Oh, hello again, weekend. We’ve missed you. Welcome four days of sun with a stacked lineup of things to do in San Diego. From a summer concert in Santee and an O’side surf competition to a comedic dating show and Juneteenth events, here are 13 ways to spend your time.
Food and Drink | Festivals and Art | Concerts and Theater | More Things to Do
Food & Drink Events in San Diego This Weekend
Solstice Soirée
June 14
The Old Globe is starting its summer season off with a bash worthy of the Bard himself. The Solstice Soirée fundraiser, taking place from 6 to 11 p.m. at JULEP Venue this Friday, will feature crafted concoctions from Snake Oil Cocktails, live music, and interactive theater fun. The highlight? Several of the city’s best chefs are coming together to create distinctive dishes that pay homage to the theater’s upcoming programming. Tickets are $85 for general admission and $150 for VIP passes, which include perks like access to a secret garden with an open bar and chef station.
1735 Hancock Street, Mission Hills
City Heights Street Food Fest
June 15
Can’t find the City Heights Street Food Fest? Just follow the aroma of meat charred to perfection and the sugary scent of mouthwatering sweet treats. The fourth iteration of the culinary block party includes art, live music, and worldwide cuisine from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. While kids receive free admission, adults can expect to pay $15 ($10 if you live in City Heights). All tickets can be purchased here. Proceeds from the event will go towards housing and job assistance and additional services for those in the City Heights neighborhood.
University Avenue between 37th and 38th Street, City Heights
Rooftop Lobster Cookout
June 15–16
This weekend, Mister A’s serves up a rooftop Father’s Day brunch in support of the Monarch School. The cookout fundraiser’s featured dish is a seafood boil special: lobster in a Cajun lemongrass broth with Manilla clams, crab legs, red potatoes, andouille sausage, and corn on the cob. The menu, from Mister A’s executive chef Stephane Voizwinkler, will also include dishes like stone fruit with Iberico ham and a Southern eggs benedic. While dining on French-inspired fare, guests can enjoy live music by City Lights Jazz Trio and students from the Monarch School. Reserve your Father’s Day brunch spot here.
2550 Fifth Avenue, Bankers Hill
Festivals & Art Exhibits in San Diego This Weekend
Binational Youth Poster Exhibition
Opens June 13
As part of World Design Capital 2024, WDC 2024 Club has launched a Binational Youth Poster Exhibition, selecting 16 young artists from the San Diego-Tijuana region to take part in a collaborative project. Each artist designed a unique poster expressing ideas for how the area can grow and thrive. The showcase opens with a reception this Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. at UC San Diego Park & Market and remains on display through August 30 at the East Village venue and at Casa de la Cultura in Tijuana. RSVP for the reception here.
100 Market Street, East Village
Kinfolk Fest
June 15
SD Melanin is throwing a Juneteenth party at Waterfront Park this Saturday from 12 to 9 p.m., offering live music, wellness activities, and the opportunity to shop from local Black-owned businesses. A 21-plus event, Kinfolk Fest also promises tasty food, drinks, and art installations and an afternoon of community-building that centers Black joy. General admission is $35. $100 VIP passes come with expedited entry, luxury restrooms, cash bar access, exclusive photo ops, and top-shelf Uncle Nearest whiskey.
1600 Pacific Coast Highway, Embarcadero
San Diego Wooden Boat Festival
June 15–16
San Diego’s most devout sea dogs will show off their meticulously detailed wooden boats to the public this weekend. Admire 50 boats and enjoy live music, local artists, and vendor booths at Koehler Kraft Boatyard & Marina from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $5 per day for kids and $10 per day for adults; children under 6 years old will receive free admission.
2302 Shelter Island Drive, Point Loma
Concerts & Theater in San Diego This Weekend
Santee Summer Concert Series
June 13
The summertime concert series at Town Center Community Park East returns with new weekly shows and local food truck lineups every Thursday (except July 4th) through August 15. San Diego band Cassie B will perform a medley of Top 40 hits at the season’s first concert this Thursday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Featured food vendors include Born in Brooklyn, Delish Dogs, Gelu California, Sapos Tacos, and Sweet Treats. Rescues A Way Home for Dogs and Rugers Rescues will bring along pups for you to meet and adopt. Residents are welcome to bring beer and wine to sip on during the show, but glass containers are not allowed.
