Events

Chinese New Year Festival at Balboa Park

Feb. 15-16. Celebrate the “Year of the Snake” at the 2025 Chinese New Year Festival at Balboa Park’s International Cottages. Presented by the House of China, the festival includes colorful cultural performances, lion dances, Chinese cuisine, crafts, calligraphy and more. Event highlights include performances by the Fan Dance Academy, JING Institute of Chinese Martial Arts & Culture; CCBA Lucky Lion Dancers, Asian Story Theater, Southern Sea KSK Dragon and Lion Dance, and many more. See website for full entertainment schedule. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free entry. 2191 Pan American Road W., Balboa Park. chinesenewyearfair.com

All-Red “Villain’tine Party” at Quartyard

Feb. 15. Extend your Valentine’s Day into the weekend at this R&B block party-meets Valentine’s dance party, aka the “Villain’tine Party.” Outdoor venue Quartyard hosts an evening of mostly ‘90s and early-2000s R&B jams “that you just don’t get in the club anymore.” Think: throwback tunes by artists such as Jodeci, Bell Biv Devoe, Tony! Toni! Toné!, Blackstreet, Keith Sweat and Jagged Edge. The party features resident DJs, as well as special guests and performers. All-red attire is strongly encouraged! 5-10 p.m. See website for ticket pricing (21+). 1301 Market St., East Village. Details

Presidents Day Weekend S.D. Club Crawl

Feb. 15. “Club crawl” your way through the Gaslamp Quarter on Saturday, with stops at four fun nightlife venues and front-of-the-line access at each. The party kicks off at American Junkie, where participants can enjoy free welcome shots, DJs and dancing; then onto Double Deuce for a round of hosted drinks and mechanical bull riding (if you dare); then continuing to Bloom, San Diego’s newest nightclub; and finishing at Parq, the city’s largest nightlife destination. Wear your dancing shoes! 9 p.m.-midnight. $35 per person (21+). 628 Fifth Ave., Gaslamp Quarter. Details

Food + Drink

Heart-Shaped Bagels at Spill the Beans

Available Feb. 13-14. For a casual (and affordable!) romantic gesture this Valentine’s Day, express your love in bagel form. Local coffee shop chain Spill the Beans is bringing back its heart-shaped, everything-flavor bagels (first created in 2018). The tasty holiday bagels are available at all four Spill the Beans locations while supplies last. Spill the Beans is known for its scratch-made bagels and house-made cream cheeses. Get ‘em before they’re gone! Gaslamp Quarter (555 Market St.); Mission Valley (525 Camino de la Reina); Seaport Village (813 W. Harbor Drive #C); Pacific Beach (980 Garnet Ave.). spillthebeanssd.com

Valentine’s Weekend Festivities at Cafe Sevilla

Feb. 13-16. Take your pick of Valentine’s Day celebrations at Cafe Sevilla all holiday weekend long. Some highlights include a special four-course Valentine’s Day menu on Feb. 14, with Lobster Paella Valenciana as the main course and live Latin music; a Feb. 14 Flamenco Dinner Show experience that includes a welcome charcuterie platter, three-course meal and nightclub entry; and a “Galentine’s Day” brunch on Feb. 16, including a free peach bellini with the purchase of any brunch entree. See website or call for pricing, hours and reservations. 353 Fifth Ave., Gaslamp Quarter, 619.233.5979. cafesevilla.com

“Roast of Cupid Brunch” at Mic Drop Comedy

Feb. 16. Both love and laughter are in the air at Mic Drop Comedy—San Diego’s destination for standup comedy. Inviting all those who’ve been burned in romance world (and anyone else who could use a good laugh), the entertainment venue is hosting a special comedy brunch event on Sunday—featuring a variety show filled with lip-sync battles, musical acts, and plenty of laughs (and booze!). Proceeds benefits the San Diego House Rabbit Society. 1 p.m. (Doors open at noon.) General admission is $20. 8878 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Kearny Mesa, 858.225.2100. micdropcomedy.com

Oyster Sundays at Finca

Now Offered. Calling all oyster aficionados. North Park restaurant and bottle shop Finca has launched Oyster Sundays. Patrons can choose from an array of oysters—including $2 classic oysters on the half shell; Finca “Rockafella” Oysters with spinach, artichoke, Parmesan and fennel bread crumbs; cornmeal fried oysters; and smoked oyster toast with chorizo, mushrooms and pickled shallot. Pair with Finca’s selection of vermouth, sherry and bubbly; and enjoy inside or on the quaint patio. Oyster Sundays run every week, 3 p.m. to close. 3066 North Park Way, North Park, 619.202.3564. finca.wine

Arts + Culture

Valentine’s Fun at San Diego Botanic Garden 

Feb. 13-15. A visit to this 37-acre oasis in Encinitas—home to lush gardens, a rainforest and more—makes for a perfect romantic afternoon. Stroll among the garden’s charming paths, which lead you by more than 5,000 plants from around the world; enjoy a picnic in the Bamboo Garden; take a fun class or workshop together, such as the Succulent Heart Arrangement Workshop on Feb. 13, and the Heart Chakra Journey Sound Healing experience on Feb. 15; and more. See website for hours and admission info. 300 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas, 760.436.3036. sdbg.org

S.D. Ballet: Carnival of the Animals & Tangata

Feb. 15. Treat your sweetheart to a romantic afternoon or evening at the ballet. The renowned San Diego Ballet, headed by Artistic Director Javier Velasco, invites you to the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center (aka The Conrad) in La Jolla on Saturday for its special presentation of Carnival of the Animals, set to a world-premiere Latin jazz score by trumpeter and composer Gilbert Castellanos, performing with the Gilbert Castellanos Quartet; and Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla’s Tangata. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. See website for ticket pricing. 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla. sandiegoballet.org

La Jolla Playhouse: 3 Summers of Lincoln

Upcoming | Opens Feb. 18. “Change the conversation. Change the world.” With a book by Joe DiPietro (pictured) and directed by Christopher Ashley, La Jolla Playhouse delivers the world-premiere musical, 3 Summers of Lincoln, already extended through March 30. The story centers on the last three summers of Abraham Lincon’s presidency—during which he met with abolitionist Frederick Douglass in conversations that shaped his position on ending slavery and uniting the country after the Civil War. See website for showtimes and tickets. 2910 La Jolla Village Drive, La Jolla, 858.550.1010. lajollaplayhouse.org

Photo credits: All images are courtesy of the venues and businesses featured.