Labor Day Weekend Events in San Diego

Events abound all around this holiday weekend as summer unofficially wraps up and the kids head back to school. Spend this extra long break exploring the many wonders and landmarks of San Diego. San Diego is buzzing with concerts to enjoy, shows to see, and festivals to attend on this extended weekend. Here is a breakdown of some of the many celebrations happening this weekend:

This Weekend in Music & Concerts

As always, San Diego is playing host to a multitude of acclaimed music artists at the many wonderful local venues. Pamper your eardrums at the David Gray & Ray LaMontagne show at Harrah’s Rincon (Sat 7pm) or with the final show in the San Diego Symphony’s Summer Pops Concert series, the 1812 Tchaikovsky Spectacular! Witness 15-year-old violin phenom Chad Hoopes join the orchestra as a special guest star to end a wonderful summer of wonderful music (Fri-Sun 7:30pm). Drop by Copley Symphony Hall to see Grammy award-winning artist Melissa Etheridge (Fri 7:30pm).

Fellow Grammy winners Green Day visit Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre with alternative rockers AFI (Thurs 7pm) as punk rock takes over San Diego. The Dickies, one of the first punk rock bands to surface from Los Angeles, will be pumping up 4^th & B (Fri 8pm). Then, Jersey boys Titus Andronicus take the stage alongside Philly’s Free Energy at Belly Up Tavern (Sun 8pm).

Catch the concerts at the Del Mar Fairgrounds this weekend starting with the 4 O’ Clock Fridays show featuring The English Beat, a ska revival band England (Fri 4pm). On Saturday, the famously bearded blues band ZZ Top will rock the infield stage (Sat 6pm). Both events are free with racetrack admission.

Take advantage of even more free music events at the Coronado Ferry Landing all weekend. Providing the aural entertainment for this weekend are The Coronado Big Band (Sat 1-3pm), The Stilettos (Sun 2-5pm), and Cool Fever (Mon 1-4pm). So pack a picnic, grab the loved ones, and head over to Coronado to enjoy the beautiful Southern California weather!

This Weekend in Arts

Fine arts flourish in San Diego this weekend with several amazing art shows and festivals to enjoy. The San Diego Museum of Art presents their Summer Salon Series (Thurs 5-9pm) featuring several artists including Matthew Hebert and Katherine Sweetman.

All weekend long enjoy events for the Art San Diego Contemporary Art Fair (Sept. 2-5) which will be held at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. Open Fair Days are open to everyone Fri-Sun $15 general admission and $10 students. Special events are separate such as The San Diego Fine Arts Society’s First Annual SDFAS Awards tonight in the Sapphire Ballroom (Thurs 8pm) or The Young Collectors Night + Wine 2.0 (Sat 6pm). There is also a free Sight & Sound Bayfront Concert featuring rockers Republic of Letters and Vinyl Film. Check out the ASD site for the full schedule and more details.

This Weekend in Sports

Head to the races at the Del Mar Fairgrounds! Wear pink on Saturday and get free admission to the stretch run for Pink Day at the Races to raise awareness for breast cancer. Or check out some pint-sized competitors at the Weiner Dog Nationals on Monday.

Are you ready for some some football?! Well, with school now in session, that also means football season! San Diego State starts of with an opening game against Nicholls State at Qualcomm Stadium (Sat 5pm). Baseball season is still upon us, so support the San Diego Padres at Petco Park as they suit up against the Colorado Rockies (Fri-Sun) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (Mon).

The Festival of Sail kicks off today at the San Diego Maritime Museum waterfront! The festival lasts through the extended weekend with daily events including live entertainment, tall ship cannon battles, and boat rides. So bring the kids and head bayside! Spend your day on the water by indulging in a Labor Day BBQ Lunch Cruise with Hornblower (Mon 10:30am).

There are parties galore as several venues take advantage of the amazing San Diego weather and extended weekend. Spend your days dacing on the streets or lounging poolside alongside bikini-clad babes and able-bodied bros. Day partying and night life collide at the WET Pool Party with Miguel Migs & Fred Everything at Se Hotel (Sat 1pm-2am) or Fortune’s Labor Day Pool Party at Kin Oasis Pool Lounge (Sun 12pm) . Get down on Labor Day at the Stingaree Summer Breeze Labor Day Party (Sun 9pm) or the House of Blues Labor Day Block Party (Sun 9pm).

The Hard Rock joins in on the Labor Day fun by hosting an event each day. The fun starts off Thursday night with the Jump Smokers Album Release Party at 207 Nightclub. Then, Flo Rida takes the 207 stage the next night, performing club-banging hits like “Right Round” and the latest “Club Can’t Handle Me.” More events include appearances by Brent Bartel, Theron, Chris Cutz, and closes out with the Special Intervention Pool Party with Paul Oakenfold at Float on Monday.

So whether you are sporting a diaper, a cocktail dress, or a swimsuit, there is plenty of entertainment and fun to be had in the San Diego area this holiday weekend.

Take a Peek into Next Week:

–         Thurs 9/9 — Sheryl Crow at Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay
–         Fri 9/10 — 16th Annual SD Beer Fest in Downtown San Diego (Columbia & B St.)
–         Sat 9/11 — The Jazz 88 Ocean Beach Music & Arts Festival
–         Sun 9/12 — 20th Annual San Diego Music Awards at Humphrey’s By the Bay

Photos courtesy of Whistling in the Dark, musicisentropy, Alexandre Cardoso, Port of San Diego, billypoonphotos, Bill Kuffrey, and Beyond The Barricade Photography via Flickr.