Though rain showers may continue to fall leading into the weekend, it will not be enough to put a damper on San Diego’s wide-ranging event slate. Theatergoers can check out the San Diego premiere of To My Girls, the debut of Young Audiences and the eighth annual Latinx New Play Festival. Local gourmands are invited to dine out for culinary experiences centered on Greece, Switzerland and TV’s The Golden Girls. Also, music fans can see live performances from Al Jardine and Mannheim Steamroller, plus John Legend’s Get Lifted 20th anniversary concert.
Dine like Blance, Rose, Dorothy and Sophia during The Golden Girls Christmas Experience at Bayside Kitchen & Bar. Inspired by the iconic house, favorite foods and Miami setting of The Golden Girls but with a holiday twist, this immersive pop-up will feature themed cocktails, sweet treats, merch and photo opportunities. The experience will also include several special events, including high teas, bingo sessions, weekly trivia nights and weekend drag brunches. All general admission tickets come with a 90-minute reservation, with prices starting at $20.
For the November edition of its globe-trotting dinner series, Artifact at the Mingei Museum of Art is venturing through the Alps and into Switzerland. Artifact at Night’s culinary expedition into the heart of Swiss cuisine—led by chefs Tim Kolanko, Wesley Johnson and Tony Coito—will include four courses and optional beverage pairings. Reservations are $95 per person, with seatings open for 8:00, 8:15 and 8:30 p.m. this Thursday; no menu modifications will be accommodated.
2640 Historic Decatur Road, Balboa Park
Taste of Greece at Garibaldi
November 21-23
Garibaldi, and Intercontinental San Diego Executive chef Franck Tasic, are launching a monthly dinner series to highlight the Mediterranean coast’s many gastronomic treasures. First stop: Greece. This Friday through Sunday, patrons can choose to order the Taste of Greece Dinner, featuring dishes such as chargrilled octopus, Mediterranean seabass and ekmek kataifi with vanilla and pistachio, available alongside Garibaldi’s full dinner menu. The Taste of Greece Dinner is $65 per person, with an optional wine pairing add-on for $35 per person.
901 Bayfront Court, Downtown
Courtesy of John Legend
Concerts & Festivals in San Diego This Weekend
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas at Civic Theatre
November 21 & 22
No modern Christmas soundtrack is complete without the energetic yuletide stylings of Mannheim Steamroller. And with the holiday season upon us, Chip Davis’ live music spectacle is returning to San Diego for two nights at the Civic Theatre. Mannheim Steamroller Christmas will be a feast for both the eyes and the ears, with an ensemble of 15 musicians playing over 20 instruments plus a variety of lights and visuals dancing along to the tunes. Tickets start at $52, with performances Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Al Jardine and The Pet Sounds Band: Tribute to Brian Wilson at The Magnolia
November 22
When Brian Wilson passed away in June, The Beach Boys lost their enigmatic frontman and the world lost an all-time creative talent. To pay tribute, former Beach Boy Al Jardine has united several of Wilson’s longtime backing musicians to form The Pet Sounds Band. Together, Jardine and co. will play fan favorites penned by Wilson, along with several rare gems from his experimental ‘70s period, including tracks from The Beach Boys Love You, M.I.U. Album and 15 Big Ones, this Saturday (6:30 p.m.) at The Magnolia. Tickets start at $30 for this concert.
210 East Main Street, El Cajon
Doggie Street Festival & Pet Adopt-A-Thon
November 22
Pet owners and their devoted animal pals are invited to check out the 16th annual Doggie Street Festival & Pet Adopt-A-Thon this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at NTC Park. This free festival will include complimentary goodies, over a dozen dog and cat rescues, and a variety of pet products and services, with vendors selling pet caricatures, handmade clothes, themed accessories, chew toys, doggy daycare essentials, organic pet food and much more. Attendees can also try to win auction prizes, explore pet products and receive veterinarian tips.
2455 Cushing Road, Point Loma
Encinitas Holiday Street Fair
November 23
Enjoy a day of holiday cheer while supporting local businesses during the free Encinitas Holiday Street Fair this Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Across six blocks in Old Encinitas on the 101, visitors can shop from over 450 food, arts and craft vendors with seasonal desserts, art pieces, out-of-the-box gifts and handmade accessories for sale. Attendees can also explore four live entertainment stages, a beer garden, interactive activities and kid-friendly rides.
