Events
Super Girl Surf Festival
Sept. 19-21. Cheer on more than 100 of the world’s top-ranked surfers as they hang ten in the 19th annual Super Girl Surf Pro (the largest female surfing event in the world!); and spotlighting 600-plus female athletes in total, across 10 sports. The event also includes a free concert series, featuring Lupe Fiasco, Plain White T’s, Surfer Girl and other superstar acts among its 17 performing artists; the Festival Village, offering autograph signings, an all-female DJ contest and a celebrity leadership panel; a lifeguard competition; and much more. Free attendance. Oceanside Pier. Details
East Village Oktoberfest
Sept. 20. Bust out the lederhosen and head to Quartyard for the ninth annual East Village block party. The bier will be flowing with brews on tap from local brewers. Soak it all up with festive food such as Munich-style pretzels with beer mustard and Bavarian sausages; plus tacos and other Mexican fare from onsite restaurant El Comal. The fun also includes live music all afternoon, headlined by the Zeitgeist Oktoberfest Band; plus interactive games and festive contests. 3-8 p.m. See website for ticket pricing (21+). 1301 Market St., East Village. Details
Adams Avenue Street Fair
Sept. 20-21. The city’s popular two-day music festival returns for its 43rd year. Seven entertainment stages across 10 blocks will host 75 music acts—including Nortec: Bostich + Fussible (DJ set), Dave & Deke Combo, The Schizophonics, Chris Cain Band and many more. Festivities also include multiple beer gardens offering tastings from local craft breweries; along with 300 art/retail vendors; plus carnival rides, the Fern Street Circus, a “Cool Zone” and festival fare. Sa 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Su 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free entry. Along Adams Avenue, Normal Heights. More Info
September to Remember Festival in El Cajon
Sept. 21. Head to El Cajon’ s Prescott Promenade for this community-oriented festival celebrating summer’s end—featuring live music, food, cars, and family-friendly festivities. Highlights include Music on Main, with concerts by talented performers such as Whitney Shay, Santana Ways and The Mighty Untouchables; the Cajon Cruise, a car show featuring classic, vintage and custom rides; interactive kids activities; a variety of food trucks; and shopping among local specialty and artisanal vendors. 2-8 p.m. Free entry. Along Main Street, downtown El Cajon. Details
Food + Drink
Whiskey & Wine Party at Estancia
Sept. 19. Sample whiskey, wine and barbecue fare as you mingle and dance under the stars at Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa. The resort’s quaint Hacienda Lawn morphs into a southern-style soiree filled with comfort food, live music, a bonfire and tastings of premium whiskey, bourbon and vino. Participating brands include Caymus Wine, Foley Family Wines, Prisoner Wine, Whistle Pig Whiskey, Makers Mark and more. 6-9 p.m. $95 per person (includes complimentary valet parking and unlimited food and drink samples; 21+). 9700 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, 858.412.0500. Details
Fonda del Barrio
Now Open. Founded by Gerry Torres (City Tacos), this hacienda-inspired, indoor/outdoor restaurant serves ancestral Mexican cuisine—using fresh seafood, handmade masa, and regional flavors from Mayan achiote rubs to Oaxacan moles. Executive chef’s Eduardo Baeza menu includes Gulf Crab tostadas, Yucatan-style rockfish filet, and sauteed chicken with 27-ingredient Guava Mole; plus Mexican beers, wines and tequila cocktails; and Café de Olla brewed in a clay pot. See website for hours. 2234 Logan Ave., Barrio Logan, 619.230.5240. Details
LUCIEN
Now Open. La Jolla welcomes an elegant fine-dining destination, LUCIEN, by chef Elijah Arizmendi—a NorCal native who spent years in Michelin-starred kitchens from NYC to Las Vegas. The 30-seat tasting menu restaurant offers a guided 12-course dinner experience that begins in its quaint courtyard with canapés beneath a calamansi tree. Sourced from local ranchers, farmers and fishermen, the menu changes often and spotlights coastal California. Think: Santa Barbara spot prawns and Masami Ranch wagyu ribeye; plus desserts by pastry chef Bella Alicea. 7863 Girard Ave., Suite 308, 619.708.3082. luciensd.com
Arts + Culture
ArtWalk Carlsbad
Sept. 20-21. North County’s acclaimed fine arts show, ArtWalk Carlsbad, returns for its sixth year, featuring 150 fine artists. Mediums range from painting to photography to sculpture to glass to jewelry design and more. Event highlights also include the KidsWalk, featuring interactive art installations; plus live music (partnering with the San Diego Music Awards), beer, wine, food trucks and ocean views. Sa 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Su 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free entry. Along Armada Drive (just east of The Flower Fields), just off Palomar Airport Road, Carlsbad. artwalksandiego.org
Sunset Pier Walks at Birch Aquarium
Beginning Sept. 20. Birch Aquarium is offering 90-minute, naturalist-guided walking tours of the Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier (generally closed to the public) on select Saturdays and Sundays. Learn about the research conducted at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, including the Scripps CO2 Program—spotlighting the latest in ocean monitoring and climate science; while watching autumn’s extraordinary sunsets. See website for required advance registration and ticket pricing (ages 9+). 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla, 858.534.3474. aquarium.ucsd.edu
Cygnet Theatre: Follies
Through Oct. 12. “The Joan” (the $43.5 million Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center) is now open at Arts District Liberty Station! It’s the new home of Cygnet Theatre, which stages its first production there, Follies, through Oct. 12. The 1971 Stephen Sondheim musical is about a farewell reunion at a Broadway theater that will soon close; and includes the songs “Losing My Mind,” “I’m Still Here,” and “Broadway Baby.” Sean Murray directs. See website for showtimes and tickets. 2880 Roosevelt Road, Liberty Station, 619.337.1525. cygnettheatre.org
Scripps Pier by Jordann Tomasek. “Follies” / Cygnet Theatre by Karli Cadel Photography. All other images are courtesy of the venues and businesses featured.
