Halloween may be on Saturday, but that won’t stop the Gaslamp Quarter from “dressing up” in period costume the next day, Sunday, November 1, during the 9th annual Fall Back Festival.

The street fair includes “wild west” entertainment such as staged shootouts and rope tricks as three stages showing folk dancing, live bluegrass music and more.  Kids can participate in crafts and contests, pan for real gold, and learn about Caliornia history through puppet shows and live demonstrations of lost skills.

And, of course, there will be all the fun stuff you’d expect to find at any good street fair – food, face painting, caricature art, inflatable jumps and carnival games.

Fall Back Festival takes place on Island Avenue — between 4th and 5th Avenues — Sunday, November 1, from 11:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.  (Remember, our clocks fall back one hour that day, too.)  Admission is $5 for ages 3 and older.  For more information, visit www.gaslampquarter.org or call (619) 233-4692.

Tags: downtown, fair, family, festival, Gaslamp Quarter, history, kids

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• Shamu and the gang will get into the “spirit” of Halloween with a new, not-too-scary celebration, SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular, featuring festive family fun tonight, tomorrow and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.  SeaWorld’s walrus, sea lion and otter comedy team will star in a Halloween show called Clyde and Seamore’s Trick or Treat, and Sesame Street’s Countdown to Halloween musical will entertain the littlest guests. Other festive fun will include cookie decorating and photo opportunities with Halloween-costumed characters. 
• LEGOLAND California in Carlsbad is calling all monsters, mermaids, witches, robots and pirates to its Brick-or-Treat Party.  Tomorrow from 5-9 p.m., the family theme park will be a not-too-spooky Halloween haven featuring costume contests, nighttime trick-or-treating on the Brick-or-Treat Trail, live music and entertainment. Little ghosts and goblins can also enjoy activities like building glow-in-the-dark treats, a dance-off with special prizes for the best dancer and the Howler of the Hour contest for young guests who really want to scream. Families can also climb aboard a giant jack-o-lantern that is more than 7 feet wide, made of 22,000 DUPLO bricks and weighs 850 pounds.  
• Tonight at 8 p.m., Fiesta de Reyes in Old Town State Historic Park will kick off a fun, freaky evening with a Beetlejuice movie night under the stars.  Tim Burton’s famous “bio-exorcist” film will be projected on a big outdoor screen, and visitors are invited to bring a warm blanket and enjoy the movie with friends and family.  Admission is free. 
• Tonight and tomorrow Old Town State Historic Park will host hilarious ghost tours through the park at 6:30 and 7 p.m.  Lead by an unfortunately clueless ghost hunter, the tours will highlight plenty of ghosts, many of them real San Diegans who experienced tragic deaths in Old Town during the 1800s.  Tours meet at the Old Town Visitor Center on Twiggs Street, located at the entrance to the park.  Tickets are available at the Visitor Center for $10 or online for $8 plus a service fee. 
• Trick-or-treaters are also invited to visit the park from 4-6:30 p.m. on Saturday to collect goodies from the park’s participating shops and museums where resident shopkeepers are always dressed in period costume.  The haunting evening continues at 8 p.m. with a live story telling of Old Town’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow, occurring in the spooky yard behind the Seeley Stables on Old Town’s main plaza.  Both events are free. 
• From 5-8 p.m. today and Saturday, ghosts, goblins, pirates and princesses will gather at the San Diego Maritime Museum aboard the Star of India for ghostly lantern-led tours of the historic ship and hear eerie legends from the ship’s past. During the tours, costumed docents will share tales of how young John Campbell fell to his death from the rigging, how an Army Captain on the ship slit his throat and more creepy events that occurred aboard the historic vessel.  The museum will also host a carnival 11 a.m.-4 p.m. tomorrow with games, prizes, food and costume contests for parents and kids of all ages.  Lantern-led tours are included with the general museum admission; admission to the carnival is an additional $5 per person.

Tags: family, Halloween, legoland, maritime museum, old town, seaworld

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Every two years San Diego gets a little more exciting as the creative wizards from Cirque du Soleil set up the Gran Chapiteau (French for Big Top) at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. In 2010 they are bringing the traveling show Kooza from February 25 to March 14.

Click Here to get your tickets before they are available to the general public and you receive $10 off.

Act fast, as the presale ends on November 7.

Kooza gives you a great reason to make it a long weekend and come on down to San Diego to enjoy the show and the city.

Kooza has all the amazing acrobatics and theatrics you would expect from Cirque, but I am really interested in seeing an act called the “Wheel of Death.”

Tags: San Diego Events, theater

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I’m so fortunate living in San Diego that there are a vast number of options literally on every corner. Find all of your Halloween needs at a local Spirit Halloween store, or get creative and dig through one of the county’s many thrift stores to create a one-of-a-kind design. There’s plenty of goods to be found in the Hillcrest area in thrift stores like Flashbacks, and funky hats galore at the Village Hat Shop. The Pacific Beach area also has great option in walking distance such as Thrift Trader, The Buff and Pink Zone.

With so many shopping options in San Diego, we promise you’re not going to get lost in the shuffle this year with your standout costume.

Tags: Halloween, Hillcrest, pacific beach, Shopping, thrift stores

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One of my favorite things about San Diego is all the diverse neighborhoods located within the county.  All in all, there are more than 100 neighborhoods and one each offers its own unique experience, personality and charm.  While I could go on and on about each, my hands-down favorite is Ocean Beach…well “OB” as us locals like to call it.