101 South Coast Highway, Encinitas
An Evening with John Legend at The Rady Shell
November 23
Twenty years after its release, R&B virtuoso John Legend is revisiting the album that sent his musical career into the stratosphere. Get Lifted, Legend’s star-making debut, remains an engrossing listen and features a handful of his most memorable tracks, including “Ordinary People,” “Used to Love You” and “Let’s Get Lifted.” During his concert Sunday night (7:30 p.m.) at The Rady Shell, Legend and his band will perform the album in its entirety with a reimagined perspective, plus several hits from down the line. Tickets start at $55 for this concert.
222 Marina Park Way, Embarcadero
Courtesy of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Theater & Art Exhibits in San Diego This Weekend
Young Audiences at OnStage Playhouse
Through December 7
San Diego professor and playwright Mabelle Reynoso’s satire Young Audiences takes aim at the lack of meaningful representation for artists of color in the theater hierarchy. In this world premiere production, youth theater director Lizzie Sanchez’s play about Latina scholar Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz is stifled in favor of an uninspired Hamlet Jr. musical, leading her to decide that the show must go on by any means necessary. There will be performances of Young Audiences Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. through Dec. 7 at OnStage Playhouse. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors, students and educators, and $15 for those under 30.
A weekend getaway in Palm Springs may seem like all fun and games but it’s anything but that for the friend group at the heart of JC Lee’s dramedy To My Girls, making its San Diego premiere at the Diversionary Theatre. In this play, the tensions and resentments simmering below the surface of an intergenerational clique of gay men rise up for a chaotic weekend to remember. Ticket options include a low-cost preview performance this Friday ($37–$61), opening night this Saturday at 7 p.m. (sold out) and a matinee show Sunday at 2 p.m. ($55–$61).
4545 Park Boulevard, University Heights
A Decade of Pop Prints and Multiples, 1962–1972: The Frank Mitzel Collection at MCASD
November 20 – March 15, 2026
Across three decades, SoCal-based art collector Frank Mitzel acquired over 60 Pop Art prints, detailing the embrace of consumerism and advertising aesthetics in the U.S. and Europe. A Decade of Pop Prints and Multiples, 1962–1972: The Frank Mitzel Collection, the newest exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, uses Mitzel’s pieces to hone in on a crucial decade for the Pop Art movement. A Decade of Pop Prints and Multiples will open during the museum’s Free Third Thursday (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.); the opening will also include a free Focused Narratives Tour of the exhibition at 5 p.m. led by an MCASD Educator.
700 Prospect Street, La Jolla
Latinx New Play Festival
November 21–23
The La Jolla Playhouse’s Play Development Center will host the eighth annual Latinx New Play Festival, showcasing new and versatile works from Latinx playwrights. During this free three-day festival, co-produced by Tuyo Theatre, theatergoers can enjoy live readings of four scripts as well as a handful of panels and receptions. This year’s selections are NOVIOS by Arturo Luíz Soria, Ama. Egg. Oyá. by Lori Felipe-Barkin, Tempt Me by Andrew Rincón and Our Lady of the San Diego Convention Center by SDSU alum Mario Vega. Registration is closed, but those who are interested can join the waitlist in case any seats open up.
2910 La Jolla Village Drive, La Jolla
Courtesy of San Diego FC
More Fun Things To Do in San Diego This Weekend
Rady Children’s Ice Rink at Liberty Station
November 20 – January 4, 2026
Lace up your skates and glide across Rady Children’s Hospital’s outdoor ice rink beginning this Thursday. Skaters of all sizes and skill levels are invited to stop by the rink in Liberty Station’s Legacy Plaza daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. into the new year (hours may change due to holidays and weather). Admission is $25 for adults and $15 for children ages 12 and under; skate rentals and helmets are included in the price of admission. Net proceeds will benefit Rady Children’s Thriving After Cancer Program at the Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.
