For those of us who didn’t score tickets to see Kathy Griffin at the San Diego Civic Center this weekend (tear), here’s a list of other weekend happenings to keep us occupied:

• Yes!! This Saturday and Sunday is the Adams Avenue Street Fair, California’s largest free music festival and one of my
  

  Adams Avenue here I come...

  favorite annual events. Set along Adams Avenue (between 35th Avenue and Bancroft Street) in Normal Heights, the event features 70 musical acts on six different stages, carnival rides, over 300 arts and craft vendors, beer gardens and yummy food galore! The fun goes down from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sunday.  Insider Tip: I suggest pulling out some mullah because a lot of the vendors are “cash only.”

• Beat the heat and catch a flick during the annual San Diego Film Festival this weekend at the Gaslamp Theater. Showcasing a number of American and international full-length films, documentaries and short films, you can also catch Q & A sessions with directors and maybe even a star sighting or two. Individual passes are available, but day passes are recommended. Plus, with the purchase of a day pass you can get into the special workshops, panels and fabulous after parties. Click here for a complete list of showings.
• Long before there was a sponge that lived in a pineapple under the sea, there was a famous explorer that sailed the sea; in fact, that explorer, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, discovered San Diego in 1542. In honor of his discovery, we’re celebrating the annual Cabrillo Festival this Saturday and Sunday. This free event includes cultural festivities, educational activities, music, food, dancing and a wonderful reenactment of the famous explorer landing on the shores of San Diego Bay.
• This Saturday, Smithsonian Magazine presents national Museum Day, which means a number of museums all over the country are providing free general admission. More than a dozen of San Diego’s museums are participating in this event, including San Diego Botanic Garden, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Birch Aquarium at Scripps and California Center for Arts, Escondido Museum. To take advantage of this offer, you must click here to register for and print out a Smithsonian Museum Day Card. I just registered for mine and it takes less than a minute!
• Enjoy the cultures and customs of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia during the 15th Annual Pacific Islander Festival this Saturday and Sunday at Mission Bay’s Ski Beach. This free event will have continuous entertainment, food, music and unique crafts.

Tags: 5 to try, cabrillo national monument, festival, film, free, live music, mission bay, museum, normal heights

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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New Children's Museum pillow fight room! Yet another reason why I never want to grow up

Labor Day weekend is upon us, which unofficially marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall.  And while the transition of the seasons might go unnoticed in San Diego because our beach days and sunshine will last well into November (I’m not bragging, I’m just saying…), this weekend does mean “LAST CALL!” on some of San Diego’s summertime specialties:

1. This weekend, catch this year’s final celebration of  Summer Nights at SeaWorld with fireworks, live music, special animal shows like Shamu Rocks and Sea Lions Tonite and the award-winning dance show Riptide. The park will be open 9 a.m. – 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Monday. Note: It’s also the VERY LAST weekend to catch the Dolphin Discovery show before SeaWorld begins construction on a brand new dolphin show, Blue Horizons, coming in May 2010.
2. Spend your evenings exploring the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park during Park at Dark where you can see the park’s nocturnal creatures emerge, take a sunset tour on the Journey Into Africa tram and catch special summer shows. The park will be open from 9 a.m. – 8p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
3. Check out the Caras Silvestres celebration during Nighttime Zoo at the San Diego Zoo. Honoring the cultures of California and Central and South America, the Zoo will present live music, colorful dance performances and amazing shows with stilt walkers and exotic animals. The Zoo will be open from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
4. Hurry over and place your bets at the Del Mar Racetrack for the last weekend of horse races. Races will be in full swing Saturday through Monday but I suggest you try your luck on Sunday when the country’s top horses compete in the $1 Million Pacific Classic, Del Mar’s richest and most prestigious race (and if you win big, you owe me). Later that day, following the last race, stop by the Reggae Festival with featured performances from Ziggy Marley and Nikka Costa; entrance to the concert is free with racetrack general admission tickets.
5. This Saturday, Sunday and Monday, The New Children’s Museum in downtown San Diego is celebrating the FINAL weekend of its first exhibition, childsplay, before they close in preperation for their new exhibition Animal Art, opening in October. So come on by for your last chance to jump in the pillow room, navigate through a two story maze and dance around in the Rain House. Note: Ziggy Marley will also make a special appearance at the museum on Saturday while he debuts his new children’s album, “Family Time.”

Tags: 5 to try, animals, del mar, downtown, labor day weekend, mission bay, seaworld, summer, things to do, what to do, wild animal park, zoo

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1. This Saturday and Sunday, over 300 of the world’s best bodysurfers will be in San Diego for the 33rd Annual World Body Surfing Championships.
   

   I wonder if he's competing in the Body Surfing Championships?

