When three nations and 16 cities come together to host the FIFA World Cup 2026, the scale stops feeling like a tournament and starts feeling like geography. A continent becomes the stage as borders soften into corridors. And Southern California—shaped by migration, sport, entertainment, and constant movement—sits inside that landscape with all eyes on it.
San Diego and Los Angeles have always felt connected. Hop on the Pacific Surfliner, and the trip unfolds in one continuous stretch of coastline, passing beach towns, neighborhoods, and city centers.
Traveling from San Diego, everything still feels slightly suspended as the Pacific Surfliner follows the coast north with ocean on one side and a slow suburban blur on the other. San Diego stays in exhale. Los Angeles is already building toward something louder.
This summer, Los Angeles will host eight matches of the FIFA World Cup at Los Angeles Stadium, including the US Men’s National Team opener on June 11, while the region stretches into 39 days of programming across stadiums, parks, transit hubs, beaches, and neighborhoods. Instead of one massive fan hub, Los Angeles is embracing a citywide celebration, with fan zones spread across its entirety.
But this pattern has been rehearsed here for decades. In 1994, Southern California became one of the defining stages of the World Cup, when matches at the Rose Bowl placed global attention on the region and turned local stadiums into international landmarks, confirming its ability to hold the world at scale.
What distinguishes Southern California is not just infrastructure, but cultural permeability. Fashion, music, film, art, and sport constantly overlap here, creating an environment where identity is flexible and always in motion. From the Venice boardwalk, where skate culture shaped modern street style, to global soccer stars rubbing shoulders with Hollywood celebs, to authentic Spanish cuisine moving up and down the I-5 corridor, everything circulates.
The World Cup is not introducing anything new here, it’s showing up for the summer and showing out, revealing what this city has always known about itself. What follows is a look at the fan zones and how Los Angeles turns itself into a city-wide stage for the tournament, one neighborhood at a time.
Courtesy of Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board
Los Angeles Union Station
As the heart of Los Angeles, Union Station is an official Fan Zone June 25-28 during the World Cup, but in practice it never really stops being one.
It is the city’s circulation point, its meeting ground, its pressure valve. Commuters, travelers, match-day crowds, and everyday Angelenos all move through the same space, and everything mixes, overlaps, and scales in real time. In a way, this is where the World Cup stops arriving in Los Angeles and starts moving through it.
The Pacific Surfliner from San Diego to Los Angeles makes that shift feel almost too easy. No stress or gridlock anxiety, just a straight line up the coastline with ocean on one side and everything slowly becoming more built on the other. It’s one of the rare ways into LA that doesn’t feel like arrival as friction. You can sit with a laptop, watch the Pacific drift past, grab coffee from the café car, and let the city come to you in pieces.
That’s the beauty of arriving at Union Station. Instead of feeling like you’re on the edge of the city, you’re immediately surrounded by it. And, inside, the station already reads like a World Cup nerve center: banners, movement, multilingual energy, the sense that something global is about to funnel through this exact point. The Heart of the City Fan Zone only sharpens that feeling, with simultaneous match screens, DJ sets, meet and greets, and immersive activations built around marquee games like USA vs. Türkiye.
ROW DTLA feels like the first exhale after arrival. A converted industrial campus turned creative district where restaurants, retail, and open-air courtyards form a self-contained ecosystem. If you’re looking for the perfect first meal in LA, make it lunch at Pizzeria Bianco. The thin-crust pizza is reason enough to go, but the space leaves just as much of an impression.
What I liked most about ROW DTLA is how quickly it resets you after the train. One minute you are stepping off at Union Station, and the next you are in a space that feels like its own version of LA, a city inside a city with some of the most curated shopping I’ve ever seen.
Bodega hides itself behind a convenience-store front, a sneaker and streetwear space disguised as something ordinary, like LA refusing to make anything feel too obvious. The whole campus moves like that, part retail, part gallery, part neighborhood you are only temporarily inside.
Plus, the idea that someone can get on a train in San Diego, stay on the same line, and end up inside a World Cup city without ever crossing a hard border feels almost unreal in the best way. Well until, of course, you experience it yourself.
The Original Farmers Market has Los Angeles already running at fan zone capacity long before FIFA arrives. Founded in 1934, it’s a stitched-together maze of food stalls, grocery counters, and long-standing vendors that somehow makes global cuisine feel local without trying too hard.
During the World Cup, it becomes an official Fan Zone from June 18 – 21. USA vs. Australia, Mexico vs. Korea Republic, projected over tables of gumbo, empanadas, and sushi rolls that have been sitting next to each other for years like it’s the most normal thing in the world.
Lunch here doesn’t land as a break. Orders fly, languages converge, and people cut through space like they already know where they’re going. Just a few steps away, the Grove turns the volume up in an unmistakably LA way, with shopping bags drowning shoulders and Erewhon smoothies acting like accessories. It’s ridiculous. (It’s perfect).
And close proximity, LACMA folds into the same orbit, which is exactly why it belongs in this fan zone network. Urban Light does what it always does, turns strangers into a shared composition under its glow. Inside, the World Cup is already quietly present, especially in Fútbol Is Life by Lyndon J. Barrois, Sr., where iconic soccer moments are rebuilt from gum wrappers, paint, and glue into something intimate and handmade.