Skating by the Sea, the Pacific Ocean-adjacent rink at Hotel del Coronado, will open this Friday from 2 to 10 p.m., featuring a performance by actress and singer Jenna Leigh Green at 5:30 p.m. Each reservation grants 90 minutes of ice skating (including the skate rental), and for a VIP rink experience with seating, a private fire pit and food and beverage service, visitors can reserve a Frostbite Lounge ($150+). General admission is $40 from Nov. 21–Dec. 18 and $45 from Dec. 18–Jan. 4, and there will be value skate days ($35) on Mondays, Nov. 24 and Dec. 1, 8 & 15; a portion of proceeds will go towards Make-A-Wish San Diego.
1500 Orange Avenue, Coronado
Breaking into New Hollywood screenings at Digital Gym Cinema
November 22 & 23
Attend Digital Gym Cinema’s anniversary screenings of Minari (5th) and Clueless (30th), each paired with a post-screening Q&A led by Ada Tseng, co-author of Breaking Into New Hollywood: A Career Guide to a Changing Industry. Following Minari Saturday at 5 p.m., Tseng will speak with Susanna Song, who used her upbringing in a Korean American immigrant family as creative inspiration for the movie’s ’80s wardrobe. Then Sunday at 2 p.m., the theater will show Cluelessand host a conversation with Mona May, the film’s costume designer and author of The Fashion of Clueless, followed by a book signing. Tickets are $13 for each screening.
1100 Market Street, East Village
San Diego FC vs. Minnesota United FC at Snapdragon Stadium
November 24
Thanks to a pair of goals each from Amahl Pellegrino and Anders Dreyer, San Diego FC dispatched the Portland Timbers and secured a spot in the conference semis. This result means SDFC is now closer to the MLS Cup than any first-year expansion team in history. Next up is Minnesota United FC, who are coming off the heels of a heroic penalty shootout performance by Dayne St. Clair against the Seattle Sounders. The winners of Monday’s contest at Snapdragon Stadium (7 p.m.) will not only punch their ticket to the conference finals but send the losers packing. This match is officially sold out, but resale tickets are available starting at $119.
Ryan Hardison is a freelance arts and entertainment writer and recent graduate of San Diego State. When he's not staring at his laptop, he's likely eating an adobada burrito or getting sunburnt at the beach.
October 2: Drew Brees Celebrity Pickleball Tournament
Former NFL quarterback Drew Brees will host a slew of celebrity athletes, chefs, and other hunger-relief supporters for a Celebrity Pickleball Tournament to raise money for Feeding San Diego. The tournament at the Barnes Tennis Center in Point Loma is part of the Del Mar Wine & Food Festival, which has raised more than $100,000 for Feeding San Diego and other local nonprofit organizations since 2023.
October 3: Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute Illumination Gala
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute will celebrate 50 years of groundbreaking research at its Illumination Gala at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar. Support from the gala will help Sanford Burnham Prebys continue to advance medicine and change lives.
Courtesy of San Diego Humane Society
October 3: San Diego Humane Society’s 40th Annual Fur Ball
San Diego Humane Society supporters—both people and pets—will get dressed to the nines for the 40th annual Fur Ball. Proceeds from the event at San Diego Humane Society’s Gaines Street campus will support the organization’s efforts to care for more than 40,000 animals each year.
October 3: Voices for Children Starry Starry Night Gala
Voices for Children will celebrate the impact of its Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) at its Starry Starry Night Gala on the Heron Lawn at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort. The 46-year-old organization is the only agency in the county designated to provide CASAs to advocate for local foster children.
October 3: Autism Society of San Diego Diamond Anniversary Gala
Show off your sparkle at the Autism Society of San Diego Diamond Anniversary Gala at the Town & Country Resort. The nonprofit will celebrate six decades of service with dinner, entertainment, and special guests.
October 11: Robin’s Nest Rescue Rockin’ Robin Music Fest
More than 30 performers will take the stage to support Robin’s Nest Rescue at its fourth annual Rockin’ Robin Music Fest. The five-acre animal sanctuary in Ramona will also celebrate America’s 250th birthday, showcase local artisans, and introduce guests to some of its rescue animals.
October 17: Adjoin Soil to Soul Garden Party
Local nonprofit Adjoin will host a whimsical garden party fundraiser at a private home in La Mesa. The Soil to Soul Garden Party will support Adjoin’s mission to build inclusive communities and support independence for people with disabilities and veteran families experiencing homelessness.
