Indoor soccer playoffs, engaging art exhibitions and avocado activities are in store this weekend in San Diego. Sports fans can root for the Gulls as they finish their regular season slate and catch a postseason matchup between the Sockers and the St. Louis Ambush. Evocative artwork can be admired through Space 4 Arts’ Instructions for Unrest: Art Against Complacency at Art Produce Gallery, the familial retrospective Brothers in Arts: James Hubbell and Bert Hubbell at Oceanside Museum of Art and two new exhibitions at MCASD from the private collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys. In addition, the annual Avocado Festival will return to the streets of downtown Fallbrook with an array of contests, entertainment and avocado-filled splendor.
Food & Drink | Concerts & Festivals | Theater & Art Exhibits | More Fun Things to Do
Food & Drink Events in San Diego This Weekend
Lakehouse Food & Wine Festival
April 18
Spend an afternoon along Lake San Marcos sampling a curated menu of greater San Diego’s best flavors during the 5th annual Lakehouse Food & Wine Festival. Over 30 vendors will showcase their best food, wine and spirits, with attendees encouraged to vote on their favorites. Ticket options include general admission ($89) and VIP passes ($160), which comes with early admission at noon and a luxury cruise to the festival’s deluxe island experience; prices will rise by $10 the day of the event. All eventgoers will also go home with a souvenir tasting glass.
1105 La Bonita Drive, San Marcos
Fallbrook Avocado Festival
April 19
No matter if you love or loathe avocados, there are festivities for everyone to explore during the free annual Fallbrook Avocado Festival this Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This includes family-friendly live entertainment, a beer and wine garden with live music and the Artisan Walk on Alvarado. Plus, there will be contests for the best tasting and looking guacamoles, avocado holding competitions, contests for best dressed avocado and little miss & mister avocado and the Avocado 500 mini car race.
Main Street from East Mission Road to Fallbrook Street, Fallbrook
Concerts & Festivals in San Diego This Weekend
Ethel Cain at The Rady Shell
April 14
Can’t afford to see Ethel Cain at Coachella? Fortunately, San Diegans can catch the standout Americana artist this Tuesday at 7 p.m. when she plays The Rady Shell. Cain’s sonic mastery and intricate songwriting are best displayed in her pair of new projects from 2025: the dark and ambient Perverts and Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You, which continues and precedes the tales from her debut Preacher’s Daughter. Cain will be joined on the bill by shoegaze group 9Million and country rock standouts Wednesday. Tickets are $86 for this concert; $1 from every ticket sold will go to organizations that support the trans community via The Ally Coalition.
222 Marina Park Way, Embarcadero
Devo at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay
April 15
Assemble your circular red energy domes and head to Humphreys Concerts by the Bay this Wednesday at 8 p.m. to see new wave legends Devo. Also fresh off an appearance at weekend one of Coachella, Devo is celebrating its 53rd anniversary. Though it’s been 45 years since “Whip It” cracked its way up the Billboard Hot 100, and only a couple years since their lineup of “farewell” shows, Devo are finding ways to connect with new audiences, as evidenced by the mantra of their Mutate, Don’t Stagnate Tour. Tickets range from $120 to $243 for this concert.
2241 Shelter Island Drive, Shelter Island
San Diego Arab Film Festival
April 17–19
The second installment of this year’s San Diego Arab Film Festival returns to the Museum of Photographic Arts’ Joan and Irwin Jacobs Theater for three nights of screenings this Friday through Sunday. The lineup of five shorts and five feature films includes international selections from Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, including All That’s Left of You, Hind Under Siege and The President’s Cake. Ticket options include a three-ticket pass ($40) and individual screening tickets ($15); cafeteria-style Arabic dinners can also be purchased ahead for each screening for $18.
1649 El Prado, Balboa Park
HoCo 420 Fest
April 17–19
Ocean Beach’s The Holding Company is ushering in the highest of holidays with this weekend’s HoCo 420 Fest. The festival begins Friday (7:30-11:30 p.m.) with a performance by reggae rock group Tomorrow’s Bad Seeds, continues Saturday (7-11:30 p.m.) with a headlining set from weed rap extraordinaire Devin the Dude and ends Sunday (1:30-6 p.m.) with an after party featuring local alternative band Fight Naked. Tickets are $15 for Friday, $30 for Saturday, $10 for Sunday and $45 for the whole weekend.
5046 Newport Avenue, Ocean Beach
Theater & Art Exhibits in San Diego This Weekend
Brothers in Arts: James Hubbell and Bert Hubbell at Oceanside Museum of Art
Through September 6
Brotherly love, a shared zest for creativity and dual lifetimes filled with incredible accomplishments are covered during Brothers in Arts: James Hubbell and Bert Hubbell at Oceanside Museum of Art. The physically distant yet emotionally close connection of James, a resident of Julian, and Bert, who lived in Kokubunji, Japan, is laid out through a loving display of ceramics, poetry, watercolors, journals and snapshots in time that echo their profound relationship. Brothers in Arts will have an exhibition celebration on Saturday, May 2 from 5-7 p.m.; tickets are free for members and $15 for the public.
