Events

Ocean Beach Oktoberfest

Oct. 7-8. No community does Oktoberfest quite like Ocean Beach, which marks its 20th annual installment this year. Enjoy two days of seaside merriment—including family-friendly vendors and activities; a beer garden (21+); live music by locally and nationally touring artists; a cornhole tournament; men’s and women’s stein contests; a beer belly competition; arts and crafts vendors; and plenty of festive fare. A portion of proceeds will go to several local nonprofit groups. F 4-11:30 p.m.; Sa 10 a.m.-11:30 p.m. $10 general admission at gate; VIP tickets available online. Along Newport Avenue, Ocean Beach. oboktoberfest.com

La Jolla Art & Wine Festival

Oct. 8-9. Calling all art aficionados and oenophiles. The 14th annual La Jolla Art & Wine Festival comprises a 13,000-square-foot wine and craft beer garden; 160-plus art booths; a high-end silent auction, with proceeds benefiting local schools; a gourmet food court; live music and other entertainment all day; interactive family-friendly activities, such as face painting and science experiments; more than 15 pet rescue stations offering dog and cat adoptions, including The Animal Pad, Open Arms Rescue and Tragic to Magic; and more.10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free entry. Along Girard Avenue, La Jolla Village. ljawf.com

Carlsbad Strawberry Co. Pumpkin Patch

Through Nov. 8. This family farm’s fall wonderland is fun for all ages. After picking your perfect gourd from the ample pumpkin patch, wander through an enchanting corn maze; take a tractor ride; meet Shetland sheep and Nubian goats; and explore fields of marigolds and lavender. There’s even a separate haunted corn maze for teens and adults (F-Sa 7-10 p.m.); plus festive fall treats and beverages. Open daily 9 a.m.-6 p.m. $6 general admission (ages 5 and under are free); $25 per person for haunted corn maze admission. 1050 Cannon Road, Carlsbad, 760.603.9608. More Info

Food + Drink

Lobsterfest at Tuna Harbor

Oct. 8. Attention, lobster lovers: Spiny lobster season is here! The Tuna Harbor Dockside Market hosts this third-annual, family-friendly event—when local fishermen will be selling live spiny lobsters direct to customers at off-the-boat prices. (Nearly 1,500 pounds of lobster are sold each year!) The experience includes easy spiny lobster recipes you can make at home and cooking tips from the pros. Acclaimed chef Marcus Twilegar will also be selling gourmet lobster meals on the dock. 8 a.m.-1 p.m. (or until lobsters are sold out). Free entry. 598 Harbor Lane, downtown. More Info

Taste of North Park 

Oct. 8. North Park is home to myriad culinary and imbibing outposts, and this fun annual event—presented by North Park Main Street—is your chance to try bites and sips from most of them. Take a self-guided tour through the ‘hood and sample offerings from more than 40 restaurants and 15 breweries and cideries; along with local art vendors and live music. Participating businesses include Original 40 Brewing Co., JuneShine, Verbena Kitchen, Bivouac Ciderworks, City Tacos North Park and Boochcraft Hard Kombucha. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. $45-$65. 3812 29th St., North Park. Tickets

The Gärten

Opens Oct. 8. Bay Park welcomes The Gärten—an alfresco hangout dedicated to beers, cheers and bites—on Saturday. The 2,500-square-foot, multi-vendor, biergarten-style venue is a collaboration between Pizza Cassette, which offers wood-fired pizzas, hearty sandwiches and more; Deft Brewing, known for its beer styles from Germany, Belgium and the British Isles; Lost Cause Meadery, serving honey-based libations; and Oddish Wine, whose offerings include sparkling wines and ciders. Opening weekend will also feature live music. See website for hours. 5322 Banks St., Bay Park. More Info

Taste of Mission Hills

Upcoming | Oct. 12. The quaint uptown ‘hood of Mission Hills has evolved into quite the eclectic culinary community. You’re invited to get a taste of it at this 10th annual event, which raises funds for the nonprofit Mission Hills Business Improvement District. Sample bites and beverages from more than 30 participating restaurants—including Bar by Red Door, Cardellino, Fort Oak, La Puerta (pictured) and Lefty’s Chicago Pizzeria. To get around, enjoy free trolley service, which includes stops at designated spots every 15 minutes along the 5-mile tasting route. 5-9 p.m. Advance tickets are $35 (see website). More Info

Arts + Culture

Los Trompos at The New Children’s Museum

Opens Oct. 8. Created by Mexican designers Héctor Esrawe and Ignacio Cadena, a new public outdoor installation, Los Trompos (“the spinning tops”), opens in the park across from The New Children’s Museum on Saturday. Jointly commissioned with the Bay Area Discovery Museum, the traveling exhibition (here until January 2023) comprises six colorful, woven, spinning tops—inspired by the popular children’s toy. The interactive work invites kids to climb inside for a spin, play and collaborate together. Opening day festivities include food trucks and art-making. 200 W. Island Ave., downtown, 619.233.8792. thinkplaycreate.org

Monet to Matisse at San Diego Museum of Art

Closes Oct 10. Explore more than 60 masterful works—created between the 1870s and 1930s by some of the most significant European artists in history—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 over time 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

Hemingway Exhibit at Comic-Con Museum

On View. The Comic-Con Museum presents Hemingway in Comics, exploring what it means to be a pop culture icon. According to the museum, “the book written by Robert K. Elder, Hemingway in Comics, celebrates more than 120 of these comics from 18 countries, from the U.S. and Mexico to the Netherlands and Latvia. Forty pieces of original artwork from various artists are featured in the book—including Chris Ware, Colleen Doran, Steve Rolston, Ryan Inzana, Gabo, Norwegian artist Jason—and many others, are on display.” See website for hours and admission info. 2131 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park. comic-con.org

Photo credits: The Gärten by Jake Takeo. La Puerta by Brogen Jessup Photography. Los Trompos by Abel Klainbaum. 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.