Here are some of the best things to do this weekend in San Diego from Friday, Sept. 11 to Sunday, Sept. 13.
Friday
On 25th anniversary of 9/11, San Diegans will remember with stair climbs, memorials and other events
Memorials
9/11 Memorial on the USS Midway Museum: There will be free museum entry from 1:45 to 3 p.m. to attend the memorial ceremony of the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in 2001. The FDNY Retirees of San Diego, along with the USS Midway Museum, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, National City Fire Department, San Diego Firefighters Emerald Society and The Wounded Warrior Project will “pay tribute to the fallen heroes of 9/11 and keep the promise to ‘Never Forget.’” The event includes a presentation of colors by honor guards, pipes and drums, a singing of the National Anthem, a reading of first responder names and tolling of the bells along with a SDFD emergency helicopter flyover, 21-gun salute, Taps and a Harbor Police fire boat water display. 2:30 p.m. Friday. 910 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego. midway.org/event/25th-anniversary-memorial-of-september-11-2026.
Punches in the Piazza: Little Italy and the Bobby D. Foundation are dedicating the fourth annual Punches in the Piazza in Little Italy’s Piazza della Famiglia to remembering 9/11 and honoring first responders. Organizers say the event will feature USA Boxing-sanctioned amateur bouts as well as ceremonial tributes, raffle prizes and a silent auction. They also say the funds from the event will go to Washington Elementary School Foundation and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. 6 p.m. Friday. 523 W. Date St., San Diego. $54.59. eventbrite.com/e/4th-annual-punches-in-the-piazza-tickets-1988471785639
Amusement parks
Halloween Spooktacular: SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular returns promising to feature “more family-friendly fun than ever before.” That includes a new Baby Shark Halloween Show and a Coral Candy Club Dance Party. Festivities returning this year will be Captain Sweet Tooth’s Candy Trail, the Waterfront Pumpkin Patch and a Halloween scavenger hunt. Activities are included with SeaWorld admission. Friday through Nov. 1. 500 Sea World Drive, San Diego. seaworld.com/san-diego/events/halloween-spooktacular
Fall Fest: It’s not officially fall until Sept. 22, but San Diego is already preparing for the season with themed activities and events, including the return of Belmont Park’s Fall Fest. Inside the amusement park, guests will find roaming Halloween characters and treats such as apple chai lattes and caramel apples. There will be live music every Saturday in October and trick-or-treating every Sunday that month. Thursday to Oct. 31. Belmont Park, 3146 Mission Blvd., San Diego. BelmontPark.com
Theater
“Theatre People, or The Angel Next Door”: Scripps Ranch Theatre presents Paul Slade Smith’s play about the romantic and comic entanglements that occur when a novelist, an actress and a pair of Broadway stars converge for a weekend in the country. 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through Sept. 20. Legler Benbough Theatre, 9783 Avenue of Nations, Alliant Inernational University, San Diego. $27-$52. 858-578-7728, scrippsranchtheatre.org
Jordan Lee Gilbert as Christine and Daniel Lopez as Raoul in the national touring production of “Phantom of the Opera,” playing Sept. 2 through 13 at the San Diego Civic Theatre. (Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
‘Phantom of the Opera’ plays through Sunday: Broadway San Diego presents the national touring production of this Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice musical about a mysterious masked man who haunts a Paris opera house. 8 p.m.Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., downtown. $88 to $236. broadwaysd.com
“Our Lady of the San Diego Convention Center”: TuYo Theatre will open Mario Vega’s world premiere play inspired by the true stories of caregivers and the migrant children they cared for at the convention center, where asylum seekers were kept in 2021. The show will open with performances Friday through Sunday, then travel to 12 locations from San Ysidro to Oceanside through mid-October. Tickets are pay what you can, but a donation of $25 is encouraged. Full tour schedule at tuyotheatre.org/our-lady-of-the-san-diego-convention.
“Rock of Ages”: San Diego Musical Theatre presents this ’80s jukebox musical about life and love at a Sunset Strip music club. 7 p.m. Friday; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. 4650 Mercury St., Kearny Mesa. $44-$69. 858-560-5740, sdmt.org
“Mensa”: OnStage Playhouse presents the world premiere of Salomon Maya’s comedy about a bright teenage girl troubled by her parents’ extremist political podcast. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 5 p.m. Sunday. 291 Third Ave, Chula Vista. $25. onstageplayhouse.org
“We Will Rock You”: New Village Arts presents the San Diego premiere of this Queen jukebox musical featuring characters inspired by some of the English rock band’s songs. 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through Sept. 20. 2787 State St., Carlsbad. $45-$85. 760-433-3245, newvillagearts.org
“Theatre People, or The Angel Next Door”: Scripps Ranch Theatre presents Paul Slade Smith’s play about the romantic and comic entanglements that occur when a novelist, an actress and a pair of Broadway stars converge for a weekend in the country. 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through Sept. 20. Legler Benbough Theatre, 9783 Avenue of Nations, Alliant International University, San Diego. $27-$52. 858-395-0573, scrippsranchtheatre.org
“Come From Away”: Moonlight Stage Productions presents the La Jolla Playhouse-born Broadway musical about the true story of human kindness when the residents of a small town in Newfoundland, Canada, cared for 7,000 American airline passengers forced to land in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. Through Sept. 26. Moonlight Amphitheatre, Brengle Terrace Park, 1200 Vale Terrace Drive, Vista. $49-$71. 760-724-2110, moonlightstage.com
