Events

Adams Avenue Street Fair

Sept. 19-20. The city’s popular two-day music festival returns for its 44th annual installment. Six designated entertainment stages across 10 blocks will host 75 music acts—including Bardo, Masta Ace, Chris Duarte Group, Los Fabulocos, Boostive, Creepxotica 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. Details

“Wild Weekend” at San Diego Zoo

Sept. 19-20. The San Diego Zoo presents “Wild Weekend: African Forest,” a weekend-long itinerary of immersive activities for guests to learn more about the Zoo’s efforts to protect wildlife and biodiversity in Central Africa. Guests can attend talks throughout the park hosted by wildlife care specialists, centered on preserving gorillas, hippos and more; become immersed in the sights and sounds of an African forest; handmake themed crafts; chat with conservationists and horticulturists; reserve an “Inside Look” tour; and more. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 2920 Zoo Drive, Balboa Park. sandiegozoo.org

Beachside Fall Fest at Belmont Park

Weekends. Taking place every weekend through Oct. 31, Belmont Park’s annual celebration of all things autumn offers something fun for everyone. Enjoy seasonal treats like caramel apples from Sweet Shoppe and s’mores churros from Snackin’ Kraken; a community 5K (Sept. 20); Trunk-or-Treat, with free trick-or-treating for the kiddos, and a showcase of 50-plus classic cars (Oct. 26); face painting and glitter tattoos; and free trick-or-treating every Sunday in October. Open daily (see website for hours). Free general admission. 3146 Mission Blvd., Mission Beach. Details

Food + Drink

An’s Gate D5 in Oceanside

Now Open. Local gelato chain An’s has opened its newest “experience” inside the iconic Top Gun house in Oceanside: An’s Gate D5. Known for naming its gelato shops after the building each occupies (e.g., An’s Dry Cleaning in North Park), the new outpost retains the same exterior as the house in the 1986 film. The inside resembles an airport terminal, with an “Arrivals” menu of rotating flavors, such as Sambava, Charleston, Visalia and Greensboro. Su-Th 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; F-Sa 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m. 216 N. Pacific St., Oceanside, 619.483.3381. ansgelato.com

New Menu at Red Marlin

Now Available. Red Marlin, the flagship waterfront restaurant at Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa & Marina, debuts a new menu of “coastal California” dishes, dreamt up by chef Kevin Villavolos. Indulge in new plates like Pacific Swordfish al Pastor, local rockfish Veracruzana, Baja shrimp scampi, and ancho-braised short rib. Guests can also enjoy wine flights from vintner DAOU; Wine Wednesdays with half-off bottles; Thirsty Thursdays with $10 martinis and discounted bites; and 360-degree views of Mission Bay. See website for hours. 1441 Quivira Road, Mission Bay, 619.221.4868. More Info

New Executive Chef at Ember & Rye

Open. Ember & Rye—the signature steakhouse at Park Hyatt Aviara led by chef and restaurateur Richard Blais—welcomes a new executive chef, Christopher Hutchinson. Having worked in top kitchens in San Francisco, Portland and San Diego, Hutchinson is known for his passion for live-fire cooking, seasonal ingredients and bold flavors. Under his direction, Ember & Rye continues its commitment to prime meat cuts, exceptional seafood, and locally sourced produce. See website for hours and reservations. 7447 Batiquitos Drive, Carlsbad, 760.284.7793. More Info

Arts + Culture

ArtWalk Carlsbad

Sept. 19-20. North County’s acclaimed fine arts show, ArtWalk Carlsbad, returns for its seventh 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. Details

Visiones Nocturnas Exhibit at MCASD

Opens Sept. 19. The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) unveils Visiones Nocturnas: Queer Nightlife in Contemporary Art. Spotlighting works by Latino and Latin American artists from the 1990s to today, the exhibit centers on destinations that exemplify queer belonging, transcendence and resilience—from block parties to dance clubs. Featured artists include Laura Aguilar, Martine Gutierrez, Guadalupe Rosales and Joey Terrill; mediums span sculptures, textiles, photography, paintings and mixed media. 700 Prospect St., La Jolla, 858.454.3541. mcasd.org

Sunset Pier Walks at Birch Aquarium

Beginning Sept. 19. Birch Aquarium is offering 90-minute, naturalist-guided walking tours of the Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier (which is generally closed to the public) on select Saturdays and Sundays through December. Learn about local marine life and the research conducted at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography; while watching surfers and autumn’s extraordinary sunsets. See website for required advance registration, tour times and ticket pricing (ages 9 and older). 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla, 858.534.3474. aquarium.ucsd.edu

Come From Away at Moonlight Amphitheatre

Through Sept. 26. Following its world premiere at La Jolla Playhouse in 2015, then an award-winning run on Broadway and worldwide, the smash musical Come From Away returns to San Diego County, 25 years after 9/11—this time at Moonlight Stage Productions’ open-air Vista amphitheater. It’s the inspiring story of 38 international flights, totaling 6,579 passengers, that were diverted to Gander International Airport in Newfoundland, Canada on Sept. 11, 2001; and the Gander residents who housed, fed and comforted them for five days. 1250 Vale Terrace Drive, Vista. Details

Photo credits: “Visiones Nocturnas” (pictured: “Espectro,” 2024, by Andres Payan Estrada) is © Andres Payan Estrada / courtesy of the artist. Birch Aquarium is by Jordann Tomasek. All other images are courtesy of the venues and businesses featured.