October 24: Living Coast Discovery Center Farm to Bay
Enjoy bites, beverages, and animal encounters at Living Coast Discovery Center’s Farm to Bay fundraiser. The annual event at the nonprofit zoo and aquarium on the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge will support coastal conservation efforts.
Sarah Sapeda is San Diego Magazine’s Custom Content Editor. In her 15 years in San Diego journalism, she has covered charitable events, health care, education, crime, current events, and more.
15 Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend: September 15-20
Stop by Adams Avenue Street Fair, sample the Capital of Craft Beer Fest, and experience the new exhibition Visiones Nocturnas: Queer Nightlife in Contemporary Art
This week marks summer’s last hurrah before the seasonal transition to fall, and there are plenty of ways to make the most of it. There’s the Surf Lounge Festival, the fifth annual BirdStock, and the two-day Adams Avenue Street Fair, all of which boast a plethora of live music options and local artisans. There are also world premieres, including the first chances to see the play A Black-billed Cuckoo at La Jolla Playhouse and MCASD’s Visiones Nocturnas: Queer Nightlife in Contemporary Art exhibition. On top of that, the Padres are back in town, and fans can pack the stands at Petco Park to support the team in their playoff push.
With September being Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the Emilio Nares Foundation will present its 23rd annual Harvest for Hope fundraiser dinner this Thursday (5:30 p.m.). Guests will have the chance to try food from a curated selection of more than 20 chefs, breweries, and wineries from the SoCal and Baja regions while supporting a worthwhile cause. General admission is $250 online; tickets support free medical transportation, emotional care and critical services through the Emilio Nares Foundation for kids facing cancer and life-threatening diseases.
5300 Grand Del Mar Court, Del Mar
Capital of Craft Beer Fest
September 19
Though San Diego Beer Week won’t start pouring until Nov. 6, Christmas has come early for enjoyers of locally crafted brews. The 21-plus Capital of Craft Beer Fest returns Saturday (1-4 p.m.) at Broadway Pier, with local food and merchant vendors, performances by 80s Resurrection and Agent 51, and best of all, more than 70 beers to sample via unlimited two-ounce tastings.Ticket options include general admission ($57) and VIP passes ($78), which come with in-and-out privileges and an exclusive hour of premium beer sampling from noon to 1 p.m.; a portion of proceeds will go towards the San Diego Brewers Guild.
1000 North Harbor Drive, Embarcadero
Taste of Bonita
September 19
Toast to Bonita’s culture, history, and cuisine this Saturday (5-9 p.m.) during the Taste of Bonita. Held at the Bonita Museum and Cultural Center, this charitable and educational soirée will feature tastings from local restaurants, as well as silent auction drawings, children’s activities, artisans and craft items, and a gallery exhibit on BonitaFest. Tickets, which come with unlimited tastings and a beverage, are $55 for guests ages 12 and older, $20 for ages 5-12 years old, and free for kids ages four and younger; proceeds will help support the year-round free programming offered by the Bonita Historical Society.
4355 Bonita Road, Bonita
Courtesy of We the Commas
Concerts & Festivals in San Diego This Weekend
BirdStock Music Festival & Artisan Market
September 19
Who needs Woodstock when there’s BirdStock? This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., all are invited to La Jolla’s Bird Rock neighborhood for entertainment from local musicians, an artisan market, and all-day activities to fundraise for arts and music programming at La Jolla Coastal Conservancy and Bird Rock Elementary. The 5th annual BirdStock Music Festival & Artisan Market will also include live DJs, a wine and beer garden, VIP libation areas, food trucks, pro BMX athletes and skateboarders, pickleball, a pet parade, and a custom hat bar.
5500-5700 La Jolla Boulevard, La Jolla
Surf Lounge Festival
September 19
The legend of Pacific Beach’s bygone Surf Lounge lives on this Saturday from 2-10 p.m. during this 21-plus party at The Soap Factory. Surf Lounge Festival is a passionate celebration of surf culture with a healthy dose of indie rock, featuring performances by the bands Summer Salt, Three-Legged Dog, Tropa Magica, Couch Dog, and Bēd. The festivities will also include five vinyl DJs, tattoos, and 20 local vendors. General admission is $50, and $60 the day of the festival.
