, a map of our city can feel a little on-the-nose. Gift quiet local flair with this botanical print depicting the greenery from which South Park’s streets get their names, including juniper, date, olive, and laurel.
Courtesy of Gold Leaf
Moroccan Babouche Slippers – $40
Gold Leaf
Put down the “Best Mom Ever” coffee mug. Instead, spoil her with leather slippers. They’re handmade in Morocco and pretty enough for her to wear while hosting at home.
Tiled Planter – $12.95
Casa Xovi
Casa Xovi‘s Mexican tiled planters house sweet succulents and add color and culture to windowsills, bedside tables, and patios.
Courtesy of Shop Good
KNC Beauty Eye Mask – $5
Shop Good
Fun for middle schoolers curious about skincare, KNC’s star-shaped eye mask provides under-eye hydration in the form of soft, sparkly, selfie-ready stickers.
Courtesy of PAR KER Made
Linefaces Throw – $149
Par Ker Made
When he’s not collabing with Vans, local artist and BMX pro Parker Heath makes funky apparel and homegoods in abstract patterns. This thick, comfy blanket can also function as an eye-catching tapestry.
Courtesy of Pink Floyd
The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd – $33.99
Vinyl Junkies
Widely considered Pink Floyd’s best album, The Dark Side of the Moon sat on the Billboard charts for nearly 15 years after its release in 1973. Available at South Park record store Vinyl Junkies, this LP set also includes posters and stickers.
Courtesy of Amazon
The Velvet Underground and Nico – $29
Vinyl Junkies
A must-have for rock fans starting a record collection, 1966’s The Velvet Underground and Nico (instantly recognizable thanks to its iconic Andy Warhol cover) is the album that launched a thousand genres, influencing punk, indie, and shoegaze, among other styles.
Courtesy of Linda Ronstad Music
Canciones de Mi Padre by Linda Ronstadt – $26.99
Vinyl Junkies
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer released her first mariachi album, Canciones de Mi Padre, in 1987, with music inspired by her Mexican-American upbringing in Arizona. Some of her earliest brushes with the songs came from Chicano musician Lalo Guerrero, who often visited her family home when she was a child.
Red and White Kitchen Company California Blue Flour Sack Towel
Sea Hive Station
The chef is your life is probably inundated with fancy olive oils and salts every year—so pivot to something that will brighten up their kitchen as they cook. Red and White Kitchen Company’s flour sack towel depicts California’s most popular destinations (and actually absorbs water, unlike decorative cloths made of microfiber).
Courtesy of Esquina Wine Shop
Schplink! Grüner Veltliner – $38
Esquina Wine Shop
Divest yourself of sad college-party associations with boxed wine: Schplink!’s crisp Austrian white is organic, low-intervention, and worlds away from a slappable bag of Franzia. The three-liter box holds as much vino as four regular bottles, making you the MVP guest at the dinner party.
Courtesy of Maya Moon Co.
Classic Drinking Cacao – $36
Maya Moon Collective
Serve a cozy, Santa-approved mug of hot cocoa (without the sugar high). Normal Heights cacao shop Maya Moon Collective offers their nourishing mix in a take-home bag sweetened with maple syrup.
Courtesy of Amazon
Puff Vibrator – $48
Unbound
Okay, so maybe you don’t want to stick this one under the tree—but as far as useful gifts go, this discreet, palm-sized suction sex toy from woman-owned company Unbound ranks high (and has the rave reviews to prove it).
Courtesy of Shop Good
At-Home Facial Package – $38-115
Shop Good
Time to do some reconnaissance on your bestie’s skin type. The holistic estheticians at local clean beauty outpost Shop Good will create two personalized treatment masks based on your friend’s needs and goals and package them with reusable rounds, a playlist to inspire self-care, and other products.
Runners racking up steps in the early morning chill will appreciate this cozy headband, which warms ears with a sweat-absorbing reflective fabric that helps joggers stay visible, even beneath the foggy haze of SD’s marine layer.
Courtesy of Oiselle
Runglasses – $28
Oiselle
The appeal is in the name. These glasses withstand slippery sweat mid-marathon (or during a half-mile Hot Girl Walk. No shade). Affordable and scratch-resistant, Oiselle’s sunnies are a perfect gift for seasoned athletes and jogging newbies alike.
Courtesy of Vuori
Westerlies Mock Tank – $68
Vuori
This sleeveless mock tank from major Encinitas brand Vuori is breathable enough for a barre class but cute enough for brunch. Friends who are forever on the go will thank you.
Courtesy of Road Runner Sports
Garmin Forerunner 965 – $599
Road Runner Sports
Garmin’s fitness tracker comes equipped with all the James Bond–esque capabilities: race widgets, built-in maps, and 23 days of battery life, so it can stay superglued to your loved one’s wrist, no steps left uncounted.
Courtesy of Vuori
Studio Pocket Legging – $98
Vuori
Whether we’re talking dresses, jeans, or leggings, women often want one thing: pockets. These Vuori workout bottoms feature three—two on the sides for phone- and credit card–stashing and a hidden one on the waistband that holds lip balm, a key, or other small necessities.
Courtesy of Brooks Running
Brooks Cascadia 17 GTX – $170
Road Runner Sports
Running shoes need replacing every 300 to 500 miles—which, for serious joggers, can be as often as every few months. Help your favorite sprinter be more sustainable with Brooks’ earth-friendly Cascadias. Each pair is created with recycled materials equivalent to 10 plastic water bottles.