It works here because everything is already overlapping at scale. A global tournament rendered through craft, sitting inside a cultural campus that is steps from where people are already eating, shopping, and gathering.
On June 20, Downey becomes an official Fan Zone, screening matches like Germany vs. Côte d’Ivoire and Tunisia vs. Japan across a large civic viewing space built for crowds, not polish. There’s an opening ceremony, soccer exhibitions, an art walk, interactive booths, food vendors, and a beer garden that makes it feel like the neighborhood collectively decided to host the world.
Hansen Dam (July 2–5) takes it a step further: LED screens, stadium sound bouncing off water and sky, families showing up early like it’s already a tradition. Magic Johnson Park (July 4–5) brings a different cadence again, just more South LA energy. Whittier Narrows (July 9–11) stretches it into the San Gabriel Valley like the tournament is learning how far it can actually travel.
The pattern becomes obvious pretty quickly. The World Cup isn’t being held in LA so much as it’s being distributed through it, connecting places like Exposition Park, where the city already knows how to act like a built-in fan zone.
The Coliseum sits there like it has been waiting for this moment since the Olympics, while BMO Stadium, the Science Center, and the Natural History Museum stack into one dense cultural cluster that already knows how to hold crowds.
Walking through the Natural History Museum, it felt like the World Cup had already started arriving in small ways. Global exhibits, layered histories, and then suddenly FIFA merch in the gift shop, like the city was quietly rehearsing for what is coming. Nothing about it felt random…it felt placed.
Just outside the park, West Adams resets the pace completely. Lunch at Highly Likely is an absolute must. It is calm, design-forward, full of locals and creatives moving through their day, the ideal reset after the intensity of a fan zone or museum marathon. And that contrast is exactly the point.
The fan zone idea is not just big screens and tourist traps. It is places like this too, already functioning as gathering points without needing a tournament to justify it.
Courtesy of Los Angeles Parks and Recreation
Venice Beach
If you’re going for only one Fan Zone in LA, it needs to be Venice. No debate.
Venice doesn’t really “become” a World Cup site. It already behaves like one on a normal day, just with more sunscreen and louder speakers. So when quarter-finals hit the boardwalk, the whole thing just tips slightly into overdrive.
The Fan Zone stretches across Windward Avenue and the sand, with giant screens, DJs, global food vendors, and that very Venice mix of chaos and confidence that somehow works every time. One minute you are watching a match, the next someone is rollerblading past in a flag cape like that is a completely reasonable life choice.
It is all technically free and open to the public, which feels very Venice: maximal energy, minimal explanation. Then there is the “if you know, you know” layer at Windward Plaza with premium seating and after-parties, for people who want their football with fewer beach grains involved.
Staying at Hotel Erwin basically drops you directly in absolutely everything. It is one of those rare hotels where the location is the entire personality. Rooftop views that feel like the entire coastline is in on it, rooms that look straight onto the action, and Kassi upstairs where you end up eating Greek-inspired food like you didn’t plan anything else that day anyway.
Everything in Venice is walkable in a slightly chaotic, very charming way. Abbot Kinney for shopping that somehow feels curated and casual at the same time. There are even the canals when you need a reset from the boardwalk.
The bike tour through Venice and Santa Monica with Bikes and Hikes LA is where it all starts to click in a different way. You are literally moving through the coastline story while an insanely animated, genuinely excited guide pulls everything together in real time (even my friend I brought along, who has never watched a full soccer match in her life, started getting weirdly invested in the World Cup). It stops feeling like sightseeing and starts feeling like you are accidentally understanding LA.
Between lunch at Gjelina, always buzzing, always slightly overbooked, always worth it, and dinner at Ospi Venice with its famous vodka sauce you should absolutely put on everything (pasta, pizza, chicken parm, no exceptions), it is the kind of place where you sit down thinking you will “quickly eat” and leave remembering that Venice has its own pace and you are just temporarily synced to it.
Before the city fully tips into its final stretch, it pulls back into something quieter on the Westside, like a deep inhale before the ending.
The Getty Center sits above Los Angeles in a way that makes everything feel briefly organized. The noise drops out the higher you go. Hilltop architecture, wide courtyards, Vincent van Gogh’s Irises, and lush gardens that seem to move slower than the rest of the city create a kind of visual pause. From here, LA doesn’t feel chaotic, just mapped out.
It’s also where the World Cup starts to register in a different register. People are spread out on the grass picnicking, looking over a city that will soon hold global crowds, and it feels like the preview version of something larger about to switch on below.
Dinner at Telefèric Barcelona in Brentwood (also a must) brings that calm into something more social again. It is Spain translated into LA without losing its energy: shared plates, paellas arriving in the center of tables, tapas moving constantly, sangria built for conversation that stretches. The room feels alive but not rushed, like everything is happening at once but still making time for itself.
What stands out is how natural it feels here. A Spanish dining culture operating fully inside Brentwood, just minutes from where the city’s biggest stadium and fan zones are preparing to host the world. That’s what makes LA so LA, they layer all these cultures from around the world, not separate.