   The event takes place from 6:30 a.m. until late afternoon on both days at the Oceanside Pier and Beach in Oceanside. The public can grab a spot and watch as men and women ages 12 – 65+ surf their hearts out for bragging rights as “the world’s best.”

2. Enjoy a weekend of family fun and music at the Summergrass San Diego Bluegrass Festival this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The festival features bluegrass bands from around the world, music workshops, kid’s activities and a Kid’s Music camp, food, vendors and even onsite camping. The fun goes down at the outdoor Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum in San Diego’s North County from 3 p.m. – 10 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Sunday, but gates open early and stay open late so feel free to arrive early and settle in. Tickets are $17 – $20 per person or $54 for a three day pass; kids 10 and under get in free.
3. This weekend, experience a tropical island getaway during the Sunset Luau at the Catamaran Resort & Spa in Mission Bay.  Doors open at 6 p.m., where you’ll receive a lei greeting and complimentary Mai Tai. Dinner starts at 6:45 p.m. and includes a wide variety of Hawaiian and mainland dishes (and even a slow roasted pig), served buffet style. Following dinner is a thrilling fire and knife dance as well as traditional dances from Tahiti, Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand and Hawaii. Tickets are $58 for adults and $25 for children.
4. This Saturday is the 1st Annual Ocean Beach Summerfest from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Dusty Rhodes Park in Ocean Beach. The event will include carnival rides, food, live music, a craft fair and a beer garden. This free event is open to the public, and leashed dogs are welcomed.
5. Hop aboard the San Diego Ferry and enjoy a scenic ride across San Diego Bay to Coronado Island.  The Ferry departs from downtown’s Broadway Pier or the San Diego Convention Center and costs only $6.50 roundtrip.  Once across the Bay, you’ll be at the Coronado Ferry Landing, where a number of shops, galleries, restaurants and live entertainment await.

Tags: 5 to try, coronado, festival, free, mission bay, music, ocean beach, Oceanside, summer, things to do, what to do

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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So, you think you can dance? Wait til you see this awesome little guy at the Barona Pow Wow.

Warm ocean temperatures, coastal highs in the mid-70’s and crowds back in school make fall one of the best times to visit San Diego’s beaches and world-famous family attractions.   But, in my opinion, an even more exciting reason to visit in fall are all the cool events celebrating the cultures and people who make up San Diego. 

It’s common to hear San Diegans say “everyone here is from somewhere else.”  Well, here’s a chance to dig below the surface and find out where we come from – you might be surprised!

Fall cultural heritage events include:

• The Pow-Wow Trail of California, celebrating the culture and history of the indigenous people of the state, winds through San Diego in September.  The Barona Band of the Mission Indians holds their annual Barona Pow-Wow Sept. 4-6 at the Barona Reservation in Lakeside.   The following weekend, Sept. 11-13, The Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation holds their Pow-Wow at the Sycuan Reservation in El Cajon.  Both events include traditional singing, dancing, games, arts and crafts, costumes, food and much more.   
• On Sept. 26-27, the Pacific Islander Festival brings the spirit of the islands to Mission Bay’s Ski Beach with a celebration of the traditional cultures of the indigenous people of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia – an area that includes more than 2,000 unique Pacific islands.  This fall marks the 15th anniversary of the event which brings to San Diego the traditional food, dance, music, art and friendly hospitality of the people of Hawaii, Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti and many more vibrant island cultures. 
• More than 200,000 people gather in La Mesa during Oct. 2-4 for the largest three-day Oktoberfest west of the Mississippi.  Lovers of German food, music, culture and beer flock to the festivities and celebrate German culture with traditional foods like bratwurst and sauerkraut, frosty brews flowing in three huge beer gardens, hundreds of craft vendors, costumed folk dancers and a children’s carnival.   
• On Oct. 11, San Diego’s Little Italy Association presents the 15th Little Italy Festa – the largest one-day Italian American festival west of the Mississippi.  A grand celebration of Italian culture, more than 120,000 people gather annually for this traditional street festival that serves up traditional music, authentic foods, specialty crafts and Gesso Italiano, an Italian street chalk painting exhibition.   Sporty types also enjoy the street stickball exhibition games – San Diego is home to 10 stickball teams and visiting teams come from around the region – and can register early to enter the bocce ball tournament on Oct. 12.
• The San Diego Asian Film Festivalreturns Oct. 12-29 to Mission Valley with programming that has earned an international reputation as one of North America’s top Asian-American film festivals. Last year, it drew a record crowd of nearly 18,000 film buffs and attracted high profile filmmakers and celebrities, including Academy Award-winning director Jessica Yu (short film, Breathing Lessons), Aaron Yoo (Disturbia, Nick and Nora), John Cho (Harold and Kumar), Leonardo Nam (Sisterhood of Traveling Pants), and YouTube sensation Christine Gambito of HappySlip.
• On Nov. 1, the city of Oceanside brings its Annual Dia del los Muertos celebration to the historic Mission San Luis Rey. The mission grounds are transformed into a Mexican plaza with thousands of marigolds used in the creation of “ofrendas,” or altars, which are memorials to loved ones who have passed. Guests can enjoy music, dancing, food booths, a retail mercado and the Chalk Cemetery, an interactive area where guests use flowers, candles and chalk to create their own ofrendas. 