550 Park Center Drive, Santee
Bro-Am 2024 Benefit Party & Beach Fest
June 13 & 15
San Diego alt-rock band Switchfoot’s marquee fundraising event celebrates two decades of community philanthropy with a swanky benefit party and a free waterfront festival. From 6 to 10 p.m. this Thursday, the Bro-Am benefit party will bring silent and live auctions, food and beverage samples, and a Switchfoot concert to a private event space in North County. Tickets for reserved seats are $375 and general admission is $275. On Saturday at Moonlight Beach, the Bro-Am Beach Fest will run 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. with several surfing events—including the iconic surf jousting—plus live music from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., with Switchfoot headlining. Proceeds from the 2024 Bro-Am benefit several San Diego-based nonprofits, including A Step Beyond, Feeding San Diego, and Save The Music Foundation.
252 5th Street, Encinitas
More Fun Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend
2024 USA Surfing Championships
Through June 15
Cheer on the champions of the ocean one wave at a time. Now through Saturday, San Diegans can settle on the sand near Oceanside Pier and spectate this year’s USA Surfing Championships. Dozens of the best youth and adult surfers in the country will compete to win hardware and represent their nation in International Surfing Association World Championships events.
1374 North Pacific Street, Oceanside
San Diego County Fair
Through July 7
San Diegans will converge on the Del Mar Fairgrounds for four weeks of fun at the San Diego County Fair. This week at the fairgrounds, attendees can check out concerts from Kolohe Kai (June 12) and TLC (June 14). At the Fair-Tastic Food Competition (June 14), San Diego Mag’s own Troy Johnson will serve as a judge, selecting the best (and most indulgent) fair bites. Kids 5 years old and younger receive free admission daily, while kids ages 6 to 12 get in gratis on Fridays. General admission tickets for adults (ages 13–61) are $16 on Wednesdays and Thursdays and $20 Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Fairgoers can buy their tickets online 24 hours or more in advance and save 20 percent on the day’s ticket price.
2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard, Del Mar
Love Isn’t Blind
June 13
Hosted and created by comedian Allison Goldberg, Love Isn’t Blind is a dating show that puts men firmly in the hot seat. In this interactive comedic experience, coming to Mic Drop Comedy this Thursday night at 7 p.m., a group of men let Goldberg put them through the ringer in exchange for the chance to go on a date with a bachelorette contestant immediately after the show. Goldberg will go through their phones, call up their moms, and not let them talk… at all. Audience members also get in on the fun by wearing wristbands that indicate relationship status, and a “wingcouple” will help pair up singles in the audience—so if you’ve been keeping up with Nicolle Monico’s Unhinged, A Dating Series column and are looking to expand your dating horizons, here is your chance. Tickets for Thursday’s show can be purchased online for $25.
8878 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, Kearny Mesa
ChuckyMania: A Community Celebration with San Diego FC
June 13
San Diego FC has inked its first designated player: Hirving “Chucky” Lozano. The beloved Mexican winger, who has earned 70 caps for the Mexican National Team and been an integral part of multiple league titles overseas, will join the SDFC on a four-year contract at the start of the new year. To celebrate the occasion, SDFC is hosting a community fan fest at the Rady Shell this Thursday with live music, an appearance from the city’s newest soccer star, and much more. Fans can claim up to two free tickets to this event, and gates will open at 6 p.m. for the festivities at 7:30 p.m.
222 Marina Park Way, Embarcadero
Father’s Day Car Show
June 16
More than 150 classic cars will be on display at Belmont Park for the 11th annual Father’s Day Car Show from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Sunday. Attendees can get an up-close look at a wide variety of retro automobiles, explore caricature art and live music from Beach Vibe Band and JB Saxx, chow down on burgers and hot dogs hot off the grill, and grab drinks from a Chevy suburban beer truck with four Pizza Port Brewing Co. drafts on board.
3146 Mission Boulevard, Mission Beach