Courtesy of Dick’s Sporting Goods
Osprey Skimmer 20 Hydration Pack – $130
Dick’s Sporting Goods
A favorite accessory of intrepid hikers and shirtless guys at music festivals, the Camelbak-style pack is practical, but not especially chic—until now. Osprey’s take offers a sleeker version that holds 20 liters of water.
Courtesy of Sand Cloud
Surfrider Towel – $50
Sand Cloud
In most parts of America, gifting a beach towel in the winter is a cruel taunt—but here, whoever gets one will be able to use it before New Year’s. SD brand Sand Cloud collabed with local nonprofit the Surfrider Foundation to create these organic cotton towels that dry quick and repel sand.
Courtesy of Honey Stinger
Honey Stinger Energy Chews – $32 and GU Energy Gel – $13
Topo Designs Mountain Accessory Shoulder Bag – $54
Shop Moniker
Here’s one for your hiking buddy: a lightweight shoulder bag ideal for short treks. Topo Designs’ crossbody has practical pockets for keys, phone, and snacks without any extra bulk. Now all your friend has to worry about is the elevation increase.
Courtesy of Poppy & Pout
Poppy & Pout Lip Balm – $10
Scisters Salon
The last thing climbers need is a potted lip moisturizer that must be applied with chalky, dusty fingertips. Instead, equip them with Poppy & Pout’s tinted balm, which comes in a recyclable cardboard tube.
Courtesy of SurfDurt
The OG Sunscreen – $25
SurfDurt
This cruelty-free, made-in-SD sunscreen is kind to coral, making it a thoughtful gift for surfers and swimmers. The zinc oxide–based product stands out for lacking the white cast that plagues many a mineral sunblock.
Sunski Dipsea Polarized Sunglasses – $68
Thread Spun
Sunski’s unisex polarized glasses offer a nice upgrade for buds endlessly battling the breakable nature of drug-store sunnies (while leaving room in your budget for everyone else on your list).
Courtesy of Lauren Groff
The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff – $28
The Book Catapult
The staff at South Park shop The Book Catapult selected Lauren Groff’s The Vaster Wilds as one of the best books of 2023. Set in the 17th century, the novel follows a young girl’s escape from a colony into an unplumbed wilderness.
Courtesy of ThermoFlask
ThermoFlask 32 oz. Stainless Steel Water Bottle – $33
Amazon
Healthy teens require at least 64 ounces of water every day (more if they play a sport). Help the high schoolers in your life stay hydrated from Spanish class to soccer practice by gifting them a stainless-steel water bottle from ThermoFlask (plus a few stickers to decorate it).
Courtesy of REI
Skyward Chair – $60
REI
REI’s staple Skyward chair is a must-have for two key facets of the San Diego lifestyle: outdoor adventuring and beachside chilling. Weighing in at just over seven pounds, it’s a foldable, portable camp seat that also suits tailgaters, soccer parents, and open-air concert fans.
Courtesy of Cotopaxi
Teca Half-Zip Windbreaker – $80
Cotopaxi
With an El Niño winter on the way, SD may see more rain this winter. Help folks on your gift list weather any storm with this packable half-zip windbreaker. See a shade they’ll love? Snap it up—Teca makes ’em with repurposed materials, meaning each colorway is limited.
Courtesy of Parks Project
Parks Project Two-Person Hammock – $105
Small Batch
The woods are for lovers. Treat your sweetheart (and yourself) to cozier camping trips with this trippy printed hammock that fits two.
Holiday Gift Guide: For The Kids
Child’s Dress – $25
Casa Xovi
Woman-owned Barrio Logan boutique Casa Xovi vends Mexican goods from an eclectic collective of shops in Barrio Logan. The store slings colorful kids’ clothes for babies, toddlers, and older children.
Courtesy of Sibley Guides
Sibley Backyard Birding Jigsaw Puzzle – $20
Small Batch
Short winter days can prevent birdwatching jaunts, but this illustrated puzzle allows bird lovers to ogle avian life from the comfort of their couch. At 1,000 pieces, the puzzle is best for kiddos over 12 (or smaller solvers with very patient parents).
Courtesy of Plan Toys
Plan Toys Waffle Set – $55
Shop Moniker
Little chefs can safely hone their cooking skills with this sustainable toy rubberwood waffle iron complete with silverware, dishes, and pretend waffles, syrup, and fruit.
Courtesy of Amazon
ABCs of California by Sandra Magsamen – $13
Sea Hive Station
Teach children the wonders of living on the West Coast with Sandra Magsamen’s ABCs of California, which traces the state’s most magical qualities from A (for awesome, “because that’s what California is, in every way!”) to Z (for zoo, “where sea lions swim around and bark”).
Holiday Gift Guide: For Fashionable Friends
Courtesy of Small Batch
Guy Fox Tyler Cologne – $68
Small Batch
Gift someone a signature scent. The rare fruit-forward fragrance directed more at dudes, this locally produced cologne offers a zippy blend of citrus notes, coconut, sage, and juniper, plus a touch of moodiness from patchouli and cedar.