704 Pier View Way, Oceanside
The Notebook at Civic Theatre
April 14–19
It began as the 1996 debut novel of romance author Nicholas Sparks, then it became an emotionally resonant blockbuster in the mid-aughts, and now, a musical version of The Notebook is touring theaters nationwide. Just as in the book and the film, the story follows the reminiscent romance of Noah and Allie, who defy the imbalance of their social classes with a love that both stands the test of time and alleviates the heartbreak of fading memory. Tickets start at $45 for The Notebook, with eight performances this week at the Civic Theatre.
1100 Third Avenue, Gaslamp
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Lamplighters Community Theatre
April 17–May 17
See a group of eccentric middle schoolers battle big words and even bigger feelings during Lamplighters Community Theatre’s adaptation of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Through this musical comedy, which also features a helping of brave audience participation, six students earnestly proceed through the competition, each with their own motivations, strategies and backstories woven into the narrative. Tickets are $35 for adults and $33 for seniors, students and active military members, with performances this Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
5915 Severin Drive, La Mesa
Alien Girls at The Old Globe
April 18 – May 10
A successful friendship is built on many things: trust, dependability, the ability to bring out each other’s best selves. But what happens when this loving foundation cracks in unforeseen ways? In Amy Berryman’s world premiere comedy Alien Girls, first featured in The Old Globe’s 2025 Powers New Voices Festival, a pair of close pals on the verge of splitting apart journey through the peaks and valleys of their friendship. Tickets start at $41 for Alien Girls, with performances this Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m. in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre.
1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park
Instructions for Unrest: Art Against Complacency at Art Produce Gallery
April 18–May 14
In Instructions for Unrest: Art Against Complacency, Space 4 spotlights 14 artists who are choosing to face the continued political unrest going on across the globe. Instructions for Unrest will have a free opening reception this Saturday from 4-7 p.m. at Art Produce Gallery. This exhibition is curated by Alessandra Moctezuma, who will host a gallery walkthrough and a free artist panel to close the exhibition on Thursday, May 14 from 6-8 p.m.
3139 University Avenue, North Park
Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys at MCASD
April 18–August 9
Native New Yorkers and San Diego residents, Swizz Beatz and Alica Keys are sharing their favorite artwork with the public eye during Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys at Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Visitors can view over 130 pieces from 37 Black American and diasporic artists, including the first appearance of a 25-foot work by visual artist Mickalene Thomas, beginning with a free opening reception this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday also marks the opening of The Dean Collection Presents: Hometown Heroes (through November 8), which centers on regional artists proudly representing the local Chicana/o/e community.
700 Prospect Street, La Jolla
More Fun Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend
San Diego Gulls Homestand at Pechanga Arena
April 15 & 18
With a likely first round playoff matchup with the Colorado Eagles on the horizon, the San Diego Gulls will look to soar into the postseason on a high note. The Gulls will conclude their regular season schedule with games against the Tucson Roadrunners (Wednesday) and Coachella Valley Firebirds (Saturday) at Pechanga Arena, sandwiched around a Friday faceoff with the Ontario Reign in Los Angeles. Saturday’s Fan Appreciation Night celebration will also include a sandless beach towel giveaway for the first 8K fans in the stands. Tickets start at $20 for Wednesday’s game and $28 for Saturday’s game.
3500 Sports Arena Boulevard, Midway
Coronado Flower Show
April 17–19
For the Coronado Flower Association’s 104th annual Flower Show, Spreckels Park will be decked out in a forest of flowers to align with the theme of “Welcome to the Jungle.” This vivid walk on the wild side (of floral design) will take place Saturday from 1-5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with activities happening all weekend long. Special events include a movie night Friday ($5), walking tours (free), special Events in the Tents (ranging from free to $40), and The Velvet Jungle ($135), a Saturday night gala from the 1922 Club with tunes, cocktails and a mysterious floral ambiance. Single-day entry to the Coronado Flower Show is $10.
601 Orange Avenue, Coronado
South Bay Earth Day
April 18
Enjoy a day full of environmentally conscious fun at Bayfront Park this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. during Chula Vista’s annual South Bay Earth Day. This free festival will feature food trucks, live entertainment, interactive games, dozens of eco-friendly vendors and an artist alley with superbly sustainable pieces. There will also be a fix-it-clinic, a complimentary bike valet, a tie dye T-shirt workshop and the chance to decorate your own kitchen waste caddie.
980 Marina Way, Chula Vista
PARTNER CONTENT
San Diego Sockers vs. St. Louis Ambush at Frontwave Arena
April 19
Looking to avenge their defeat in last year’s championship series, the San Diego Sockers are set to face the St. Louis Ambush in the semifinal round of this year’s Ron Newman Cup. This playoff showdown will begin with a match Friday in St. Louis followed by the second leg this Sunday at 5 p.m. at Frontwave Arena, with a possible tiebreaker match happening immediately after, if necessary. The winner of this series will face the Milwaukee Wave, who have already clinched their finals spot. Fans can purchase a bundle ranging from $53 to $173, which comes with admission to all three potential Sockers home games this postseason.
3475 Hero Drive, Oceanside