Courtesy of FIFA
The Final Stretch
By the time the World Cup reaches its final phase, it becomes all about Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood and the final matches.
Even touring the stadium ahead of the tournament, it already feels like a preview of something inevitable. The pitch is real grass stitched into sand and lifted slightly above ground level, making the field feel almost staged inside the space rather than sunk into it. Seating is engineered for closeness, with vertical sightlines designed so there is no bad angle, no visual barrier, no distance that feels accidental.
The video board hangs above everything like a moving skyline, visible from anywhere in the stadium, constantly pulling your attention between the field and the scale of the experience itself. Even the canopy reacts to light and weather, softening the appearance into something that feels less like a fixed arena and more like a venue built to respond to the game.
And the final zones (July 14–15 and July 18–19) expand the moment outward. Fairplex moves the finals inland into a full-scale festival built around the semifinals, third-place match, and final, with interactive exhibits, mascots, and “science of soccer” installations that feel less like a viewing site and more like a temporary world. West Harbor brings it back to the coast, where screens face open water and an active port, crowds set against cargo ships drifting through the background like part of the broadcast. Downtown Burbank closes it at street level, turning the final matches into screenings, street fair energy, and global food that feels structured but uncontained.
By the end, nothing in Los Angeles feels severed anymore. Stadiums, museums, waterfronts, vintage stores, and city streets all function as one connected grid for the same event, each absorbing a different version of the finale as it passes through.
Maybe that’s the trick. The World Cup 2026 doesn’t begin at Los Angeles Stadium. The tournament begins somewhere between San Diego and Los Angeles, coffee in hand on the Pacific Surfliner, watching the coastline slowly trade one version of Southern California for another.
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.
Imagine being the song continuously getting skipped on the playlist. Not because no one wants to hear you, but because you never quite fit the moment. For years, San Diego has been that song on the touring circuit. Artists who have outgrown intimate clubs but aren’t yet filling arenas and stadiums have often passed us by, heading north to venues better suited to the size of their show. San Diego wasn’t missing the audience, it was missing the room.
That’s all about to change.
On August 17, Live Nation Entertainment announced plans to transform the historic Wonder Bread Building, which it purchased in June for $16.8 million, into a 4,000-capacity indoor venue slated to open in fall 2028. The new space will host music acts as well as private, corporate, and community events.
Currently, San Diego’s concert landscape jumps quickly from intimate clubs like the Casbah, Winston’s, and Belly Up to larger theaters, amphitheaters, arenas, and stadiums. What’s largely missing—particularly downtown—is a modern indoor room built specifically for roughly 4,000 concertgoers. This leaves a gap in mid-size venues for touring acts that land stages like the Hollywood Palladium or Boston’s MGM Music Hall at Fenway.
“We are filling a void in the market,” says John Schalk, Live Nation’s Vice President, San Diego Market. “There are other venues in town, but this […] building is just something that doesn’t currently exist.” Although SDSU’s Cal Coast Credit Union Amphitheater serves the 4,000-capacity range, its outdoor, fixed-seating arrangement isn’t as versatile as the proposed Live Nation project.
Located at 171 14th Street, just a six-minute walk from Petco Park, the building carries a century of history. Architect Eugene Hoffman designed it in 1924, a year after completing the Barcelona Apartment Hotel in Bankers Hill. The landmark brick building served as a bakery and warehouse for the Southern California Baking Company before Continental Baking Company, producers of Wonder Bread, took over in the 1950s and operated there through 1988 continued at the site until 2007.
In the early 2000s, Bob and Gay Sinclair, the couple behind a portfolio of East Village properties, purchased the building. After Bob—the founder of Pannikin Coffee & Tea—died in 2011, Gay sold much of their real estate portfolio but held onto the Wonder Bread Building. Mission Brewing eventually took over the space, where it operated for more than a decade before announcing its 2026 departure.
Now, the building is preparing for another reinvention. Live Nation plans to preserve the historic bakery’s four exterior walls, red brick façade, grain silo, barrel-vaulted trusses, and skylights as part of its next chapter.
Live Nation isn’t looking to erase its history but to celebrate it, allowing the building’s past to give the new venue some soul. “It’s really important for us that we maintain the integrity and the history of that building,” Schalk says. “There will be new construction and design elements as we go through the process to create the concert venue, but we’re working really hard to preserve it.”
Blueprint Studio, Live Nation’s in-house design and development group, and Gensler, the architecture firm behind San Diego International Airport Terminal 1 and Snapdragon Stadium, will be heading the project. The plan is to design the ground-floor space as an open, general-admission area with a premium level above with 600-plus fixed seats, in addition to box and suite sections. There will also be an additional structure built on top of the historical portion of the building (the four original walls that house the lobby) called the Vinyl Room—a Japanese-inspired hi-fi listening VIP lounge serving elevated food options.
