The Best Things to Do in San Diego This Month: Jan. 2025

Welcome to 2025, San Diego! It’s time to shake off the post-holiday haze and dive into a month full of fun things to do to start the year on a high note. Whether you’re ready to trade Netflix marathons for new adventures or just looking to soak up the local scene, this month’s lineup has something for everyone. Highlights include the return of the San Diego Rodeo at Petco Park, the always-lively Brew Fest at Liberty Station, film festival in the dessert, and more.

Food & Drink | Concerts & Festivals | Theater & Art Exhibits | More Fun Things to Do

Food & Drink Events in San Diego This Month

San Diego Brew Fest at NTC Park

January 11

Take the edge off a chilly January afternoon at NTC Park with food trucks, lawn games, and 200 beers on tap at the San Diego Brew Fest.

Concerts & Festivals in San Diego This Month

soundON Festival at Athenaeum

January 9–11

San Diego New Music’s ensemble-in-residence NOISE joins up with five guest artists to present three nights of orchestral ensembles and solos at the Athenaeum’s two locations for the soundON Festival.

Borrego Springs Film Festival

January 15–19

The Borrego Springs Film Festival enters its 12th season, offering independent movie screenings, filmmaker networking events, an opening gala, and more.

GZA and Lettuce Concert at The Sound

January 22

Joined by Boston funk sextet Lettuce, Wu-Tang Clan wordsmith GZA will perform his brilliant, beloved 1995 rap album Liquid Swords in full at The Sound.

Theater & Art Exhibits in San Diego This Month

Churlish Chiding of Winter Winds: A Shakespeariment at Junior Theatre

January 10–19

Young student actors tackle The Bard’s seismic legacy is Churlish Chiding of Winter Winds: A Shakespeariment, an original production at the Junior Theatre in Balboa Park.

Back to the Future Musical at the Civic Theatre

January 14–19

Travel back to 1955 in Doc Brown’s flying DeLorean at the Civic Theatre as Marty McFly fixes the past to save his present in Back to the Future.

Stitched and Forged Exhibit at Oceanside Museum of Art West

January 16– May 11

The organic curves of Kelly Witmer’s glass and ceramic sculptures meet Mônica Lóss’ disconcerting textile works in Stitched and Forged, a new exhibition at the Oceanside Museum of Art West inside the Seabird Resort.

An Evening with Fran Lebowitz at Balboa Theatre

January 23

Titanically successful writer Fran Lebowitz, known for her incisive powers of observation and knifelike humor, stops by the Balboa Theatre for “An Evening with Fran Lebowitz.”

Martha Graham Dance Company at Civic Theatre

January 25

The United States’ oldest professional dance school, the Martha Graham Dance Company, celebrates a century of boundary-pushing ballet with a transcendent show at the Civic Theatre.

More Fun Things to Do in San Diego This Month

San Diego Rodeo at Petco Park

January 10–12

Petco Park will trade baseball bats for bucking broncos with the San Diego Rodeo. Giddy up for wrestling, roping, riding, and country music afterparties.

SDSU Men’s Basketball vs UNLV at Viejas Arena

January 18

SDSU men’s basketball suits up against rivals UNLV at Viejas Arena. All fans in attendance will walk away with a memento: a weensy bobblehead version of coach Brian Dutcher.