Tags: fall, film, la mesa, little italy, mission bay, mission san luis rey, native american, Oceanside

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• One of San Diego’s most classic restaurants has moved to a new location and you’re invited to the grand opening
  

  how many Bumpits do you think she used to get that hair?

  party! Corvette Diner, now located in Liberty Station in Point Loma celebrates its grand opening  this Saturday and Sunday with more than 100 Corvettes on display, family-friendly activities and live music from a number of bands, including a Beatles tribute band.  This free event will shake, rattle and roll from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days.

• This Sunday, at 5:30 p.m. Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park takes you to infinity and beyond with an out of this world symphony under the stars.  Conductor Mat Garbutt and the San Diego Symphony will play a series of outer space music, including popular scores from Star Trek and Star Wars.  This concert event is free; however, spaceship parking is limited.
• If you love creepies and crawlies, check out the Annual Insect Festival at Quail Botanical Gardens this Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bring your hand sanitizer and head on over for bug collecting, insect arts and crafts and even cooked mealworm larva tastings in flavors like mesquite, teriyaki and barbeque… uh… I think I’ll stick to chicken.  Entomologists and other bug experts will be available for questions and answers.  Children 12 and under will be admitted free, everyone else gets in for just $12.
• Ever dreamed of cozying up to watch a movie with Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones or Michelle Pfeiffer?  Well you can this Saturday because the Maritime Museum presents Movies Before the Mast.  Come aboard the Star of India and watch Sinbad:Legend of the Seven Seas (featuring the animated voices of Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michelle Pfeiffer) projected onto the ships massive sail.  Bring blankets, family and friends and prepared to be entertained.  Boarding begins at 6:30 p.m. and admission is $8 for kids, $13 for adults. 
• There’s no crying in baseball, but there is drinking in softball!  The 56th Annual World Championship Over-the-Line Tournament takes place this Saturday and Sunday on Mission Bay’s Fiesta Island from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. each day.  This boisterous, fast-paced beach softball event is free to the public and features 1,200 teams competing to be the ultimate Over-the-Line Champions. 

Tags: 5 to try, balboa park, dining, encinitas, festival, free, live music, maritime museum, mission bay, Point Loma, things to do

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A Fantastic Father's Day with a Beluga Whale at SeaWorld.

Father’s Day is coming up.  Are you looking for an unforgettable gift idea?

If you’re heading to San Diego, consider SeaWorld’s Wild Arctic Interaction.

This amazing experience begins with a behind-the-scenes tour to meet SeaWorld’s enormous Pacific walruses, playful harbor seals and polar bears.  Then, Dad will wiggle into a wet suit and step into 55-degree, Arctic-like water to hang with the beluga whales. 

During the interaction, he’ll get to touch, feed and give the whale training hand signals that cue behaviors like showing off the birdlike vocalizations — that have earned the species the nickname “sea canary.”  Maybe, he’ll even get a kiss! 

The program costs $170 plus park admission and includes wet suits, booties, lockers, changing facilities and showers.  Advance registration is required.

Tags: animals, father's day, mission bay, seaworld

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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Ben Stiller is hilarious but, I’m not sure I’d be up for spending a night at the museum when he’s on duty.  For families looking to make amazing memories without risking ancient Egyptian curses, San Diego has cool sleepovers in unusual places like:

• Ahoy, matey!  The San Diego Maritime Museum on San Diego Bay has family sleepovers aboard the world’s oldest active tall ship, the Star of India.  Sailors for the day can help set sail, haul cargo and stand watch at night.
• Grrrr…get wild with family sleepovers at The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park and “Roar & Snore” camping at the Zoo’s Wild Animal Park in Escondido.  Both include behind the scenes access and animal encounters.
• Breakfast with the dolphins?  Over on Mission Bay at SeaWorld, the family sleepovers are just the beginning.  You can spend the whole following day exploring park’s rides, shows and exhibits - admission is included.   
  

  Good morning Mr. Dolphin!

Tags: balboa park, escondido, family, maritime museum, mission bay, san diego bay, seaworld, sleepover, wild animal park, zoo

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