This weekend in San Diego is full of triumphant returns: BirdStock is back for year four with another free, all-day street festival; Rosin Box Project’s Ghost Light Masquerade has another set of spectral performances in store; and the third edition of Villa Manila’s Taste the Tradition promises a delectable Filipino feast. Of course, there are plenty of newcomers, too—The Poetry Brothel’s Spellbound cabaret takes over Park & Rec for one sultry night, and The Other Places art fair heads south from its LA epicenter for an afternoon at the California Center for the Arts Museum. San Diego FC’s inaugural postseason match will close out the weekend, bringing the city’s sports fans another playoff experience and hopefully delivering a first championship.
Food & Drink | Concerts & Festivals | Theater & Art Exhibits | More Fun Things to Do
Food & Drink Events in San Diego This Weekend
UnGala: A Dada Bash at Mingei International Museum
October 23
Channel Dadaism’s strangeness and charm at Space 4 Art’s first-ever UnGala: A Dada Bash this Thursday at the Mingei International Museum. The fun begins from 5 to 7 p.m. with bites, cocktails, Dada-inspired art activities, and exhibit tours and continues from 7 to 9 p.m. with Dada After Dark, a costume and dance party with a live DJ and cocktails. This 21+ event will include interactive performances from Poets Underground and DIY costume- and mask-making. Tickets are $100 for UnGala.
1439 El Prado, Balboa Park
Taste the Tradition at Villa Manila
October 23
Celebrate Filipino American History Month and San Diego’s Filipino community at Taste the Tradition this Thursday from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at Villa Manila. The night will begin with a cocktail hour and a look at Kwento Thesis’ Navy-inspired art exhibition, followed by a Kamayan feast crafted by five local chefs, each of whom will prepare a few dishes for the family-style meal. The event will also include a photobooth, karaoke, a meet-and-greet with boxer Mercito Gesta, and more. Indoor ($98) and outdoor seating ($103) can be purchased on Eventbrite; a portion of proceeds will go to Asian Pacific Islander Community Actions and First Gen Scholars.
500 East 8th Street, National City
Concerts & Festivals in San Diego This Weekend
The Nightmare Before Christmas with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra at Jacobs Music Center
October 24 – 25
Talk about surround sound—the San Diego Symphony Orchestra will play the score of the stop-motion animation adventure The Nightmare Before Christmas live while the film screens for two consecutive nights at Jacobs Music Center. In this spooky season favorite, Pumpkin King Jack Skellington grows tired of the traditions of Halloweentown, becomes enamored with the holly jolly possibilities of Christmas, and hatches a plan to take over Santa’s job. Tickets for performances Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. range from $90 to $110.
1245 Seventh Avenue, Downtown
OPAF South
October 25
The LA-based Other Places art fair, an annual hangout for underrepresented artists, will journey down the coast for its first-ever event in San Diego. This Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., OPAF South will feature more than 30 booths and installations from local, regional, and international talents, along with a series of talks, performances, and readings at the California Center for the Arts Museum. The event will also include an interactive workshop tent and a pop-up showcasing Japanese artists and galleries. Admission is free and open to all ages, but there is a suggested $5 donation to help fund future events.
340 North Escondido Boulevard, Escondido
BirdStock Music Festival & Artisan Market
October 25
This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., the free BirdStock Music Festival & Artisan Market returns with its biggest street fair yet. Throughout La Jolla Boulevard, there will be five music stages featuring local bands and live DJs, plus a wine and beer garden, a pet parade and costume contest, food trucks, and an artisan market with more than 70 booths. This year’s festivities will also include a pumpkin patch, a street tennis court, a dunk tank, and an assortment of kid-friendly arts and craft activities. Plus, a portion of event proceeds will benefit Bird Rock Elementary.
5500–5700 La Jolla Boulevard, Bird Rock
Community Día de Muertos Festivals
October 25 –26
Honor your dearly departed at a local Day of the Dead festival. This Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the annual celebration at Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park will feature community altars, free live entertainment, mask–making, and more. On Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Oceanside, expect trunk altars from Por Siempre Car Club, two stages with music and dance performances, and an interactive chalk cemetery. Plus, Barrio Logan’s third annual Día De Muertos festival, taking place Sunday from noon to 7 p.m., will include youth workshops, live art, and a lowrider showcase.
4455 Wightman Street, City Heights | Downtown Oceanside | 2185 Logan Avenue, Barrio Logan
Water From Your Eyes at The Casbah
October 26
As the alternative rock duo Water From Your Eyes, Nate Amos and Rachel Brown specialize at making distortion sound super cool. The band’s newest album It’s A Beautiful Place is a voyage into pop, dance-punk, and shoegaze chock-full of unlikely earworms and face-melting guitar riffs. This Sunday at 8 p.m., Water From Your Eyes will grace the stage of The Casbah along with opening act Dutch Interior, a SoCal rock band with a folksy twang. Tickets are $25 for this concert.