2995 Commercial Street, Logan Heights
Earth, Wind & Fire at Civic Theatre
September 19
Technically, “the 21st of September” doesn’t arrive until Monday, but any concert from Earth, Wind & Fire is certainly cause for celebration. The legendary group is still carrying its legacy of love, soul, and R&B brilliance more than five decades after its formation. Experience the jubilant rhythms of the band’s greatest, most danceable hits when they play the Civic Theatre this Saturday (8 p.m.). Tickets start at $138 for this concert.
Ryan Hardison is a freelance arts and entertainment writer and recent graduate of San Diego State. When he's not staring at his laptop, he's likely eating an adobada burrito or getting sunburnt at the beach.
Tickets to the Del Mar Wine & Food Festival get you in the door. The real fun is figuring out who you’ll run into once you’re there. This year’s weeklong schedule of exclusive events, running September 30–October 4, includes dinners, tastings, and loosely-supervised chaos where celebrity chefs and local icons finally let their hair down.
The festival has a track record of the unexpected: Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul once toasted their mezcal brand Dos Hombres with an intimate dinner at the Lodge at Torrey Pines (and then, evidently unsatisfied, kept drinking it on the cliffs above Blacks Beach with a rotating cast of San Diego and Food Network chefs. Alex Morgan showed up for a dinner under the lights honoring the country’s most badass women chefs). Drew Brees ran a celebrity pickleball tournament where the guy from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia got absolutely humbled by locals.
If you scored a ticket to last year’s Grand Tasting, you might’ve caught Guy Fieri doing exactly what Guy Fieri does: strolling the grass, signing t-shirts and foreheads, and hanging off the DJ surf van like it was built for him. Meanwhile, local chef Ethan Yang of Glass Box walked off with the Chef Competition surfboard.
So whether your plan for 2026 is to corner legendary San Diego chefs like Victor Jimenez of Cowboy Star and Jon Sloan of Juniper & Ivy in person, or just aim for a spontaneous golf cart ride with a Food Network star—here’s your cheat sheet for where to run into a celebrity chef, TV personality, award-winning winemaker, or pro athlete at this year’s Del Mar Wine & Food Festival.
Courtesy of Del Mar Wine & Food Festival
Troy Johnson, Karen Krasne
Signature San Diego Opening Night Party
September 30 | 6 – 9 p.m. | Monarch Ocean Pub
Consider this your soft landing into festival week—the walk-around tasting that eases you in before things get chaotic later on. Monarch Ocean Pub hands its patio over to the flavors that define San Diego eating: Baja seafood done right, coastal bites, Mexican flavors with some heat behind them, all the staples locals will fight you over.
The celebrity sightings here lean more “bump into” than “spot from across the room.” Troy Johnson—Food Network judge, San Diego Magazine chief content officer and co-owner, Emmy-winning host, a man who has eaten his way across the entire country professionally—is the type to materialize at whichever station has the longest line, because he already knows it’s worth the wait. Ask him what he’s had so far. He’ll have opinions.
Then there’s celebrity pastry chef Karen Krasne, owner and executive pastry chef of Extraordinary Desserts, James Beard House alum, and a woman Forbes once ranked among the top 10 pastry chefs in the country—which tracks, because you might find her holding court next to a tray of her roasted pecan shortbread dipped in white chocolate, explaining exactly why this is the flavor combination. You will listen to every word, too, because you’ll want to try that cookie.
This is an opening night party where the person next to you in line might just be the one who baked the thing you’re about to eat.
Courtesy of Del Mar Wine & Food Festival
Bryn McArthur, Mawa McQueen
Chateau Montelena’s 50th Anniversary Celebration
October 1 | 6 – 9 p.m. | Fairmont Grand Del Mar
Fifty years ago, a Napa Chardonnay beat France at its own game and rewrote what the world thought it knew about wine. This dinner is that legacy, poured by the family who built it, course by course.
Under the arches at Fairmont Grand Del Mar, Ernie Hahn and the Hahn family, who partnered with the Barretts to revive Chateau Montelena into the Napa powerhouse it is today, host an evening built entirely around the winery’s most iconic pours. Every course gets its own pairing straight from the Montelena portfolio, so you’re not just hearing about the Judgment of Paris, you’re tasting the wine that started it.
Chef Mawa McQueen, a former James Beard Best of the West winner out of Aspen, brings globally inspired cuisine and serious technique to the table. Alongside her, Fairmont Grand Del Mar’s executive chef Bryn McArthur leans into farm-to-table sensibility shaped by a career of global kitchens. Together they’re building a menu meant to hold its own against wine that already changed history once.
