Events

SeaWorld Mardi Gras

Through March 2. SeaWorld San Diego brings some big New Orleans energy to the park on Saturdays and Sundays (plus Friday, Feb. 14 and Monday, Feb. 17). The celebration includes special costumes, decorations channeling the world-famous French Quarter, and Creole and Cajun cuisine—from jambalaya to beignets. Mardi Gras-inspired entertainment includes live jazz, Dixieland music and DJ performances; family-friendly games and activities; a walk-through tunnel of 5,000 lights; the new Royal Mardis Gras Parade; and more. See website for hours and tickets. 500 Sea World Drive, Mission Bay, 619.222.4732. seaworld.com

San Diego Museum Month

Feb. 1-28. Entering its 36th year in 2025, San Diego Museum Month is back and bigger than ever. Presented by the San Diego Museum Council, the event runs the entire month of February. Art and culture lovers can access more than 70 participating museums; plus cultural attractions, historical sites, aquariums, zoos and gardens—all for half-off admission. These include the California Surf Museum, 17 Balboa Park museums and gardens, Maritime Museum of San Diego, the floating USS Midway Museum, and many other venues. Passes are available at 80-plus local public libraries (see website). Details

Broadway San Diego: Wicked

Upcoming | Feb. 5-March 2. The Broadway smash musical Wicked returns to the Civic Theatre! The “untold true story of the Witches of Oz” (Elphaba and Glinda) has won three Tony Awards, seven Drama Desk Awards and 10 Outer Critics Circle Awards; and the original cast album won a Grammy for “Best Musical Theater Album.” In total, the original Broadway production has been nominated for at least one award every year since its opening in 2003, winning 33 of the 64 nominations. See website for showtimes and tickets. 1100 Third Ave., downtown. broadwaysd.com

Food + Drink

Lunar New Year at Animae

Jan. 29-31. Celebrate the Lunar New Year at Animae, where executive chef Tara Monsod and her team of sous chefs, chef de cuisine and pastry cook have crafted a special menu of festive a la carte dishes (in addition to Animae’s regular dinner menu). Offerings include hot ‘n’ sour soup, salt and pepper fish bao, a “lion’s head” meatball, Jajangmyeon noodles, and Vietnamese caramelized pork belly. Dinner service will be accompanied by lion dancer performances Jan. 30-31 at 6:30 p.m. See website for reservations. 969 Pacific Hwy., downtown, 619.432.1225. animaesd.com

Wildland

Now Open. New in Carlsbad Village, Wildland is an all-day restaurant, bar and bakery by restaurateur John Resnick and chef Eric Bost (both of Michelin-starred Jeune et Jolie fame). Think: house-made pastries and wood-fired eggs for breakfast; and pizzas, pastas and rotisserie chicken for lunch and dinner. Thanks to design firm Bells & Whistles, Wildland is a stunner, taking up 8,000 square feet of the former Morey Boogie Boards factory with 30-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, concrete floors, warm woods and industrial-rustic accents. See website for hours. 2598 State St., Carlsbad, 442. 339.4812. wildlandallday.com

New Dinner Menu at The Lion’s Share

Now Available. Featured on the Food Network’s “40 Best Bars in America for Food Lovers,” downtown den The Lion’s Share marks its 13th year in business. To celebrate, executive chef Dante Romero has debuted a new dinner menu. Feast on beer-battered chicken tenders with caviar (pictured); duck and rabbit terrine with kabocha squash mole, black truffle, carrots, arugula and l’orange sauce; bone-in elk chops with an eggplant-chile puree and crispy potatoes; patatas bravas with seared scallops, chorizo and tomatillo; and more. See website for hours. 629 Kettner Blvd., downtown, 619.564.6924. lionssharesd.com

Arts + Culture

San Diego Symphony Weekend Concerts

Jan. 31-Feb. 1. Join the San Diego Symphony Orchestra and music director and conductor Rafael Payare (pictured) at the Jacobs Music Center for “Orchestral Evolution: Childs’ Premiere and Beethoven’s Eroica.” The concert repertoire includes Grammy Award-winning composer Billy Childs’ world premiere, Concerto for Orchestra; Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3, featuring guest pianist Alexander Malofeev; and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, Eroica. Come early for a pre-concert talk exploring the program’s backstories and highlights. See website for times and tickets. 750 B St., downtown, 619.235.0804. More Info

New Village Arts: The Half Life of Marie Curie

Through Feb. 23. New Village Arts presents the San Diego premiere of The Half Life of Marie Curie, written by Lauren Gunderson. Marie Curie (portrayed by Rachael Van Wormer), who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911, had her reputation tarnished in 1912—over an alleged affair with a married Frenchman. She retreats to the seaside abode of her friend and colleague, Hertha Ayrton (Leigh Scarritt), hoping for the scandal and gossip to die down. The two women show us the power of female friendship. See website for showtimes and tickets. 2787 State St., Carlsbad, 760.433.3245. newvillagearts.org

New San Diego Air & Space Museum Exhibit

Opens Feb. 1. Remembered as a brilliant artist and visionary obsessed with the principles of flight and aerodynamics, Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) left behind notebooks filled with theories and designs that were centuries ahead of their time. Davinci’s First Flight is the world-premiere, interactive exhibition that brings his dreams to life. The exhibit features more than 30 large-scale replicas of his flying machines; as well as a life-size hang glider, the world’s first “drones,’ interactive flight experiments, an immersive glider simulation and more. 2001 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park, 619.234.8291. Details

Spanish Village Art Center

Open. Established in 1936, this historical artist collective is an underrated Balboa Park gem—known for its old-world architecture and brightly colored tile walkways reminiscent of an actual Spanish village. Stroll among its working studios, where you’ll witness art in action. More than 200 local artists—whose mediums span painting, sculpture, jewelry design, glass, wood, metal, mixed media and more—can be found creating their latest masterpieces. The center also hosts art classes, shows and special events. Open daily 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free admission. 1770 Village Place, Balboa Park, 619.233.9050. More Info

Photo credits: “Wicked” by Joan Marcus. Animae by Kimberly Motos. San Diego Symphony / Rafael Payare by Todd Rosenberg. Spanish Village Art Center by KD Graves. All other images are courtesy of the venues and businesses featured.