Courtesy of Adobe by Jess Vargas
Dilo Hinoki Sesame Perfume – $84
Adobe by Jess Vargas
Sexy and fresh, Dilo Hinoki Sesame melds bergamot, sandalwood, and cedar will its namesake notes (sesame seeds and hinoki, a type of Japanese cypress). Fans of Le Labo’s hinoki-scented bath and body products will dig this for an extra layer of lemony, foresty goodness.
Courtesy of Thread Spun
O My Bag Vicky Leather Bag – $298
Thread Spun
The scent of new leather wafting from a gift bag is its own delight—and O My Bag’s vegetable-tanned purse delivers with a sharp, interesting shape in a warm, goes-with-everything color.
Courtesy of SF Mercantile
La Ranchitas California Trucker Hat – $28
Sea Hive Station
The solution to your dad’s insistence that he doesn’t need anything? Probably a cap. La Ranchitas’ trucker hat celebrates SD’s seaside culture with a detailed decal featuring sun, sand, surf, and waves.
Courtesy of Number 1926
T-Shirt – $65
No. 1926
Leave the souvenir sweatshirts to Embarcadero tourists. Instead, help your loved ones rep local spots with soft, vintage-inspired tees from SD-based No. 1926. The shirts shout out county hot spots like Solana Beach, Del Mar, and North Park.
Courtesy of Rhythm Livin
Rhythm Corduroy Shirt – $99
Shop Moniker
This durable, timeless corduroy shirt from Rhythm is the ideal San Diego winter layer, keeping wearers warm when it hits 6 p.m. and it’s no longer 70 and sunny. Tragic.
Courtesy of Road Runner Sports
Korsa Transfer Full Zip Hoodie – $100
Road Runner Sports
San Diego running goods shop Road Runner Sports designed this comfy hoodie, adding strategically placed fleece and subtle venting to balance body temps during cold-weather workouts.
Courtesy of Topo Designs
Topo Designs Global Puffer Hoodie – $271
Shop Moniker
Topo Design’s puffer hoodie is ready to take on everything, from everyday wear to summiting mountain peaks. This lightweight, waterproof layer will take recipients to new heights (even if those heights are merely reaching up to place a star at the top of the tree).
Friends who consider Daisy Jones and the Six the ultimate style inspo will dig a saucy robe from Jennafer Grace. It wears just as well at home paired with a glass of red wine as it does atop a silky slip dress for a night out.
Courtesy of BKIND
BKIND Nail Polish – $16
Scisters Salon
Vegan and free of 21 potentially harmful ingredients typically found in nail polish, this holiday gift guide favorite—BKIND’s nail polish—comes in tons of colors, from a holiday-ready cherry red to a soft, pearly white.
Holiday Gift Guide: For Pets
Courtesy of Little Beast
Knickerbocker Sweatshirt – $45
Little Beast
Humans aren’t the only ones enjoying sweater weather—our dogs love it, too. Get your four-legged friend a stylish look for their next holiday shindig, like this striped turtleneck from quirky pet clothes company Little Beast.
Courtesy of Shop Moniker
Wild One Collar – $44
Shop Moniker
Remember how your parents would sneak in a few pairs of socks amid the toys on Christmas? Give your four-legged baby the same treatment with an eternally practical accessory: the dirt- and odor-resistant Wild One collar. In a battle against skunks, mud, and the million other smells puppies get into, this collar will always win.
Courtesy of Amazon
Tonbo Avocado Toast Dog Bed – $40
Sea Hive Station
Keep pets warm and comfortable in the most California way possible: with a bed shaped like avocado toast. The machine-washable sleeper comes with an avo toy and is available in person at local-biz outpost Sea Hive Station.
Courtesy of Naked Beasts
Naked Beast Hoki Dog Treats – $14.75
Sea Hive Station
Pup-focused purveyor Naked Beast makes natural, vitamin- and omega-loaded bites for pets of all sizes. The brand’s hoki treats are made from dried, wild-caught white fish. Sea Hive Station carries dozens of other single-ingredient snacks, including nutrient-dense organ meats.
Courtesy of Wild One
Wild One Leash – $66
Shop Moniker
If your dog is still hitting the streets hooked up to the ragged cotton leash they gnawed on as a pup, offer them an upgrade with this durable leash that repels dirt, water, and odor.
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Amelia Rodriguez is a writer and journalist and winner of the San Diego Press Club's 2023 Rising Star Award and 2024 Best of Show Award, she’s also covered music, food, arts and culture, fashion, and design for Rolling Stone, Palm Springs Life, and other national and regional publications. After work, you can find her hunting down San Diego’s best pastries and maintaining her five-year Duolingo streak.
At Del Mar Wine & Food Festival’s Grand Tasting, everyone has their own goals for the day. One friend wants oysters and Champagne. Another heard there’s line dancing. Someone disappeared into Taco Alley. The food person is making a beeline for every chef demo, the golf friend has found the simulator, and someone else is already settled into a beach chair with a mezcal cocktail and has announced they’re “never leaving.”
Consider yourself zoned in.
This year, the Grand Tasting turns the Del Mar Polo Fields into a full-blown foodie wonderland, with chef showdowns, wellness escapes, art installations, lawn games, music, and plenty of magazine-worthy plates. But the zones are where everyone gets to play their own way. You might sip your way through the SLO Zone, accidentally spend the afternoon behind the DJ booth in Plant Paradise, or live out your best beach day in The Beach Zone.
With 100-plus chefs and restaurants, 150-plus wineries, breweries, distilleries, and drink makers, plus a whole lot more happening in between, there’s no shortage of ways to spend the weekend. And with the Grand Tasting taking place October 3 and 4, there’s actually time to explore.