With each visit, this town’s laid-back, hippie beach vibe is contagious.  I find myself truly relaxed as I sip mimosas in the sun, in awe with my latest fashion finds and entertained by the diversity of people and personalities that flock to this area. 

To sum it all up, here are my OB highlights, hot spots and favs:

Food

• Whenever friends or family come to visit, I make sure to take them to Tower Two Café.  While the food is just average, it’s the casual beach setting that draws me here…. Ok, and the mimosa beach buckets. (True story: the bottle of champagne comes in a colorful beach pale filled with ice, and it even has a cute little shovel attached!) Here, you can sit in the sun on the outdoor deck and look out into the ocean.  It’s dog- friendly too, so your pup can enjoy the sun, socializing and table scraps.

 

Runner ups:

• Hodad’s has been around for over 40 years and serves some of the best burgers in San Diego, even CNN thinks so.  The catch, it’s so popular that there is almost always a line out the door but the burgers are definitely worth the wait. 
• If you like fish tacos you must go to South Beach Bar & Grill.  This little beach bar has won numerous awards and recognition and in my opinion, serves the best fish tacos I’ve ever tasted…try the Mahi taco, you won’t be disappointed, I promise!!

Shopping

• My go-to for cute shoes or accessories is Lola Luna on OB’s main drag, Newport Avenue.  They always have the best shoes that you don’t see in department stores, which means most people won’t have them.  Also, they always have a sale table outside with $10 shoes… what could be better than that??

Runner ups:

• Dream Girls is one of my newer discoveries and also one of the more expensive places in OB.  It’s located on Newport Ave and they have an amazing selection of
  

  heaven on earth

  good-quality clothes, shoes and accessories so you defiantly get what you pay for.  So far, it’s proven impossible for me to leave this place empty handed.

• Also on Newport Ave. is the Closet.  I like this place for cheap clothes and shoes for nights out or special events.  Since the clothes are always changing to keep up with the latest trends I find that most visits here are either hit or miss.

Activities

• Of course a visit to OB would not be complete without stopping at the beach.  True beach lovers can surf, swim and tan, while those who just  want to take in the view can perch themselves on the boardwalk or walk across the OB Pier for amazing ocean views.  There’s also Dog Beach, a leash free beach area where dogs and their owners can splash through the waves and play fetch on the beach.

Runner ups:

• Every Wednesday from 4-8 pm, (and 4-7pm in winter) OB hosts a fantastic farmer’s market along Newport Ave. Here you can find fresh, locally grown produce and flowers, but there are also delicious food stands with all types of ethnic cuisine (mmm…sambusa) and live music, handmade jewelry and, drum roll please…… llama rides!
• Antiquing… not really my thing but if I was going to take up the hobby, I’d definitely shop in OB where they have the largest concentration of antiques and collectable in all of San Diego. In OB’s Antique District, on Newport Ave. you will find an eclectic array of one-of-a-kind antiques, mid-century modern furniture, fine estate sale items, vintage jewelry and so much more.

Tags: antique, beach, dining, dog, food, ocean beach, Shopping

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Looking for something to do this weekend?  Consider:

1. Look to the sky this weekend during the MCAS Miramar Air Show at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. The event showcases several types of aircraft, including vintage biplanes
   

   sunset at the air show, but the fun is just beginning...

   and stealth fighter jets, as well as simulated combat demonstrations, amazing areal performances and a nighttime show with the Great Wall of Fire and a firework grand finale.  I’ve heard that the wall of fire is AMAZING so I’ll be there to check it out this weekend.

2. Bratwurst, beer gardens and oompapa bands can only mean one thing—Oktoberfest! This weekend, check out celebrations of this German holiday during Oktoberfest in La Mesa, the largest festival the U.S. West Coast and Octoberfest in El Cajon. As the German’s would say, “Prost!”
3. Head to Julian this Saturday and Sunday for the 100th Apple Day celebration at the Menghini Winery from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. The event includes apple displays, music and dancing, children’s games and activities, gold panning demonstrations, a beer and wine garden, food and merchandise vendors and of course, Julian’s famous apple pie.  The event costs $5 for adults and children ages 12 and under are free.
4. SeaWorld gets a little spooky this Saturday with the unveiling of the park’s Halloween Spooktacular featuring new shows and festive entertainment. Come see Clyde and Seamore’s Trick or Treat, Sesame Street’s Countdown to Halloween musical and enjoy special Halloween activities and photo opportunities with characters in costume.
5. Get your grub on this Saturday during Taste of North Park from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Enjoy yummy food samples and refreshing microbrew tastings at restaurants, galleries and boutiques throughout the neighborhood.  Tickets for the event are $30 with advanced purchase or $35 day of.

Tags: 5 to try, craft beer, food, Halloween, Julian, San Diego Events, seaworld, things to do, what to do

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Today is October 1, which means for the next 30 days kids and families can enjoy:

Free admission into the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park during Kid Free Days. All children ages 3 – 11 will receive complimentary admission into both parks for the entire month.

Free admission on any one- or two-hour Harbor Cruise of San Diego Bay with Hornblower Cruises & Events. Complimentary tickets will be provided for up to two children, ages 12 and under, per each paying adult for the entire month.

Half-priced admission into four museums in Balboa Park: the Mingei International Museum, the Museum of Man, the Museum of San Diego History and the Museum of Photographic Arts (MoPA) will offer half-priced admission every Saturday and Sunday morning from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.  Note: this offer is actually valid through May 31, 2010 with some blackout days effective after October 31; please check museums to verify for half-priced admission days.

Tags: balboa park, cruise, deals, free, harbor, museum, san diego bay, wild animal park, zoo

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