One of the most reassuring aspects of the project is the focus on the concertgoer’s experience—specifically the “pet peeves” we all know too well: long bathroom lines, cramped exits, obstructed views. According to Schalk, one of the best things about building upon the existing structure is having the ability to consider potential obstacles and tackle them before construction begins. “I’d say we are ‘purpose building’ the entirety of the project for a music venue,” says Gensler lead project architect Garrett van Leeuwen. “As part of our design process, we do an in-depth sightline analysis to make sure that sightlines are optimized from every point and seat within the venue.”
Circulation design is also being implemented to ease traffic flow, alongside acoustic optimization and a transformative outdoor beautification effort. According to van Leeuwen, this “public realm space” will grow the existing 14-foot sidewalk to a 32-foot sidewalk complete with plazas and landscaping.
“This venue is for the fans. For the music lovers,” Schalk explains. The vision is intimate: “I want a fan to walk up to that building, see that red brick facade, grab their ticket from the box office, go into the lobby and see some of the history that will present itself… and feel like you entered a home.” Schalk also expressed a “keen interest in making sure that we work with the local artists, the local bands, the local musicians in town.” It’s a project that recognizes San Diego as a growing market that is hungry and ready to see a vibrant arts and culture community thrive.
According to an analysis by Oxford Economics analysis shared by Live Nation, the venue is projected to deliver a significant boost to the local economy, generating approximately $97 million in annual economic impact and supporting 660 jobs. This also includes welcoming 316,000 fans each year—with 126,000 traveling from outside the San Diego metro area—and driving $53 million in local spending at nearby restaurants, hotels, and retail establishments.
Considering its proximity to other major event spaces and overall busy urban areas, traffic and parking may be a concern, especially on nights of overlapping events. But in those cases, Schalk said they would work together on communication efforts; parking availability; and staggering start, end, and loading times; as well as providing easy access to designated rideshare areas. With transit stations nearby (the closest one being a 4-minute walk at 12th & Imperial), public transportation is another great option for enjoying your night out.
There are still two years of design, construction, and plenty of logistics between now and opening night. But the bigger promise of the Wonder Bread Building is simple: San Diego finally gets a venue built for the artists who have historically passed it by. After years of getting skipped on the touring playlist, the city may finally be getting its turn on repeat.
Camila Ibarra Gallego is a CaliBaja native pursuing a master's degree in culinary journalism at the Basque Culinary Center. Shaped by the culturally rich, bicultural megaregion, she's passionate about sniffing out stories that connect people, territory and culture through food. When she's not tumbling down internet rabbit holes, you can find her pretending to be a wine connoisseur at a local wine bar or nose-deep in a good book.
It was the summer of 1999. MTV, The Matrix, and first-generation PlayStation glowed on tube TV sets all over America. What a time to be alive. Smartphones weren’t yet stealing people from the moment. Cultural was a shared reality. During the last few minutes of the monoculture, Tony Hawk executed the first-ever 900 at X Games V in San Francisco. That’s two and a half aerial rotations with a side of the dizzies.
The time had run out on the Vert Best Trick competition long before the 11th attempt when he pulled off the fateful feat. Nobody cared. Not the judges, not the competition, and certainly not the crowd. “Let that bird fly,” they said. Once the trick was landed, they partied like it was 1999 … because it was.
That was the tipping point when the skateboarding world exploded, going from counterculture to a national phenomenon. Shortly after that, “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” video game came out, introducing millions of kids to what skate culture looked like. Oh, the game had a killer punk soundtrack, too.
We can all thank Hawk for the globalization of skateboarding. But we can also recognize his local influence and how San Diego County continues to be a hub for skateboarders young and old, for competitors and street skaters. To see it all, go to Park De La Cruz in City Heights—or, heck, any other skatepark in the county—which, at 19,000 square feet, is about twice the size of the average skatepark and has signature features like an M-shaped transition ramp. The amount of talent that continues to evolve in this county is a testament to deep-rooted skate culture and world-class athletes supporting the next generation.
Photo Credit: Casiel Sanchez
The Skatepark
I’m a little early for a skate lesson with pro skater Mike Owen when I get to Linda Vista Skatepark. In the 2010s, Owen ranked as one of the world’s top bowl riders. He’s the founder of San Diego Skateboarding and has “helped thousands of kids, teens, and adults learn to skate safely, confidently, and with style,” the company’s site says. And now it’s my turn. We start the lesson on the nearby tennis courts, getting my basic foot mechanics down. Safety before style.
In terms of street plaza features, the massive Linda Vista Skatepark is loaded with rails, stairs, manuals, and ledges. There are more bowls than you can get from Cava: a flow bowl, backyard-style pool, and vert bowl. The main feature is a full pipe for advanced line riders. It’s a hell of a park, even if somebody just wants to watch the action from the 100-foot-long pedestrian skybridge overhead.
Right now, San Diego has over 50 public skateparks scattered throughout the county. “There are now more [skateparks], more resources for them, and more terrain,” Owen tells me. “Now, they’re offering different competitive style skateparks that help for competitions. The best parks have a variety of different terrain where you have things for beginners and bigger transitions. Not every town has that.”
