Events

Uncorked: Del Mar Summer Wine Fest

Aug. 13. Calling all oenophiles! The wine corks will be poppin’ at Uncorked, which presents its third annual installment at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. Alongside “bettin’ on the ponies” at Del Mar Racetrack, festival guests can sample from a selection of more than 100 wines and bubbly from California and around the world; along with local food trucks and live DJ music. Proceeds benefit Urban Surf 4 Kids—a local nonprofit that provides water and surfing therapy for at-risk youth and foster children. 1-5 p.m. $65-$80 (21+). 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. Tickets

Hillcrest CityFest

Aug. 14. Stretching nine city blocks, this anticipated annual summer art and music festival attracts around 150,000 visitors from across San Diego and SoCal. Enjoy a full day of live entertainment across two stages—including the return of the Red Bull Robinson Stage Dance Party, sponsored by Rich’s Night Club and LE Parties; and drag superstar DeJa Skye headlining the evening lineup. More highlights: live bands, electric dance music DJs, food stations from top local restaurants and food trucks, and arts and crafts vendors. Noon-11 p.m. Free entry. Fifth and University avenues, Hillcrest. More Info

Philippine Cultural Arts Festival

Aug. 14. Head to the heart of Balboa Park to celebrate the culture, music, performing arts and cuisine of the Philippines at this 35th annual festival. The family-friendly event includes colorful folk and tribal dances by Samahan performers, accompanied by Samahan Rondalla and Kulintang (gong) music ensembles; as well as arts and crafts vendors, revues of traditional and indigenous Filipino attire, Filipino food stations serving classic dishes from lumpia to leche flan, martial arts exhibitions, and other special performers. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Free admission. Park Boulevard and Presidents Way Lawn, Balboa Park. More Info

Kayaking & Snorkeling with Leopard Sharks

Ongoing. Leopard shark season is here! But fear not; you are their friend, not their food. Known for their distinctive leopard-like spots, these “puppies of the sea” migrate by the thousands to the warm, shallow waters hugging the La Jolla coastline every summer. Ocean adventure company Everyday California lets you get safely get close to them, offering eco-friendly kayak and snorkeling tours of the La Jolla Ecological Reserve—home to one of the highest concentrations of sea life on the West Coast. The hour-long tours are offered daily. Starting at $64 per person. La Jolla. everydaycalifornia.com

Food + Drink

Mothership

Now Open. When the same minds behind Kindred—South Park’s den of stellar cocktails, vegan fare and death-metal tunes—open a new watering hole, you just know it’s gonna be weird in the coolest way. And Mothership doesn’t disappoint. The “tropical space adventure” feels like an ‘80s rocket ship voyage to an alien planet—complete with shooting stars and out-of-this-world cocktails. The “Base Camp Protocol of Food & Drink” (i.e., the menu) features libations named Forbidden Frequency and Away Mission; plus creative vegan dishes. See website for hours. 2310 30th St., South Park, 619.630.2187. mothershiptrip.com

Sushi Taisho

Now Open. Carlsbad Village welcomes a beachside sushi bar: Sushi Taisho, inviting diners to “Seas the Day.” Owned by husband-and-wife duo, Misun Yoon and chef Brian Yoon, the eatery—a modern, green-accented space with a summer cottage-style exterior—offers both classic sushi and creative Japanese-fusion fare. Choose from traditional nigiri, sashimi and hand rolls; signature rolls like the Marilyn Mon-Roll and Super Mario Roll; plus contemporary dishes such as the five-piece Albacore Temptation and Hello-Tail Carpaccio. To drink: sake, wine and beer. L, D daily. 300 Carlsbad Village Drive, Suite 214, Carlsbad, 760.994.0095. sushitaisho.com

New Seasonal Dishes at Campfire

Now Available. Go on a culinary summer camping trip at Campfire—where executive chef Eric Bost has introduced several new seasonal dishes. Offerings include smoked American wagyu brisket from Snake River Farms, rolled in a “Steady State” coffee rub, served with polenta and pickled green tomatoes. There’s also a dish of heirloom tomatoes from Chino Farms, accompanied by grilled peaches, fennel and bloomed basil seeds; and an ancient grains bowl with fire-roasted green shakshouka, farro, chickpeas, Campari tomatoes, pistachios and other goodies. W-M 5-10 p.m. 2725 State St., Carlsbad, 760.637.5121. thisiscampfire.com

Arts + Culture

New Village Arts’ The Mechanicals

Aug. 11-14. New Village Arts (NVA) presents a very special play at a very special location: the world premiere of The Mechanicals at The Flower Fields. The production is part of NVA’s professional actor training program for young adults and teens on the autism spectrum and with Down Syndrome and other forms of neurodiversity. Written by Aleta Barthell (pictured), it centers on summer camp participants who learn how to perform Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream; and learn how to follow their own dreams. See website for showtimes and tickets. 5704 Paseo Del Norte, Carlsbad, 760.433.3245. newvillagearts.org

The Old Globe’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Through Sept. 4. Shakespeare’s timeless comedy returns to The Old Globe—staged under starry skies at the outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre. Directed by Patricia McGregor, A Midsummer Night’s Dream takes a fun, modern spin, literally, with DJ Miki Vale spinning original tracks stage-side. Into the enchanted forest we go, following four worlds: the lovers, the mechanicals, the royals and the fairies—who play their mischievous tricks to elicit the most delightful, lust-fueled chaos—led by jester Puck. See website for showtimes and tickets. 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park, 619.234.5623. theoldglobe.org

Monet to Matisse at San Diego Museum of Art

Extended Through Oct. 10. Explore 60-plus masterful works—created between the 1870s and 1930s by some of Europe’s most significant artists—in Monet to Matisse: Impressionist Masterpieces from the Bemberg Foundation. The exhibit showcases works by painters including Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Pablo Picasso, Alfred Sisley, Henri Matisse, Raoul Dufy and Pierre Bonnard. The pieces were collected by Argentine-French writer and musician Georges Bemberg (1915-2011)—comprising one of the finest art collections in Europe. 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park, 619.232.7931. sdmart.org

Photo credits: Sushi Taisho by Diana Sciacca. Artwork for A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Anthony Pugh. Image for Monet to Matisse is an oil-on-canvas painting by Claude Monet, “Boats on the Beach at Étretat,” 1883, courtesy of the Bemberg Foundation and San Diego Museum of Art. All other images are courtesy of the venues and businesses featured.