Because the problem with bringing your favorite people to an adult playground is that everyone wants to play differently. Luckily, you get two days to figure it out. Here’s where to start:
Courtesy of Del Mar Wine & Food Festival
The Beef Experience
The Beef Experience, presented by Brandt Beef – One World Beef, is for the people who believe a food festival is a perfectly reasonable excuse to build an entire afternoon around meat. Brandt Beef brings its signature fare to the Polo Fields alongside a seriously stacked lineup of local favorites, from Tanner’s Prime Burgers and Ranch 45 to Jimmy’s Famous American Tavern, Order Fire Barbecue, Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen, The Pit BBQ, Aloha Rib Shack, and more.
And then there’s the tent you might almost miss.
Tucked into Brandt Beef Alley, Bebemos Tequila has set up what looks, from the outside, like a fairly unassuming tent. Walk inside, though, and you’ll find a full little speakeasy lounge, complete with a bar and one very dramatic tequila trick. The team lights the shots right in front of you before pouring them straight into guests’ mouths. Candlelight, fire, tequila, barbecue. Suddenly, your casual afternoon tasting has taken a turn.
Grab a plate of Brandt Beef tallow fries, chase it with a pour from Bebemos Tequila or Tap Truck San Diego, and maybe browse Nortte Hats while you recover. The rules are simple: follow the smoke, trust the grill, and maybe don’t make dinner plans afterward.
The Beach Zone
For the friend who thinks every good afternoon should involve a little sunshine, a cold drink, and nowhere to be, there’s The Beach Zone. Presented by Reef Lifestyle, this laid-back corner brings the San Diego summer fantasy to the Polo Fields, complete with coastal bites, beach-inspired brands, and plenty of reasons to stay awhile.
Grab bites from Duke’s La Jolla, Jake’s Del Mar, Lofty Coffee Co., Dang Brother Pizza Co., and Coral Del Mar, then cool off with Summer Club, Volley, Surfside Iced Tea and Lemonade + Vodka, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Mezo Mezoritas, Roseade Wine Spritzer, Pinkys, and more. Hemlock Hat Co., Coola, Sambazon, Playavole, Shibumi Shade, Spritz del Conte, and Out of the Woods add a little retail therapy to the mix, because the Grand Tasting obviously needs shopping, too.
And yes, there’s a photo op. Find the teal VW bus from A Timeless Day, gather your favorite people, and pretend you’ve spent the afternoon cruising the California coast instead of wandering around a wine and food festival.
It’s an area filled with surf-inspired games, your next favorite beach accessory, and a drink in hand. Basically, San Diego summer, condensed into one very convenient patch of grass.
Courtesy of Del Mar Wine & Food Festival
Pride Zone
Neon boas, glitter-filled drinks, and enough food to make choosing a single dinner impossible. The Pride Zone presented by San Diego Pride is bringing the energy, gathering some of San Diego’s favorite restaurants, bars, breweries, and sweet spots in one very colorful corner of the Polo Fields. Expect bites and beverages from Cary Q Wines, Gossip Grill, Rootdown & Es Okay, T’Maro Brands, and more.
Plant Paradise
Plant Paradise is your green oasis, but don’t expect it to be particularly peaceful. DJ Tenax returns with house, techno, UKG, and the kind of set that can turn a quick stop into an hour on the open-air dance floor. As Green Air Botanicals sets the mood, grab a cocktail from Mission Craft Cocktails, Makku, or San Hagen Tequila, and a bite from the sprawling lineup of plant-based bites and snacks from some of San Diego’s vegan favorites.
Kindred, Nourish Eats, The Plot, Maya’s Cookies and more. There’s also a full lineup of brands to snack your way through, including Aficio 22, Bücha Hard Kombucha, Nichols Farms, Nuts For Cheese.
Isabella Dallas is a freelance writer for San Diego Magazine and the Arts and Culture Editor at The Daily Aztec in her final year at San Diego State University. She previously worked as an editorial intern for SDM, but when she’s not writing, you can find her trying the best coffee spots in SD, devouring the latest rom-coms, and indulging in anything and everything pop culture.
Tickets to the Del Mar Wine & Food Festival get you in the door. The real fun is figuring out who you’ll run into once you’re there. This year’s weeklong schedule of exclusive events, running September 30–October 4, includes dinners, tastings, and loosely-supervised chaos where celebrity chefs and local icons finally let their hair down.
The festival has a track record of the unexpected: Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul once toasted their mezcal brand Dos Hombres with an intimate dinner at the Lodge at Torrey Pines (and then, evidently unsatisfied, kept drinking it on the cliffs above Blacks Beach with a rotating cast of San Diego and Food Network chefs. Alex Morgan showed up for a dinner under the lights honoring the country’s most badass women chefs). Drew Brees ran a celebrity pickleball tournament where the guy from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia got absolutely humbled by locals.
If you scored a ticket to last year’s Grand Tasting, you might’ve caught Guy Fieri doing exactly what Guy Fieri does: strolling the grass, signing t-shirts and foreheads, and hanging off the DJ surf van like it was built for him. Meanwhile, local chef Ethan Yang of Glass Box walked off with the Chef Competition surfboard.