This is the rare dinner where the wine isn’t just accompanying the meal, it’s the reason the meal exists. Fifty years after Paris, the rematch is happening right here in Del Mar.
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.
Today’s seniors are more connected than ever, with a renewed focus on retirement as a time of discovery and enriching experiences. The ultimate reward for a retirement well-earned is the wisdom to appreciate it all, and what better place to enjoy that unique perspective than Vi at La Jolla Village, in the heart of San Diego.
All-access pass to good living.
As a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), Vi provides access to a connected and fulfilling community while making it easy to plan for future care, should the need ever arise. With a care plan in place, residents enjoy greater financial predictability and long-term value, freeing them to focus on making the most out of retirement.
Resort-style amenities at the epicenter of a cultural hub like San Diego offer a retirement experience unlike any other. Paired with exceptional dining, spacious accommodations and dedicated staff, the best of maintenance-free living is all around. And with the introduction of Vista 360 Well-Being, Vi’s panoramic approach to wellness, there are more ways than ever for residents to access it all.
The harmony of mind, body and community.
Courtesy of Vi at La Jolla Village
The key to longevity is striking the right balance in maintaining an active lifestyle with an active mind in a fulfilling community. With newly renovated community spaces and restaurants, Vista brings a variety of opportunities for residents to elevate their well-being through Vi-exclusive “Signature Experiences.”
Vista Enrich takes an evidence-based approach to brain vitality, keeping residents at the forefront of cognitive health through exergaming (exercising + gaming), nutritional plans and informative workshops. It is also home to The Brain Vitality Studio, an innovative facility dedicated to cognitive fitness that has garnered national recognition.
Vista Discover invites residents into stimulating educational experiences, from chef-led cooking demos and guided wine tastings to lectures at local universities and intimate lectures following cultural outings.
While Vista Enrich focuses on brain health and Vista Discover engages residents intellectually, Vista Explore cultivates a sense of adventure through curated travel and local excursions. But broadening one’s horizons doesn’t always require a plane ticket. One recent event brought a taste of the world right to the community: an onsite “jazz cruise” featuring live music and global cuisine served at a series of themed “ports” all within the community’s own ballroom.
“Location, location, location”
Courtesy of Vi at La Jolla Village
One of the biggest perks of life at Vi at La Jolla Village is its proximity to just about everything. With easy access to transportation and local attractions just steps away, residents can explore and engage with their community at their own pace.
“There are trolley and bus stops within a 5-minute walk that will get you to the beach, UCSD Campus, medical appointments, downtown La Jolla or San Diego, et cetera. We rarely use our car,” said resident Tom Yager.
With the best of San Diego just steps away, residents don’t just live in the city, they live within reach of everything that makes it special.
The best of all worlds.
Courtesy of Vi at La Jolla Village
At Vi at La Jolla Village, retirement isn’t a chapter to slow down; it’s an invitation to discover more. Tailored community experiences created by Vista, paired with the vibrant pulse of San Diego just outside the door, mean that residents don’t have to choose between security and adventure, connection and independence. They get all of it.
This is what an all-access pass to good living looks like: the comforts of an elevated lifestyle, a community built for growth and a city made for discovery – all in one place.
To learn more about Vi at La Jolla Village or for details on available floor plans, visit ViatLaJollaVillage.com/SDM.
Museum of Photographic Arts at the San Diego Museum of Art
Now through Jan. 10, 2027
Sift through over 200 photographs, sketches, letters, and costumes from “The King of Vogue,” who photographed World War II, modernized royal portraits, and created the aesthetic for 1920s socialites in London.
Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea
Natural History Museum
Now through Feb. 28, 2027
Walk through an 18-foot whale ribcage (and a couple dozen other marine-creature sculptures) made entirely of plastic bottles, flip-flops, lighters, rope, and other plastic detritus found on the beach in the Nat’s 3,000-square-foot second-floor gallery.
Forging a Legacy: 15 Years of Landmark Acquisitions
San Diego Museum of Art
Now through May 31, 2027
Part of SDMA’s centennial, “Forging a Legacy,” highlights artists from the past (Picasso, Monet) and modern day (Hugo Crosthwaite) who contributed to the museum’s collection.
ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Fleet Science Center
Now through 2027
See the stars (without the smog) at their best from the winners of the world’s largest astrophotography competition—all in the Fleet Science Center’s new basement gallery, specifically dimmed to let the cosmos shine.
Begin Again
The Old Globe
Sept. 6–Oct. 11
From the 2013 silver screen to this year’s The Old Globe stage, you can “Begin Again” (again) with a world-premiere musical adaptation featuring new songs—courtesy of Train—and a story overflowing with hope.
Dear Evan Hansen
Cygnet Theatre
Sept. 9–Oct. 4
“On the outside, always looking in…” marks the emotional crux of the Tony-, Grammy-, and Emmy-award winning musical coming to the Cygnet Theatre.
Kumeyaay Comics by the Kumeyaay Visual Storytelling Project
Museum of Us
Opening Sept. 12
Learn the history of the Kumeyaay Nation from the perspective of the members themselves in an immersive exhibit inspired by graphic novels “Our Past, Present, and Future,” and “Beyond Gaming.”
Good Night, Oscar
North Coast Repertory Theatre
Sept. 16–Oct. 11
During Oscar Levant’s appearances on “The Jack Paar Show,” he explained his reality with mental illness—the institutionalizations, electroshock therapies, nothing was too taboo for him. “Good Night, Oscar” takes us backstage in the raw moments before his 1958 television appearance.
Visiones Nocturnas: Queer Nightlife in Contemporary Art
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Sept. 19–Jan. 17, 2027
A disco ball isn’t just a disco ball. It’s a symbol of where queer communities can finally exhale and be their fullest selves. “Visiones Nocturnas” uses paintings, sculptures, textiles, performances, photos, and videos from Latin American artists to explore what’s at stake when nightclub lights shut off.
Silent Movie Mondays
Balboa Theatre
Sept. 21, Oct. 26, Dec. 7
Guest organists from across the country will come to the Balboa Theatre to accompany a new silent film for each performance. This year closes out with The Headless Horseman (1922), Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1920), and a holiday triple feature of Laurel and Hardy films.
Oh, Mary!
Civic Theatre
Sept. 29–Oct. 4
“What if Abe’s assassination wasn’t such a bad thing for Mary Todd Lincoln?” was the question that inspired Cole Escola’s play “Oh, Mary!” In the production, Mary Todd desperately tries to return to the cabaret stage, but her husband (President Lincoln in the midst of the Civil War) keeps getting in the way.
Photo Credit: Anja Koehler
October
Payare Leads Strauss’ A Hero’s Life
Jacobs Music Center
Oct. 3–4
Conductor Rafael Payare opens the San Diego Symphony’s 2026-2027 season with a three-part concert featuring composers Sofia Gubaidulina, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Richard Strauss.
Emily–No Prisoner Be
Baker-Baum Concert Hall
Oct. 8
Two dozen of Emily Dickinson’s poems are turned into songs—composed by Pulitzer Prize winner Kevin Puts and performed by Grammy-winning mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato—for a one-night-only exploration of love, loss, loneliness, and mortality.
Ripcord
The Roustabouts Theatre Co.
Oct. 8–Nov. 1
Roommate beef has no age limit. The latest play from Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire turns that experience into a comedy through retirement home roommates Marilyn and Abby and the bet between them to see who will break first and move out.
Des Canyons aux Étoiles
La Casa del Zorro
Oct. 12
Composer Olivier Messiaen has chromesthia, so for him, sound evokes a visual connotation. His work “Des Canyons aux Étoiles” brings desert rock and the night sky to mind. See what he means from La Casa del Zorro in the Anza-Borrego Desert, in this performance immersed within nature.
San Diego International Film Festival
Locations Vary
Oct. 13–18
San Diego International Film Festival salutes the silver screen for a 25th time, now with a sixth day adding extra time for parties, screenings, and movie-star tributes.
Considered one of the masterpieces from opera great Giuseppe Verdi, San Diego Opera’s “Rigoletto” sees what happens when the prurient Duke of Mantua and his sharp-tongued court jester become entangled in a fatal curse.