“American Rhythm”: In honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Lamb’s Players Theatre has revived its high-energy musical celebration of 100 years of American music, from ragtime to swing, jazz and rock and roll. 2 and 7 p.m. Wednesdays; 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through Oct. 4. 1142 Orange Ave., Coronado. $48-$98. 619-437-6000, lambsplayers.org
Saturday
Community
Bonitafest: Bonita will celebrate its history and community with a 54th annual festival. A Twilight Trail Parade will take place at the Sunnyside Saddle Club at 6 p.m., followed at 6:30 p.m. by an arts festival and street fair. 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday. Bonita Museum and Cultural Center, 4355 Bonita Road, Bonita. Free. bonitahistoricalsociety.org
Sunset Cliffs Auto Show: This event takes place with an ocean view, food trucks, music and raffles. A kids zone will include a Hot Wheels derby and other car-themed activities. The Ocean Beach Community Foundation will host a pancake breakfast starting at 8 a.m. to coincide with the auto show. Tickets for breakfast can be purchased online in advance at obcommunityfoundation.org. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Point Loma Avenue and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. Free. oceanbeachsandiego.com/attractions/annual-events/sunset-cliffs-auto-show
Chicano Skate Park 10th anniversary: To celebrate 10 years of the Chicano Skate Park, a free community event will take place with art, food, giveaways, music and other festivities. There will also be an art activation, a DJ and other live performances. Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. Barrio Logan between Newton Avenue and National Avenue, San Diego. Free. barriologanassociation.org/skateday
Holiday
Fiestas Patrias: Mexican Independence Day takes place Sept. 16 and Old Town is celebrating Fiestas Patrias on Saturday. A community parade will begin at 11 a.m., followed by live entertainment, a cooking demonstration, crafts, vaquero games and a guacamole contest. Visitors to the event can sample the contest entries for $5 per flight. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. Free. parks.ca.gov/?page_id=26879
One of the art pieces in the new “Blood Memory” exhibit at the California Center for the Arts Museum in Escondido is this 2026 giclée archival print by Matthew Valdivia titled “Waȟčázi (Kathy A. Willcuts Garcia – Mnicoujou, Itazipco, & Sicangu (Rosebud Reservation) Lakota).” (Matthew Valdivia)
Arts
Alley Cat Art Fest: Downtown El Cajon Association presents this free arts festival featuring more than 50 local artists, live music, food trucks and interactive art experiences. Proceeds benefit the city’s murals and public art installations. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Main Street, Magnolia Avenue, Arts Alley and Prescott Promenade. Free. downtownelcajon.com/events/alley-cat-art-fest
‘Blood Memory’ opens Saturday in Escondido: The California Center for the Arts Museum in Escondido on Saturday will open “Blood Memory,” a contemporary multidiscipline exhibition by regional artists from Native nations and Indigenous communities whose work explores how ancestral knowledge and lived experience are passed on across generations. Participating artists are Esteban Cabeza de Baca, Fox Maxy, Gail Werner, Gerald Clarke, James Luna, Johnny Bear Contreras, Lewis deSoto, Robert Freeman, Matthew Valdivia, Sky Hopinka, Summer Herrera, Tiffany Wolfe, X, and XoQUE Art in Motion. The exhibition will also include a presentation organized by Cheryl Madrigal, Cultural Resources Manager of the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians. Opening reception, 5-7 p.m. Saturday. Exhibit continues through Feb. 28. California Center for the Arts Museum, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. https://www.ccaemuseum.org
Bryan Ali Sanchez exhibition: Bread & Salt Gallery hosts “Raíces en el Campo” (“Roots in the Countryside”),” a solo exhibition of paintings that depict the lives of of working-class people and their connection to the land. Opens Saturday with a reception from 5-8 p.m., and runs through Nov. 21. 1955 Julian Ave., Logan Heights. breadandsaltsandiego.com
Dance
Asian American Dance Festival Mainstage Showcase: TILTshift Dance & BKSOUL present a showcase of international dance performers. 7 p.m. Saturday. Saville Theater, San Diego City College, 13th and C streets, downtown. $20-$45. tiltshiftdance.org/aadf2026.
Museums
“Kumeyaay Comics’”: The Museum of Us on Saturday will open this new immersive exhibit by the Kumeyaay Visual Storytelling Project, inspired by the two-part graphic novel “Our Past, Present, and Future” and “Beyond Gaming.” 1350 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego. museumofus.org
Theater
“Dear Evan Hansen”: Cygnet Theatre presents Pasek and Paul’s Tony Award-winning musical about a lonely teen who suddenly becomes popular after a tragedy occurs. Opens Saturday and runs through Oct. 4. 7 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Joseph Clayes III Stage, The Joan, 2880 Roosevelt Road, San Diego. $24.50-$78. 619-337-1525, cygnettheatre.org
Sunday
Beaches
Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon: Some of San Diego’s most adventurous four-legged friends will hit the surf this Sunday for Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon. The event is scheduled to include 70 dogs competing for “top surf dog.” Spectators can participate in a dog costume contest, listen to music and explore vendor booths.8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Del Mar Dog Beach North. Free for spectators, donations encouraged. my.animalcenter.org/event/surf-dog-surf-a-thon-2026
Trade shows
Bridal Expo: The Bridal Bazaar brings together a wide range of wedding professionals to help brides find inspiration and wedding products and services. This includes everything from wedding dresses to suits and tuxedos. There will also be prizes and giveaways. 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. $20. bridalbazaar.com
Classical music
Hausmann Quartet’s Haydn Voyages: The string quartet will perform “Ancestors & Ghosts,” a concert featuring music by Haydn, Webern, Kurtag, Schnittke and Beethoven aboard the 1898 ferryboat Berkeley. 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Maritime Museum of San Diego, 1492 Harbor Drive, San Diego. $10-$60. hausmannquartet.com/haydn-voyages