So whether your plan for 2026 is to corner legendary San Diego chefs like Victor Jimenez of Cowboy Star and Jon Sloan of Juniper & Ivy in person, or just aim for a spontaneous golf cart ride with a Food Network star—here’s your cheat sheet for where to run into a celebrity chef, TV personality, award-winning winemaker, or pro athlete at this year’s Del Mar Wine & Food Festival.
Courtesy of Del Mar Wine & Food Festival
Troy Johnson, Karen Krasne
Signature San Diego Opening Night Party
September 30 | 6 – 9 p.m. | Monarch Ocean Pub
Consider this your soft landing into festival week—the walk-around tasting that eases you in before things get chaotic later on. Monarch Ocean Pub hands its patio over to the flavors that define San Diego eating: Baja seafood done right, coastal bites, Mexican flavors with some heat behind them, all the staples locals will fight you over.
The celebrity sightings here lean more “bump into” than “spot from across the room.” Troy Johnson—Food Network judge, San Diego Magazine chief content officer and co-owner, Emmy-winning host, a man who has eaten his way across the entire country professionally—is the type to materialize at whichever station has the longest line, because he already knows it’s worth the wait. Ask him what he’s had so far. He’ll have opinions.
Then there’s celebrity pastry chef Karen Krasne, owner and executive pastry chef of Extraordinary Desserts, James Beard House alum, and a woman Forbes once ranked among the top 10 pastry chefs in the country—which tracks, because you might find her holding court next to a tray of her roasted pecan shortbread dipped in white chocolate, explaining exactly why this is the flavor combination. You will listen to every word, too, because you’ll want to try that cookie.
This is an opening night party where the person next to you in line might just be the one who baked the thing you’re about to eat.
Courtesy of Del Mar Wine & Food Festival
Bryn McArthur, Mawa McQueen
Chateau Montelena’s 50th Anniversary Celebration
October 1 | 6 – 9 p.m. | Fairmont Grand Del Mar
Fifty years ago, a Napa Chardonnay beat France at its own game and rewrote what the world thought it knew about wine. This dinner is that legacy, poured by the family who built it, course by course.
Under the arches at Fairmont Grand Del Mar, Ernie Hahn and the Hahn family, who partnered with the Barretts to revive Chateau Montelena into the Napa powerhouse it is today, host an evening built entirely around the winery’s most iconic pours. Every course gets its own pairing straight from the Montelena portfolio, so you’re not just hearing about the Judgment of Paris, you’re tasting the wine that started it.
Chef Mawa McQueen, a former James Beard Best of the West winner out of Aspen, brings globally inspired cuisine and serious technique to the table. Alongside her, Fairmont Grand Del Mar’s executive chef Bryn McArthur leans into farm-to-table sensibility shaped by a career of global kitchens. Together they’re building a menu meant to hold its own against wine that already changed history once.
This is the rare dinner where the wine isn’t just accompanying the meal, it’s the reason the meal exists. Fifty years after Paris, the rematch is happening right here in Del Mar.
Isabella Dallas is a freelance writer for San Diego Magazine and the Arts and Culture Editor at The Daily Aztec in her final year at San Diego State University. She previously worked as an editorial intern for SDM, but when she’s not writing, you can find her trying the best coffee spots in SD, devouring the latest rom-coms, and indulging in anything and everything pop culture.
Museum of Photographic Arts at the San Diego Museum of Art
Now through Jan. 10, 2027
Sift through over 200 photographs, sketches, letters, and costumes from “The King of Vogue,” who photographed World War II, modernized royal portraits, and created the aesthetic for 1920s socialites in London.
Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea
Natural History Museum
Now through Feb. 28, 2027
Walk through an 18-foot whale ribcage (and a couple dozen other marine-creature sculptures) made entirely of plastic bottles, flip-flops, lighters, rope, and other plastic detritus found on the beach in the Nat’s 3,000-square-foot second-floor gallery.
Forging a Legacy: 15 Years of Landmark Acquisitions
San Diego Museum of Art
Now through May 31, 2027
Part of SDMA’s centennial, “Forging a Legacy,” highlights artists from the past (Picasso, Monet) and modern day (Hugo Crosthwaite) who contributed to the museum’s collection.
ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Fleet Science Center
Now through 2027
See the stars (without the smog) at their best from the winners of the world’s largest astrophotography competition—all in the Fleet Science Center’s new basement gallery, specifically dimmed to let the cosmos shine.
Begin Again
The Old Globe
Sept. 6–Oct. 11
From the 2013 silver screen to this year’s The Old Globe stage, you can “Begin Again” (again) with a world-premiere musical adaptation featuring new songs—courtesy of Train—and a story overflowing with hope.
Dear Evan Hansen
Cygnet Theatre
Sept. 9–Oct. 4
“On the outside, always looking in…” marks the emotional crux of the Tony-, Grammy-, and Emmy-award winning musical coming to the Cygnet Theatre.
Kumeyaay Comics by the Kumeyaay Visual Storytelling Project
Museum of Us
Opening Sept. 12
Learn the history of the Kumeyaay Nation from the perspective of the members themselves in an immersive exhibit inspired by graphic novels “Our Past, Present, and Future,” and “Beyond Gaming.”
Good Night, Oscar
North Coast Repertory Theatre
Sept. 16–Oct. 11
During Oscar Levant’s appearances on “The Jack Paar Show,” he explained his reality with mental illness—the institutionalizations, electroshock therapies, nothing was too taboo for him. “Good Night, Oscar” takes us backstage in the raw moments before his 1958 television appearance.