San Diego, luckily, does. But despite the bounty, Owen believes there should still be more—public skateparks are safe spaces for all to learn and develop on-board skills. Without them, a huge portion of San Diego’s culture withers. Encinitas could be the next city to add a skatepark to the county’s roster: In early July, the Encinitas City Council appointed 12 local skaters and community members for the newly established Skate Feature Committee. In partnership with two councilmembers, the committee’s purpose is to design a working skatepark or feature for the city.
But like any big project, Owen says, it’s a long process to add another skatepark to the community.
“I wish it were easier,” he says. “When there are different contractors for different things, [there’s only] a certain amount of time to build. It gets tricky.”
Then there’s the matter of funding the actual construction and development of the skatepark. That usually comes from grants, fundraisers, and donations. For reference, Linda Vista Skatepark was built on a $4.46 million grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development in 2014. With an additional $40,000 donated by the Tony Hawk Foundation, the park opened in 2018 and is the largest in San Diego’s Parks and Recreation system. The best way to get a skatepark in your neighborhood, Owen says, is to start a petition and reach out to your city.
Photo Credit: Blair Alley
The Street Skaters
Jordan Thrower’s first street skate sesh at San Diego City College in 2003 ended with a police chase. The campus was swarming with skaters riding rails, jumping stairs, and grinding tricks on benches, curbs, and ledges. When the cops got on their loudspeaker telling them not to run, everyone obviously ran. Back then, cops would give tickets and confiscate boards. The vibe has loosened since. “Now, the police don’t really care,” Thrower says. “They just make you leave. It’s not anything crazy.”
Street skating is when riders use real-world urban obstacles, rather than pristinely designed bowls or ramps—such as in college campuses, downtown areas, corporate buildings, and malls. Abandoned mini-golf courses and construction sites do the trick, too.
Thrower says the street skating hub here isn’t as huge as it once was. Thanks to modern technology and social media, skaters aren’t tied to any certain place to create skate videos. You know, those videos that could have been taken this year but have the low-fi vibe of 2004, where skaters carve down stairwells into parking lots, over mailboxes, or across park benches. The silver lining: Even though there are fewer street skaters than there once was, those who stayed in San Diego are still tight.
“Everyone skates with each other and knows each other here,” Thrower says. “In LA, it’s not really like that. It’s small there, but not everybody knows each other, and they don’t really skate with each other too much. They just have a lot of little crews.”
Back in 2015, Thrower started his own street team and brand that sells boards and shirts called Tantrum. The Tantrum team is split between San Diego and San Francisco. It doesn’t take much to be a part of a skate team. You just have to be a good hang.
“The way I pick people [for the team] is if I can get along with them,” he says. “It doesn’t even really matter if they’re that good. If you’re likable and funny, you can pretty much be on the team.”
Photo Credit: Marc Wierenega
The Future
Running it up to North County, a Vista-based nonprofit organization called Exposure Skate has been shaping up the youth since 2012. Its mission is to give more opportunities to otherwise underrepresented women, girls, and non-binary individuals by offering classes and camps. This, to build up confidence and community. We could all use a little bit of that, eh?
Thanks to Exposure Skate, 13-year-old Joey Yarbrough has found herself competing in the LA Olympic trials. (Her first time on a skateboard came at just 18 months old at an Exposure Skate Rising event.)
While competing for Team USA in Rome in June of this year, she finished 13th at the first Olympic qualifier for LA28. Currently ranked 21st in the world and 5th among American women, the young prodigy is blooming. And she’s in good company and mentorship from her biggest influence, Bryce Wettstein.
“She taught me at the first Exposure Skate Rising when I was little,” Yarbrough recalls. “I compete and skate with her all the time now, and it’s super fun. [At Exposure,] it feels so good to have someone there to help me whenever I need it. They’re like my family, always encouraging me and always there for me.”
Yarbrough will be just 15 years old when the Olympics go down in LA. She’s following the Olympic torch carried by other locals such as Wettstein, Ruby Lilley, Jordyn Barratt, and Exposure Skate’s Amelia Brodka.
“I’m working my hardest to get there,” she says. “I’ll also work my hardest to go higher in the Olympics, maybe on podium. That’s just my dream. So, hopefully it’ll come true.”
Jake Peterson is a San Diego-based journalist and culture writer. His work explores the city’s music scene, sports, local characters, and the offbeat corners of San Diego’s subcultures.
A Rare Look Inside Callaway Golf’s San Diego Test Center
The Ely Callaway Performance Center is where tour-level fittings, cutting-edge technology, and golf equipment you can’t buy yet all come together
Courtesy of Ely Callaway Performance Center
By Tina Mickelson
“Come test something.”
Those are quite possibly my three favorite words in the English language—all due respect to “I love you” or the highly underrated “you were right.”
I’ve been a PGA Golf Professional since 1994, and yes, full bias disclosure, a Callaway Golf Ambassador for 18 years. One of the bonuses that comes with that combo is access to the Ely Callaway Performance Center—a place so exclusive it gives “velvet rope” vibes.
Originally opened in 2006 as a highly functional (yet not exactly breathtaking) test facility, the ECPC got a serious glow-up in 2018 when Gil Hanse (along with partner Geoff Shackelford) turned it into what can only be described as a fully engineered golf playground. Hanse is no stranger to golf course renovations. In 2024, he completed an extensive redesign of the Omni La Costa North Course in Carlsbad, so it could host the NCAA Division 1 Golf Championships. He also worked on acclaimed courses like Winged Foot, Merion Golf Club, and Oakmont Country Club.