Grim
La Jolla Playhouse
Oct. 27–Nov. 29
When the Grim Reaper’s job becomes too…grim…and he retires after 300,000 years, his daughter picks up the family business. But when she falls for a human and finds beauty in the souls she’s meant to reap, she questions her purpose.
Photo Credit: Ron Kerner
November
Skate Craft
Mingei International Museum
Nov. 21–May 9, 2027
San Diego is nothing without skate culture. Mingei’s “Skate Craft” portrays skateboarding as “living folk art” via its DIY roots (skateboards built in garages) and shows how that ethos shapes the future.
Emma Veidt is an editor at San Diego Magazine. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from the Missouri School of Journalism. She loves running, hiking, and rock climbing, but really, she mostly loves encounters with the street cats around North Park.
Ryan Hardison is a freelance arts and entertainment writer and recent graduate of San Diego State. When he's not staring at his laptop, he's likely eating an adobada burrito or getting sunburnt at the beach.
People remember the first time they see Joe Dreamz.
Mine was a mile into the 2023 Carlsbad Half Marathon. He was standing on a speaker in the middle of the course, singing: “Hey you with the shoes, are you living Joe Dreamz?” Clearly not. I’m running uphill at 7 in the morning, I thought.
Months later, walking out of The Rady Shell, there he was again—parting the crowd of concertleavers Moses and the Red Sea style, singing the same song: “Hey you with the purse, are you living Joe Dreamz?”
Who’s this man at every public spectacle, singing metaphysical questions in a hand-altered, color-coordinating suit that would make James Brown proud and standing on a Soundboks speaker with a microphone and tip bucket?
A few years ago, San Carlos–born, El Cajon–based Joe Dreamz wasn’t exactly living Joe Dreamz—making $5 footlongs at Subway, dealing with croissant coworkers at Costco’s bakery, and selling life insurance. After he got let go from the life insurance gig and his car broke down in the middle of a 2020 road trip in Seattle, he used his emergency savings to buy a microphone and a speaker; a self-taught musician, he pulled from the only skillset he knew to monetize. He’d set up at Seattle’s Pier 55 and ask people what their dreams were. Then, for $5, create a freestyle rap to commemorate (and hopefully activate) those dreams.
“The goal is that someone listens to a Joe Dreamz song, and they don’t have to wait until metaphorically their car breaks down before they chase their dreams,” he says.
Photo Credit: Matt Furman
A chance encounter with an airport worker led to a free flight back to San Diego, and Joe Dreamz came home “transformed,” he says. He started busking at the Mission Beach boardwalk, Kate Sessions Park, outside Gaslamp bars; then Padres games, farmers markets, marathons. He also hit the mic outside of Coachella this year (“Joe-chella,” he says).
It’s not a get-viral-quick gimmick; people’s lives are changing. One fan finished writing her book after a dose of Joe Dreamzpiration. Another named his own daughter Joy Dreams.
Now, he’s working on the upstart “Tell Me Your Dream” podcast and DREAM Week in local schools, where each day represents a step toward achievement (D is destination day, R is reason day…). He doesn’t want inspiration to reach you only after hearing a song or watching a video: He believes in this message so much that he literally got DREAM tattooed onto his forehead.
“It’s on my face, so people have no choice [but to see it],” he says. “I’m a local celebrity here, so everywhere I go, people ask me for pictures. In every selfie, the message goes along for the ride too.”
Emma Veidt is an editor at San Diego Magazine. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from the Missouri School of Journalism. She loves running, hiking, and rock climbing, but really, she mostly loves encounters with the street cats around North Park.
NewBridge School is San Diego’s only school dedicated to the education of students with dyslexia and related learning profiles. For 30 years we have successfully served students with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, receptive/expressive language disorders, ADHD, executive functioning and memory deficits. Students transition successfully into academically rigorous high schools and colleges across the country. Why NewBridge? Training, training, training (plus intensive individualization, and comprehensive program design). All teachers are trained and retrained biennially in Orton-Gillingham, the only approach proven to remediate dyslexia based on Science of Reading research, and complete a year-long training program. Every aspect of our program is designed around our students’ learning styles and needs. Every class is taught by a highly-trained expert, and our Speech/Language and Occupational Therapy teams embed throughout the day. Our multisensory, multi-tiered math program has been developed in conjunction with sister schools and experts across the country. Don’t wait—early intervention is magic!