Visiones Nocturnas: Queer Nightlife in Contemporary Art
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Sept. 19–Jan. 17, 2027
A disco ball isn’t just a disco ball. It’s a symbol of where queer communities can finally exhale and be their fullest selves. “Visiones Nocturnas” uses paintings, sculptures, textiles, performances, photos, and videos from Latin American artists to explore what’s at stake when nightclub lights shut off.
Silent Movie Mondays
Balboa Theatre
Sept. 21, Oct. 26, Dec. 7
Guest organists from across the country will come to the Balboa Theatre to accompany a new silent film for each performance. This year closes out with The Headless Horseman (1922), Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1920), and a holiday triple feature of Laurel and Hardy films.
Oh, Mary!
Civic Theatre
Sept. 29–Oct. 4
“What if Abe’s assassination wasn’t such a bad thing for Mary Todd Lincoln?” was the question that inspired Cole Escola’s play “Oh, Mary!” In the production, Mary Todd desperately tries to return to the cabaret stage, but her husband (President Lincoln in the midst of the Civil War) keeps getting in the way.
Photo Credit: Anja Koehler
October
Payare Leads Strauss’ A Hero’s Life
Jacobs Music Center
Oct. 3–4
Conductor Rafael Payare opens the San Diego Symphony’s 2026-2027 season with a three-part concert featuring composers Sofia Gubaidulina, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Richard Strauss.
Emily–No Prisoner Be
Baker-Baum Concert Hall
Oct. 8
Two dozen of Emily Dickinson’s poems are turned into songs—composed by Pulitzer Prize winner Kevin Puts and performed by Grammy-winning mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato—for a one-night-only exploration of love, loss, loneliness, and mortality.
Ripcord
The Roustabouts Theatre Co.
Oct. 8–Nov. 1
Roommate beef has no age limit. The latest play from Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire turns that experience into a comedy through retirement home roommates Marilyn and Abby and the bet between them to see who will break first and move out.
Des Canyons aux Étoiles
La Casa del Zorro
Oct. 12
Composer Olivier Messiaen has chromesthia, so for him, sound evokes a visual connotation. His work “Des Canyons aux Étoiles” brings desert rock and the night sky to mind. See what he means from La Casa del Zorro in the Anza-Borrego Desert, in this performance immersed within nature.
San Diego International Film Festival
Locations Vary
Oct. 13–18
San Diego International Film Festival salutes the silver screen for a 25th time, now with a sixth day adding extra time for parties, screenings, and movie-star tributes.
Considered one of the masterpieces from opera great Giuseppe Verdi, San Diego Opera’s “Rigoletto” sees what happens when the prurient Duke of Mantua and his sharp-tongued court jester become entangled in a fatal curse.
Grim
La Jolla Playhouse
Oct. 27–Nov. 29
When the Grim Reaper’s job becomes too…grim…and he retires after 300,000 years, his daughter picks up the family business. But when she falls for a human and finds beauty in the souls she’s meant to reap, she questions her purpose.
Photo Credit: Ron Kerner
November
Skate Craft
Mingei International Museum
Nov. 21–May 9, 2027
San Diego is nothing without skate culture. Mingei’s “Skate Craft” portrays skateboarding as “living folk art” via its DIY roots (skateboards built in garages) and shows how that ethos shapes the future.
Emma Veidt is an editor at San Diego Magazine. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from the Missouri School of Journalism. She loves running, hiking, and rock climbing, but really, she mostly loves encounters with the street cats around North Park.
Ryan Hardison is a freelance arts and entertainment writer and recent graduate of San Diego State. When he's not staring at his laptop, he's likely eating an adobada burrito or getting sunburnt at the beach.
Implementing a farm-to-table model hardly deserves acknowledgement these days. It’s not a stretch. It’s not innovative. “It’s the bare f**king minimum,” says Herb & Sea‘s executive chef Aidan Owens.
When I arrive at the Encinitas restaurant, I’m ready to talk sustainability, farm-to-table stuff, with Owens. “Did you see the chin on that?” he says of the extra big jiggly chin on the sheephead that just arrived with the day’s fresh catch. I did. It was Jay Leno adjacent.
I learn quickly that he somehow oozes both charm and stone-cold honesty. Maybe he could construct a new dish with chin goo, like he did when he had a bunch of tuna scraps and voila’d it into a smooth and crowd-pleasing ‘nduja. “I want to know what’s in there,” he says.
Courtesy of Herb & Sea
The instinct to look closer, to dig into what others might discard, says a lot about the chef’s approach. I guide him back to our topic, but he has something else on his mind. “We’re overcomplicating food—what happened to just cooking good food and having fun with it?”
Owens grew up on a farm in Byron Bay, Australia, where sustainability wasn’t a concept you chat about so much as a way of life. Think dirt roads, backyard chickens, pulling vegetables straight from the ground, and a mother who believed that if you couldn’t pronounce the ingredients on a package, you shouldn’t eat what was inside.
Food wasn’t precious or performative. Making it was what you did because you were hungry and that’s still what inspires Owens today. “I like to cook good food because I like to eat good food,” he says.
His approach to sustainability at Herb & Sea began so naturally that it felt just like instinct. “I was just like, ‘Let’s order food from the people who live and work here,’” he says.