In just two months, it went from a standard test center and R&D lab to a fully dialed-in golf playground.
Courtesy of Ely Callaway Performance Center
What was once purely practical is now intentionally designed to be both precise and inspiring. The targets are staggered with purpose—forcing creative shot-making while also calling you out on your actual distances (no more “that’s my 150-yard club … ish”).
Add a massive hitting area, bunkers and greens that mimic real on-course conditions, a “Himalayas” putting green (named for its roller-coaster undulations), an upgraded indoor putting lab, and a 120-decibel sound system blasting a very golf-appropriate playlist, and suddenly it’s a rare blend of high-performance testing facility and “don’t mind if I stay here all day” energy. Since this isn’t exactly open to the public, SDM asked me to take you behind the curtain.
As the iron gates part, it feels less like arriving at a practice facility and more like being granted backstage access at a rock concert—if the bandmembers were made entirely of launch monitors and perfectly manicured turf.
There are no mats. No guessing. No “I think that one felt good?” Just conditions that mirror exactly what tour players see in competition. Because when you’re testing equipment at this level, accuracy isn’t a bonus—it’s the whole point.
Even the sand matters. Different textures. Different densities. Because bunkers have personalities, too, and they are often unfriendly. And the golf balls? Brand. New. Not the usual “these have seen some things” range balls. New balls mean consistent spin, truer trajectory, and no surprises. The older a golf ball gets—and the more it’s been baked in the sun, scuffed, or generally lived a full and complicated life—the less reliable it becomes. Think of it like this: fresh ball, predictable performance; old range ball, slight chaos with a side of mystery.
I’m escorted to my personal hitting bay—basically a pop-up shaded oasis stocked with enough equipment to make a gear junkie weak in the knees. Shafts in every weight and profile imaginable. Heads lined up like they’re waiting to be drafted by their favorite team.
Courtesy of Ely Callaway Performance Center
Toptracer technology was patiently waiting to track every one of my swings, each shot instantly delivering ball speed, launch, spin, carry distance, and dispersion (a polite way of saying consistency, or lack thereof), so there’s no guessing—just data telling the truth, whether I like it or not.
We start with irons. Different heads, different feels, different results. When I miss a shot, the ball tends to leak right, so we check lie angle. A quick adjustment—2 degrees upright—and suddenly the clubface is consistently square at impact like it remembered its job. Effort level: down. Ball flight: improved. Confidence: creeping back.
Next we look at the different shaft options—because nothing says “fun afternoon” like realizing a higher kick point can change your entire golf identity. Shaft flex (how much the shaft bends during your swing) helps determine whether you get more height and distance or more control, while kick point (where the shaft bends the most) influences your ball flight—lower kick point for higher launch, higher kick point for a flatter, more penetrating shot. In other words, one small tweak and suddenly you’re hitting shots you’d normally only describe later, slightly exaggerated, over a glass of wine.
Then we move through the bag: hybrids, fairway woods, drivers, wedges. It’s a full rotation of “try this,” “now try this,” and “okay wait … THAT one.”
And yes—the new Quantum driver and fairway woods made an appearance. Without getting too deep in the weeds, they’re faster, more forgiving, and smarter (thanks to AI face mapping) than previous models. Translation: Even your mishits are now slightly less embarrassing. And they were not the only things getting tested. My patience was under attack because the driver and woods would not be available to the public for a good three months.
Courtesy of Ely Callaway Performance Center
Watching the fitting team work is like watching a Formula 1 pit crew. Clubs are swapped in seconds. Shafts tightened, adjusted, replaced. One minute you’re swinging something that seems “fine,” and the next, you’re holding a club that feels like it is a part of your DNA.
Then there’s the putter fitting. Drivers are physics. Putters are therapy. Inside the putting lab, sensors track everything—tempo, face angle, path—things you didn’t even know could be measured. Within minutes, my data politely informs me that my putter face is slightly closed at impact. Not shocking, but also not ideal.
A few quick adjustments—different head (with a bit more weight at the toe to discourage the face swinging closed at impact), shorter shaft (so I feel more over the ball, which helps my eyeline)—and suddenly the ball starts rolling exactly where I’m aimed.
Same stroke. Same golfer. Completely different outcome. If only the rest of life worked like that.
And then there’s the part that feels slightly classified. The ECPC isn’t “just” a performance center—it’s also where future equipment lives before the public even knows it exists. I’ve been there when certain clubs were basically under surveillance. Not “don’t touch,” but more “please keep phones in your pocket.”
It’s golf’s version of Area 51. Except instead of aliens, it’s drivers that won’t hit shelves for another year—and like I mentioned, waiting is not my strong suit.
Getting to test the newest equipment isn’t just a perk—it’s part of the job. It’s what allows me to stand in front of students and say, “I’ve tried it. I know what works and what doesn’t. And more importantly, I know why.” And if I happen to sprint to my car every time the phone rings and someone says, “Come test something” … well, that’s just professional courtesy.