2501 Kettner Boulevard, Middletown
Dijon at SOMA
October 26
R&B artist Dijon has had a banner year: In addition to dropping his excellent new album Baby, he also boasts several appearances on Justin Bieber’s SWAG and SWAG II and a role in the Paul Thomas Anderson blockbuster One Battle After Another. Tickets are $58 for Dijon’s concert Sunday at 8 p.m. at SOMA, with his Saturday show already sold out.
3350 Sports Arena Boulevard, Midway
Ghost Light Masquerade
Theater & Art Exhibits in San Diego This Weekend
Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground at North Coast Repertory Theatre
October 22–November 16
In Richard Hellesen’s one-man drama Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground, “Ike” reflects on his life’s accomplishments as the 34th president of the US. The same team that led the play’s 2023 Off-Broadway run have returned for the San Diego premiere of Eisenhower at the North Coast Repertory. Tickets are $59 for previews (Wednesday through Friday at 8 p.m.), $87 for Saturday’s opening night (8 p.m.), and $67 to $87 for all successive shows.
987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach
The Poetry Brothel: Spellbound at Park & Rec
October 23
The Spellbound literary cabaret, San Diego’s introduction to The Poetry Brothel, comes to Park & Rec this Thursday (7 p.m. to midnight). The immersive experience includes a cocktail hour, tarot card readings, a live jazz band, private poetry readings, and an after party. Ticket options include general admission ($50), VIP seating ($66), and VIP tables ($215); a portion of profits will be donated to the LGBTQ advocacy and service organization GLITS.
4612 Park Boulevard, University Heights
Ghost Light Masquerade at The Soap Factory
October 23–30
Enter The Soap Factory and wander the dark halls of The Nocturne Theatre, the Halloween home of Rosin Box Project’s Ghost Light Masquerade. For seven nighttime performances, dancers will entrance masked visitors with a spectral ballet experience. General admission is $71, with showtimes Thursday through Sunday this week (7:30 p.m.).
2995 Commercial Street, Logan Heights
Nolan Oswald Dennis: Demonstrations (i) at Athenaeum Music & Arts Library
October 25–January 17, 2026
Nolan Oswald Dennis: Demonstrations (i)—a commentary on colonialism and repatriation—has journeyed from Johannesburg to Rotterdam, New York, London, and now La Jolla’s Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. Dennis’ works will include sculptures, drawings, and the West Coast premiere of Isivivane, a project in which a 3D printer re-produces rocks from each display location to create a “Black Earth Library.” The exhibition will have a free opening reception this Friday from 5:30 to 8 p.m., featuring a conversation with Dennis and critic KJ Abudu (5:30–6:15 p.m.)
1008 Wall Street, La Jolla
Francisco Eme: Future Rituals & La eco-resistencia at Oceanside Museum of Art
October 25–March 16, 2026
Multimedia artist Francisco Eme has weaved together folktales, ecology, and a range of mediums (such as ceramics, drawing, digital audio and digital photography) to call for conservation in Future Rituals & La eco-resistencia at the Oceanside Museum of Art. Expect an exhibition celebration at the Oceanside Museum of Art on Saturday, Nov. 22 from 5 to 7 p.m.; admission is free for members and $15 for visitors.
704 Pier View Way, Oceanside
More Fun Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend
A Visit from Portlandia with Fred and Carrie at Balboa Theatre
October 24
In their beloved sketch comedy series Portlandia, Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen both poked fun at Portland, Oregon’s hipster reputation and lovingly captured the city’s peculiar charm. This Friday at 7 p.m., Brownstein and Armisen will discuss their friendship, Portlandia, and their respective career paths in A Visit from Portlandia at the Balboa Theatre. Tickets start at $48 and can be purchased here.
868 Fourth Avenue, Gaslamp
The Rocky Horror Picture Show 50th Anniversary Spectacular Tour with Nell Campbell at Balboa Theatre
October 25
Few films have a more passionate fanbase than The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with audiences regularly convening worldwide to bask in a bizarre night at Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s castle. San Diegans can catch a 50th anniversary screening of this cult classic Saturday (8 p.m.) at the Balboa Theatre—and Nell Campbell, who played the role of Columbia in the movie musical, will be there. Moviegoers can expect all the essential facets of Rocky Horror screening, including a costume contest, a live shadow cast, and plenty of audience participation. Tickets start at $59 and come with a bag of props to employ during the film.
868 Fourth Avenue, Gaslamp
San Diego FC vs. Portland Timbers or Real Salt Lake at Snapdragon Stadium
October 26
It’s official: San Diego FC have clinched the Western Conference crown. Their first-place finish has granted them home field advantage until the MLS Cup and a best-of-three series against the victors of Wednesday’s matchup between the Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake. SDFC’s inaugural season has been nothing short of magical, with the club leaving records in their wake and achieving unprecedented success for an expansion side. Wouldn’t it be fitting if they broke the city’s championship drought in year one? Stranger things have happened. Tickets for SDFC’s first-ever playoff match this Sunday (6:30 p.m.) at Snapdragon Stadium start at $60.
2101 Stadium Way, Mission Valley