Courtesy of Herb & Sea
And why wouldn’t he when lives in San Diego? Cities all over the world vie for our goods. Our tuna is sent overseas. Our spiny lobsters hit dinner plates in China and Japan. Not to mention California’s producing a third of the country’s vegetables and three-quarters of its fruits and nuts.
“Why would we outsource when it’s all here?” Owens asks.
Sustainability, in this context, is about cooking what exists in abundance, nearby, right now. “I love the local fish here. It’s f**king delicious and San Diego citrus, I mean, it is so f**ing good,” he says.
Instead of importing ingredients, Owens also looks for nearby alternatives. “You can find really cool things in the local waters,” he says, pointing out that stingray cheeks taste similar to scallops.
Courtesy of Herb & Sea
Whatever he finds in that sheephead chin might just be the next substitute for marrow. But to make this work, it means getting diners amped up about the slightly unfamiliar.
Tasting menus, where diners are completely in his hands, become an opportunity to gently push boundaries. “I’ll serve mackerel, because people think they hate it,” Owens says, noting that the abundant local fish can have some fishiness. “But when it’s fresh, it’s arguably one of the best fish in the ocean.”
He also tweaks the language on the menu so people might feel more compelled to give dishes a try without preconceived notions. He might use “lengua” instead of “tongue.” “Whelk” instead of “snail.” When he puts “stingray throat” on the menu, he disarmingly calls it “skate.”
To reduce waste, scraps aren’t always discarded but rather turned into something new. Sometimes they’re smoked, cured or fermented. Apples going bad turn into apple ponzu. Lemons turn to marmalade, which stretches their usefulness far beyond peak season. “And it’s super tasty on our pizza,” he says.
What makes the food even richer, is the relationships he’s built with farmers. Though it didn’t always feel natural, Owens sought personal connection first. He recalls approaching a fisherman at the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market. “I was awkward,” he says. “I went up to him and said, ‘I like your fish.’”
Owen’s is now so close to his suppliers—like fishermen Ryan Sebo and Joe Daly—that he gets texted pictures of fresh catches right as they flop on the boat. The messages always ask if he wants first dibs. “I say yes to a lot of fish,” Owens says, noting that Herb & Sea can go through 2,000 pounds of seafood a week.
Courtesy of Herb & Sea
The next evolution of sustainability, in his view, will be chefs working directly with producers such as his alliance with Sebo, cutting out middlemen and purveyors where possible. “It will put more money in the pockets of the people doing the work,” he says.
It will mean that chefs can’t just know their local farmers and producers, but they’ll choose to work with the ones who have the best practices. Dining and sustainability will become much less about the final plate. “It will be more about the impact that plate has on the Earth,” he says.
Ultimately, he believes sustainability doesn’t need to be loud. It doesn’t need hashtags. It just needs to be honest.
“We aren’t saving lives. We’re feeding people good food,” he says.
And yet, in feeding people well—simply, thoughtfully, responsibly—something meaningful happens. Guests leave satisfied. Ingredients are respected. Local ecosystems are supported and food returns to what it has always been at its core: nourishment, pleasure, and a quiet reflection of the place it comes from.
On February 28, 1926, the Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego (now called the San Diego Museum of Art) opened its Plateresque doors to 3,000 guests for opening day. Over the next century, the museum changed with the times—even once functioning as a naval hospital after Pearl Harbor. This year, the museum is celebrating its 100th birthday with an exhibit (open through January 24, 2027) featuring photographs, ephemera, and film footage spanning the museum’s history.
Courtesy of Tim Novara
Free Concerts at Spreckels Organ Pavilion
Every Sunday from 2 to 3 p.m., stop by the historic Spreckels Organ Pavilion for a free concert presented by the City of San Diego on the largest outdoor organ in the world (more than 5,000 pipes). The pavilion seats 2,400 for performances by the civic organist or guest artists.
Some think natural history museums are just cemeteries for dioramas that haven’t received an update since the Reagan administration. When it comes to The Nat, which just finished a $7.5 million rejuvenation, they’re totally wrong. The museum debuted a new rooftop that replaces its 25-year-old atrium. The old roof created a greenhouse effect that steamed up some exhibits, so the new one—which includes 200 solar panels and better temperature control—will help preserve the artifacts inside. Each Friday in the summer, The Nat also becomes one of the season’s vibiest hotspots during Nat at Night, with food from places like Wolf in the Woods and The Craft Taco, bars and signature cocktails on several floors, and a rooftop DJ.
Fleet Science Theater Remodel
The Fleet Science Center just received its most significant update since the 1990s. It expanded its exhibit space by 20 percent and introduced a newly designed entrance gallery (formerly the IMAX theater lobby) that includes free exhibits for visitors who want a taste of the science without paying an admission fee. The former ticketing area now houses the Mindbender Mansion exhibit, and there’s a new café, Element 8, that will, of course, sell the center’s famous soft serve.
September is San Diego’s unofficial second summer—the crowds thin, the weather stays warm, and the city’s calendar somehow gets even busier. This month brings stadium-sized rock shows, Broadway’s buzziest comedy, a new anime convention, world-premiere theater, gallery openings, food festivals, and the first signs of spooky season. Whether you’re ready to lean into fall or determined to keep summer going, here are the best things to do in San Diego this September.
As Guns N’ Roses storm into decade five, their appetite for destruction persists. During their Snapdragon Stadium concert, hear the hard rock anthems, new material and a set from The Black Crowes.
