February 8
Hold Fast
The Birch Aquarium at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla is opening Hold Fast, an art exhibition focusing on local kelp species and climate change. The showcase features work from a trio of local artists: photographer and marine scientist Oriana Poindexter, gyotaku artist Dwight Hwang, and Scripps Oceanography PhD student Mohammad Sedarat. Entry to Hold Fast is included with general admission to the aquarium. Tickets are $24.95 for adults and $19.95 for children ages 3 to 17 years old, and advanced reservations are required.
2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla
February 8–March 10
The Age of Innocence
Adapted from Edith Warton’s Pulitzer-winning 1920 novel, The Old Globe’s production of The Age of Innocence premieres this Thursday on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage. Set in 1870s New York City, the story follows wealthy lawyer Newland Archer as he becomes disillusioned with the polished standards of the upper class and starts to fall for the cousin of his betrothed.
1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park
February 9
Clyde’s
Lynn Nottage’s Clyde’s nabbed four Tony Award nominations (including one for Best New Play) following its Broadway premiere two years ago. Now the drama is coming to the Moxie Theatre El Cajon, telling the story of formerly incarcerated kitchen employees at a truck stop sandwich shop who are given a second chance at success. This production is produced in partnership with Center for Employment Opportunities San Diego and will run through March 10.
6663 El Cajon Boulevard, El Cajon
February 9
Martha Gonzalez and Tylana Enomoto: Songs and Activism in the Borderlands
The Mingei International Museum and the Center of World Music’s Sound of the Border (Sonido de la Frontera) series continues with a performance from Martha Gonzalez and Tylana Enomoto at the La Atalaya Foundation Theater this Friday. Tickets for this concert ($40–$55) include admission to the museum’s gallery level after 4 p.m. on the day of the show, offering attendees the chance to see the tie-in exhibition La Frontera, which features 85 works from an array of jewelry artists, including 24 artists from the US-Mexico border region. On display through August 4, this exhibition explores border connections through the medium of jewelry as symbols of migration, landscape, identity, and more.
1439 El Prado, Balboa Park
February 9–11
San Diego Lunar New Year Festival
In countries such as China, Vietnam, Korea, and the Philippines, the Lunar New Year signals the advent of spring according to the lunar calendar. The San Diego Lunar New Year Festival takes place at Henwood Memorial Park, featuring traditional performances, art exhibitions, lanterns, cherry blossoms, cultural food, lion dances and firecrackers, and plenty of family-friendly fun. Reserve your free spot at the festival here.
4455 Wightman Street, City Heights
February 10
Mardi Gras Mambo
The California Center for the Arts, Escondido is throwing a New Orleans–style party just in time for Mardi Gras, featuring The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Cha’s. This Saturday night show from two of the Creole State’s most legendary acts will combine the best blues, cajun, jazz and zydeco sounds of the bayou and compel audiences to dance like they’re on Bourbon Street. Tickets for Mardi Gras Mambo are available from $30 to $80.
340 North Escondido Boulevard, Escondido
February 10 & 11
A Broken Hallelujah
With shows Saturday night and Sunday afternoon at UCSD’s Mandeville Auditorium, A Broken Hallelujah will highlight the works of acclaimed composers Tōru Takemitsu, Niloufar Nourbakhsh, and Igor Stravinsky, with standout performances by the The Red Fish Blue Fish percussion ensemble and cellist Robert Bui.
9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla
February 11
Cardiff Kook Run 5K, 10K & Costume Contest
Before gluing your eyes to the TV for Super Bowl Sunday, head out on a run to take in the sights and sun of San Diego. Participants in the Cardiff Kook Run will begin under the “Encinitas” sign and cruise (or sprint) down Coast Highway 101 past the Magic Carpet Ride statue (better known as the Cardiff Kook) and finish at Cardiff State Beach. The event will include 5K and 10K race options and gorgeous ocean views, as well as the beloved Cardiff Kook Costume Contest with categories for best football, group, and kook-themed costumes.
505 South Coast Highway 101, Encinitas
Through February 11
San Diego International Jewish Film Festival
Through Sunday at David & Dorothea Garfield Theatre at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, the San Diego International Jewish Film Festival celebrates the best of Jewish cinema worldwide. In addition to an assortment of local and international films, the lineup includes screenings of Remembering Gene Wilder and Wilder’s 1979 classic The Frisco Kid in honor of the actor, who passed away in 2016. Ticket options include in-person screening tickets, the all-inclusive underwriter pass, and virtual screening passes to enjoy the films when they’re available online for the week after the festival (Feb. 11–18).
4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla
Through July 7
Agents of Power: Body Adornment in African Art
Agents of Power: Body Adornment in African Art opened February 3 at the San Diego Museum of Art, highlighting works like masks, beaded collars, jewelry, and headpieces by the Maasai, Chokwe, Zulu, and Xhosa peoples. Each piece’s unique, detailed patterns and colors go beyond aesthetics to convey meanings such as social status and identity.
1450 El Prado, Balboa Park
