This Weekend in San Diego 8/17-8/19

As the summer nears its end and the school session begins, the San Diego crowd takes no prisoners. We’ve got tons of food festivals to get our bellies full this weekend, like the ¡Latin Food Fest! you don’t want to miss. The live music scene is thriving this weekend, with bands like Snow Patrol and Rooney making stops in sunny San Diego. As long as its still outdoor movie season, the films don’t stop. Check out Zoolander at the newly opened Rooftop Cinema Club for an elevated (pun intended) outdoor experience in the Gaslamp District. Check out what else is going on this weekend in San Diego.

Friday, August 17

¡Latin Food Fest!

This two-day waterfront event will be a ‘Hispanic Culinary Extravaganza” at the Embracadero Marina Park North. The festival will include a high-energy kick-off party, “Chefs Night Out” on Friday at 7:30 pm followed by the ultimate culinary festival, “Gran Tasting” all day Saturday. The 6th annual event showcases talented culinarians — from local executive chefs to star personalities who conduct cooking demonstrations, offer tastings, prepare chef’s dinners, and sign cookbooks. Get your tickets here starting at $35.

Niall Horan

One Direction member Niall Horan will take the stage at the Mattress Firm Amphitheatre at 7 pm as part of his Flicker World Tour. His newest album, Flicker was inspired by classic rock acts and features hits like “Seeing Blind” and “Too Much to Ask”. Get your tickets here, starting at $22.

Snow Patrol

Performing at Harrah’s Southern California Casino & Resort, Snow Patrol will be taking the stage after a 6-year hiatus since their 2012 Fallen Empires Tour ended. Don’t miss your chance to watch them perform hits like “Chasing Cars” and “Run”. Get your tickets here starting at $39.

Food Truck Friday

Courtesy Photo Balboa Park

Kick off your summer weekends in style every Friday evening at Balboa Park’s hottest after-hours event from 4:00 -8:30 pm. Visitors of all ages can enjoy live entertainment and activities for kids while eating gourmet dishes from a rotating selection of more than a dozen popular food trucks parked on the Plaza de Panama and El Prado walkway. Throughout the summer, Food Truck Fridays will present different musical performers or DJs each night in the Plaza de Panama.

Stone Brewing 22nd Anniversary Celebration

Enjoy a relaxing evening of beer, food and live music with brewers and representatives from all of your favorite breweries at this celebratory event taking palce at CSU San Marcos. An $85 ticket includes endless craft beer, unlimited gourmet fare from Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, a commemorative Stone 22nd Anniversary tasting glass to take home, and a cigar lounge with cigars available for purchase. Get your tickets here.

Saturday, August 18

HarborFest

This free event will take place from 10 am – 6 pm in Bayside Park near the Chula Vista Marina. Don’t miss the chance to explore more than 100 green initiatives green initiatives, stroll through exotic automobile displays, and peruse a vibrant art exhibition with breathtaking ocean views as a backdrop. HarborFest will welcome the region’s best chefs, artisanal spirits, and craft beers to the Taco, Spirits and Craft Beer Revolution. The Discovery Zone will keep the young (and young at heart) entertained all day with interactive activities, arts and crafts, and even free kayaking and paddleboard lessons. The Discovery Zone also provides an opportunity to learn about the seaside ecosystem with educational exhibits from The Living Coast Discovery Center. Prepare to get your groove on and dance, dance, dance in front of 3 stages: Latin Beats Stage, HarborFest Main Stage, and Chula Vista Community Stage.

Rooney & Mating Ritual at the Casbah

Robert Schwartzman

Rooney is embarking upon the A Cosmic Interlude Tour this fall and will play Casbah on August 18th with special guest Mating Ritual. The band helmed by Robert Schwartzman will feature songs from their nearly two-decade career, and coincides with the release of new songs to be released in the coming weeks as singles, and also featured on an upcoming soundtrack to forthcoming Schwartzman directed movie The Unicorn, due out in early 2019. Rooney’s most recent LP, 2016’s Washed Away, saw the band perform on Today, Late Night With Seth Meyers, and was praised as “incredibly catchy” by Nylon and a “kick-ass” album by Paste Magazine. Get your tickets here starting at $18.

Craft Beer Fest

Beer aficionados won’t want to miss this. Craft Beer Fest is coming to the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Try the more than 100 local and international brews featuring award-winning beers, rare and unique specialty crafts, and favorites from our thriving local brewing scene. Your Craft Beer Fest ticket includes admission to the racetrack, unlimited 1 oz. pours from 2-6 p.m, music from DJ’s and special food vendors.

Write Out Loud: Twain Fest

It’s become an annual tradition. Write Out Loud, the popular company that reads literature “out loud,” presents its 9th annual festival devoted to the writings of Mark Twain and the culture of 19th century America. Other features include: descendants of early San Diego; “giant puppets of Mark Twain”; and the “Author’s Salon,” where visitors can meet Twain, Emily Dickenson, Walt Whitman and others. Head to Old Town State Historic Park at 11 am for this FREE family festival that includes stories, music, games and more.

Rooftop Cinema Club showing Zoolander

Rooftop Cinema Club will be showing Zoolander at 6:30 pm atop Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego. With its stunning views of the city from every angle imaginable, Rooftop Cinema Club is revolutionizing the movie-going experience in its unique and one-of-a-kind setting underneath and among the stars. Open to adults 18-and-over. Ticket prices start at just $17 per person for a single deck-chair underneath the moon and the stars. Get your tickets here.

Sunday, August 19

Wonderspaces

Wonderspaces returns to San Diego this summer with fifteen new works of extraordinary art after the 2017 debut drew over sixty-six thousand visitors. The new show, titled With Creative License, will be open on Friday from 12-10: 30 pm. Tickets for Wonderspaces are available on a monthly, space available basis and range from $14-$24. Get your tickets here.

Music on the Bay Yoga Festival

From 8 am – 7 pm, head to Hospitality Point Park for a free day of beachside yoga and jams. It will be a full day of festivities, including live music, hatha, vinyasa, restorative, and yoga therapy classes, as well as, stand up paddleboard yoga (SUP yoga), paddleboard and kayak rentals, duffy boat rentals, food, vendors, and more.

San Diego Harley-Davidson 25 year Anniversary Party

Harley-Davidson Motor Company has created Four Ride Home Kickoff Parties in the Four Corners of the Country: San Diego, Seattle, Ft Lauderdale and Portland. Saddle up and join the pilgrimage to Harley-Davidon’s motherland for the 115th Anniversary out of San Diego. This FREE event from noon – 4 pm will be a beach themed party with two bars, Live DJ, over 25 giveaways, PB Taco Surf catered lunch, champagne toast and more.

Seinfeld Trivia Night

Head to Goodbar in Point Loma at 6 pm to show off your knowledge about the iconic show about nothing. All the trivia questions will focus on the show Seinfeld, with prizes awarded to the top teams. Team ticket purchase necessary, get yours here.