Callaway isn’t the only place to get your swing analyzed and clubs fitted. You can stroll into big retail spots like The Golf Mart or Golf Galaxy, book a next-level session at a dedicated studio like Club Champion or True Spec Golf, test brand-specific gear at various manufacturing companies (many located in Carlsbad), or even combine a lesson and a fitting at GOLFTEC. And let’s not forget your local golf course, where fittings happen on actual turf, on a driving range you have some history with—many times with the golf professional who is familiar with your swing so they can give you valuable input. With this many options, there’s really no excuse, other than pride, to keep blaming your clubs.
Inspired by the effortless charm of French cafés, this taste of France on Orange Avenue invites guests to embrace the simple pleasure of taking their time.
Strolling down Orange Avenue on a sunny afternoon, you’ll hear the hum of beach cruisers rolling by and visitors making their way toward the Hotel del Coronado. Dogs pause to greet one another on the sidewalk, palm trees sway overhead, and for a moment, you’re convinced you’re living inside the postcard from the gift shop you just passed.
Then the scene shifts. Towering white columns, black café awnings and gold-trimmed windows frame Little Frenchie, where woven bistro chairs spill onto the sidewalk and servers deliver bubbling crocks of French onion soup. The scent of caramelized onions and melted Gruyère is practically an invitation to ask, “How long for a table for two?”
That feeling of pulling up a chair and staying awhile is exactly what inspired Little Frenchie. French cuisine has a reputation for feeling a little intimidating, but the restaurant is rewriting that narrative with food and wine that feels approachable.
“Sometimes when you read a French menu, you come across words you can’t even pronounce,” David Spatafore, the owner of Little Frenchie, says. “We wanted to create a restaurant where people felt comfortable.”
Little Frenchie was designed to capture the spirit of the French sidewalk cafés that inspired it. Dating back to 1917, the space already carried the charm of a Parisian bistro, with architectural details that felt more at home on a European street corner than in Coronado. The team saw an opportunity to create a restaurant that matched the character of the space while filling a gap in the neighborhood.
The result is a French restaurant that honors tradition without taking itself too seriously.
At Little Frenchie, classic French techniques are at the heart of the menu, but there is always room for creativity. A cassoulet featuring Toulouse sausage and duck confit pays homage to the recipes and regions that inspired it, while a rich hot chocolate made with ingredients imported from France brings a taste of French café culture to Coronado.
The team loves finding unexpected ways to make familiar dishes feel new. A burger becomes a showstopper when it is finished tableside with melted raclette, while a French Dip gets elevated with prime beef and Wagyu makes its way into the burgers. Even Eggs Benedict gets a French twist, swapping the traditional English muffin for a buttery croissant. The GB&J, Little Frenchie’s take on a grilled cheese, brings that same playful approach with seasonal jam and French Brie layered into a comforting classic.
Nearly everything at Little Frenchie is made from scratch, with ingredients carefully chosen to match the restaurant’s standards. Even the bread receives special attention. Each morning, the team sends a car to Prager Brothers Artisan Bread to pick up freshly baked loaves, ensuring every element of the meal reflects the restaurant’s commitment to quality.
Wine is woven into the experience just as naturally as the food. Inspired by the effortless pairings found in French cafés and bistros, Little Frenchie’s by-the-glass selection invites guests to sip their way through different regions and discover new favorites without the pressure of knowing all the rules.
The inland North County community of Rancho Santa Fe is often associated with wealth. It’s one of San Diego’s most expensive residential markets and is consistently ranked one of the highest-income zip codes in California and the U.S. Rancho Santa Fe is known for its large equestrian community including riding facilities and horse trails, as well as its country club lifestyle and associated golf courses.
At the center of this luxury master-planned community is a small, walkable downtown area referred to as the “village,” with The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe acting as both a landmark and social hub. Much of the community, including the historic Inn, was designed by acclaimed architect Lilian Rice, one of California’s earliest female architects. The Spanish Colonial-style architecture she brought to the village is still one of its defining characteristics today.
Whether you’re coming to Rancho Santa Fe for golf, horseback riding, or pampering at a resort spa, be sure to start with a short walk around the village to take in the neighborhood’s charm. Plan your next visit here with our neighborhood guide to the area’s best restaurants, things to do, and shopping.
Rancho Santa Fe Restaurants, Bars, and Coffee Shops
The Pony Room
Families congregate at The Pony Room for elevated California ranch-style cuisine. Lamb lollipops, carne asada tacos, burgers, and weekly dinner specials are offered here, alongside an extensive collection of wine and spirits (especially tequila) and sizeable kids menus. As the signature restaurant of Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, this all-day eatery is a lively centerpiece of the local social scene.
5921 Valencia Circle
Mille Fleurs
The piano bar at Mille Fleurs is the buzziest spot to be on Friday and Saturday nights in Rancho Santa Fe. French classics like escargot, lobster bisque, duck confit, and steak frites are the main dinner attractions at this local institution that has been around for more than 40 years. Spring for the four-course prix fixe menu before nabbing a coveted bar seat near the piano entertainer.