9/23
Kehlani is proof that the romance and earnest sensuality of old-school R&B will never go out of style. Hear her take it back to the aughts at Viejas Arena.
From the silver screen to The Old Globe stage, John Carney will Begin Again (again) with a world premiere musical adaptation featuring new songs—courtesy of Train—and a story overflowing with hope.
9/12-10/17
The concept of work is a guiding principle for San Diego native and multidisciplinary creative noé olivas. Observe his community-informed approach via Tierra y Cielo (Earth and Sky) at Best Practice Gallery.
9/18-10/25
Two workers grapple with the weight of their roles at a temporary migrant shelter in Mario Vega’s world premiere play Our Lady of the San Diego Convention Center, set for citywide performances.
9/26-2/28/2027
Luminous visions of peace and the Punjabi-American roots of Rupinder Kaloti inform The Gathering, a wondrous unification of family foretold via paintings at Oceanside Museum of Art.
9/29-10/4
It’s Mary Todd Lincoln’s world and we’re just living in it. See the presidential paramour barrel to her way to stardom at the Civic Theatre during Oh, Mary!, Cole Escola’s political spoof.
Courtesy of SeaWorld
More Fun Things to Do in San Diego This Month
9/5 & 9/6
Pros and Con(vention)s: Anime San Diego will debut at the San Diego Convention Center with cosplayers, panels and more than 400 vendors well-versed in Japanese animation.
9/11-10/31
Scaredy cats beware: SeaWorld San Diego’s Howl-O-Scream embraces frights forged in darkness. Enjoy an ominous lineup of live shows, scare zones and bloody bars ahead of Halloween.
9/12
The best parts of Artivál and the Alley Cat Art Walk have united for the free Alley Cat Art Fest, an all-day outing for live music and immersive artwork in Downtown El Cajon.
9/12 & 9/13
Take a Grecian vacation for a fraction of the price during the annual Cardiff Greek Festival, two days of immersive cuisine and culture—with plenty of dancing—on the Encinitas coast.
9/13-9/20
Step away from the stove! The California Restaurant Association has eight days of eating experiences with your name on it. During San Diego Restaurant Week, explore by meal, neighborhood or cuisine for your personal dining plan.
9/16
Nourish yourself with an all-inclusive spread of Pacific Beach eats and locally-crafted artwork during the HeArt of PB Restaurant Walk on Garnet Avenue.
9/19
When it comes to stand-up comedy, Chelsea Handler is always ready to roast. See Handler tell anecdotes and skewer an assemblage of victims during her Balboa Theatre performance.
Ryan Hardison is a freelance arts and entertainment writer and recent graduate of San Diego State. When he's not staring at his laptop, he's likely eating an adobada burrito or getting sunburnt at the beach.
SeaWorld dazzles with a drone show, big-name entertainers, new animal adventures and more
By Partner Content
Nights are heating up at SeaWorld San Diego. The quintessential summertime staple on Mission Bay is transforming into a destination for unforgettable day-to-night adventures, bringing back some of its most popular Summer Nights programming and introducing exciting new experiences sure to delight both kids and adults alike.
The 2026 Summer Day to Night at SeaWorld San Diego is the park’s most ambitious season yet. SeaWorld has planned a highly anticipated entertainment lineup that features nine weeks of throwback concerts featuring R&B and hip‑hop favorites from the ‘90s and early 2000s, including Jordin Sparks, Too $hort and Warren G, Ashanti, and an array of boy band heartthrobs performing together as part of the Pop 2000 Tour.
New this season is perhaps the park’s most visible update: a nightly drone show, Ocean of Dreams, which illuminates the sky with hundreds of synchronized sparklers. Drones form sea otters, sharks, dolphins, and a majestic orca that tell a breathtaking 12-minute story of marine life and underwater ecosystems. The show culminates with a spectacular electric neon finale celebrating hope, wonder, and ocean stewardship.
Nighttime visitors are also in store for animal adventures that fuse education with high-energy fun and the dreamy ambiance of nighttime. The park has launched two all-new animal presentations: Shamu’s Celebration:Light Up the Night and Dolphins: Touch the Sky. Shamu’s Celebration:Light Up the Night features vibrant lighting, music, and dynamic choreography that celebrates the power and beauty of killer whales. Dolphins: Touch the Sky showcases playful bottlenose dolphins and the special connection between humans and the natural world. And back by popular demand is fan-favorite Sea Lions Tonite. See the charming pinnipeds splash, play, and parody pop culture in this refreshed crowd-pleaser.
More must-sees: a newly reimagined Shark Encounter, one of the country’s more immersive exhibits highlighting 11 different species up close, SeaWorld’s beloved BMX Blast! stunt show, and high-seas escapade, Pirates Ahoy! The Battle for Mermaid Cove. And don’t miss the park’s all-new Deep Sea Disco, which encourages guests to dance the night away under the glow of the SkyTower, and vibrant closing time laser light display Laser Reef Summer Spectacular.
Amp up the nighttime vibe with local craft beers, curated cocktails, and nostalgic theme park treats with $1 beer all summer long. SeaWorld is the place for day to night summer fun. When the sun goes down, SeaWorld lights up, and inspires guests of all ages to embrace their inner whimsy and see why generations of San Diegans head to SeaWorld to make memories they’ll never forget.