6009 Paseo Delicias
Nick & G’s Restaurant
Nick & G’s is one of the most prominent restaurants in the village, with an outdoor patio that overlooks the main thoroughfare. Enjoy modern Italian food, steaks, and seafood dishes here, including homemade pasta, pizza, wagyu beef, and oysters. Be sure to check their live music schedule and events calendar for the latest happenings.
6106 Paseo Delicias
Lilian’s
Named after renowned architect and planner Lilian Rice, Lilian’s is The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe’s flagship restaurant. Their upscale menus feature sustainable seafood, grass-fed meats, local produce, and even sushi rolls during dinner. Outdoor seating provides a bird’s-eye view of the village and an elegant backdrop for weekend brunch. Stop by Bing’s Bar (a nod to Bing Crosby) for craft cocktails, beer, wine, and light bites in a refined setting.
5951 Linea Del Cielo
Thyme in the Ranch
Quaint cafe and bakery Thyme in the Ranch serves a small selection of breakfast and lunch items (don’t miss the tarragon chicken salad), but is perhaps best known for its pastries and baked goods. Cakes, pies, muffins, scones, and cookies fly off the shelves here, where locals come for special occasions, parties, and group catering orders.
16905 Avenida De Acacias
Paseo RSF
Located inside a historic building once home to Rancho Santa Fe’s original schoolhouse, Paseo RSF is one of the village’s newest dining options. The charming American bistro has pasta, salads, burgers, meat and seafood entrees, plus a thoughtfully selected California wine list and new sushi and omakase program. Kids and dogs are both welcome here.
6024 Paseo Delicias, Suite C
Rancho Roasters
Grab a quick coffee to go from this walk-up window in the same shopping center as the post office. Cinnamon roll lattes, cold brew, spiced chai, smoothies, protein bowls, and more can be found at Rancho Roasters, where they brew beans from Dark Horse Coffee.
16950 Via De Santa Fe
Goli Pizza
Casual pizzeria and martini bar Goli is a popular spot for catching the latest sports games. Order one of their unique specialty pizzas like the Casbah with hummus and veggies, build your own pizza or burger, or go with one of their hearty wraps that’s made with an extra thin version of pizza dough.
18021 Calle Ambiente, Suite 403
Cocina del Rancho
Find generous portions of Mexican food at Cocina del Rancho, run by the same owners as Carlsbad’s Cicciotti’s Trattoria Italiana and Village Kabob. Get classic dishes like burritos, tacos, and enchiladas, plus their specialty items including pulpo, carne asada, and fajitas with lobster tail. Don’t skip the margaritas.
Kai Oliver-Kurtin is a San Diego-based writer who covers travel, dining, events, and culture. Her writing has been published in USA Today, Condé Nast Traveler, Fodor's Travel, Marie Claire, and HuffPost, among others.
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
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
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 July 24 and 25 from noon to 4 p.m., head to Nason’s Beer Hall for photo ops 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.
Camila Ibarra Gallego is a CaliBaja native pursuing a master's degree in culinary journalism at the Basque Culinary Center. Shaped by the culturally rich, bicultural megaregion, she's passionate about sniffing out stories that connect people, territory and culture through food. When she's not tumbling down internet rabbit holes, you can find her pretending to be a wine connoisseur at a local wine bar or nose-deep in a good book.
National Philanthropy Day, presented by PNC Bank, Celebrates the Best of Philanthropy in San Diego
The 53rd Annual National Philanthropy Day Takes Place on November 21. Join us from 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the new Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center!
Once yearly, AFP San Diego joins with others worldwide to celebrate National Philanthropy Day (NPD), a special day set aside to recognize the great contributions of donors and nonprofits that enrich of our community and the world. San Diego’s NPD is one of the largest and most successful in the U.S., attracting nearly 900 participants, including philanthropists, nonprofit leaders, CEOs, board members, development professionals, and business, community, and civic leaders.
Sponsorship proceeds from National Philanthropy Day are reinvested in education, training, scholarships, career development, and the advancement of fundraising professionals throughout San Diego. These resources and training provide fundraising professionals with the tools necessary to support our region’s diverse array of nonprofit organizations, which rely on charitable giving for close to half of their annual revenues.
The National Philanthropy Day Honorees are selected by the NPD Honorary Committee, a group of highly respected, diverse nonprofit and business leaders. Our 2025 Honorees include:
Outstanding Development Emerging Leader – Taylor Thompson Self-Nominated
Outstanding Development Professional – Sharyn Goodson Nominated by: AJ Steinberg & Jeanne Schmelzer
Outstanding Organization for IDEA – Accessity Self-Nominated
Outstanding Philanthropic Institution – Life Science Cares San Diego Nominated by: Blair Search Partners
Outstanding Philanthropist – Dan & Phyllis Epstein Nominated by: CSU San Marcos & KPBS
Outstanding Student Volunteer – Camden Hall Nominated by: Curebound
National Philanthropy Day San Diego provides an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of giving and to celebrate the selfless contributions of individuals and organizations across the region. We look forward to celebrating with you!
Sponsorship opportunities and individual tickets are available. Please visit www.afpsd.org for more information.
